When you pull up to the palace in Milot, you are immediately directed to the information booth. Cory took care of the fees and obtaining a guide while the kids and I put on our sun screen.
The guide, Jean, joined us and we continued the drive up to the second parking lot. The team walked all the way from the palace as their vehical was an automatic and not powerful enough to make it up to the second site. Jean was the same guide as the team had and remembered Gene's name. We take our hats off to the team for making the long walk.
At the parking lot Anna happily got on her horse while the rest of us continued on foot. Taking pictures was a good reason to stop now and then and catch my breath. The guys with the horses followed us for a while encouraging us to ride but after a while they headed back to the start. Many Haitians were also walking up, including school groups. The walk takes about an hour.
After a short break at the top we started the tour. At one point there were 10,000 cannon balls but not one was ever fired in war as the fortress was never attacked.
Hard to imagine the slaves pulling 350 cannons, some weighing 4,000 pounds, up the mountain. Also the bricks and other supplies. Some parts of the fortress have been renovated. At it's peak over 2,000 men were housed at the Citadel.
Hard to imagine the slaves pulling 350 cannons, some weighing 4,000 pounds, up the mountain. Also the bricks and other supplies. Some parts of the fortress have been renovated. At it's peak over 2,000 men were housed at the Citadel.
It was windy at the top and cool. You can see Cap Haitian but not the palace. There is a small mountain in between the Citadel and the palace.
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