Last week one of AFAR’s special correspondents, Nina Dietzel (@ninadietzel), took over @afarmedia‘s Instagram feed following a recent trip to Haiti. She absolutely fell in love with the country and her incredible photos show a different side of Haiti than the one we usually see. From colorful cities to rolling green hills, here are some of her highlights.
Jalouise “Jalousie is one of Haiti’s biggest shantytowns and was painted these psychedelic colors in 2013 in an effort to beautify the slum. The $1.4 million project has been called ‘lipstick on a pig’ by critics—others think it’s beautiful.” The colors of Jalouise sparked an interesting conversation on Instagram - check out the original post to join in the discussion.
Furcy “A local farmer makes her way to church across the fields of one of my favorite places in Haiti. This mountain path is near Port-au-Prince and close to a village called Furcy.”
Port-au-Prince “Vodou is prevalent in Haiti. Here’s a vendor of vodou paraphernalia at the famous Marché Hyppolite, or Iron Market (Marché de Fer) in Port-au-Prince. Looking very serious here for his portrait, he cracked the biggest smile for me right after.”
Port-au-Prince “Every night, there are countless vodou celebrations all over Haiti. Here’s a special ceremony for Erzulie, the goddess of love.”
Furcy “Time moves a bit slower in Furcy, which is only an hour or so up a windy mountain road from bustling Port-au-Price. When I miss Haiti, which happens a lot, this is the area that pulls at me.”
Haiti “This is a typical street store in Haiti, selling peppers and mangoes. Delicious Creole cuisine features lots of these peppers. I pretty much ate my way from Port-au-Prince to Cap-Haïtien, such a treat!”
Palais Sans Souci “On the north shore of Haiti, close to Cap Haitien, are two UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the Citadelle and, shown here, the ruins of the Sans Souci Palace. The lack of tourists makes these sites a photographer’s dream.”
Haiti “Goodbye Haiti, or as the locals say in Creole: Orevwa Ayiti. Haiti was so much more than I expected and I miss it deeply. Thank you so much for following along on my Haitian adventures and you can find me at @ninadietzel or ninadietzel.com”
