Friday, July 29, 2016 - Day Seven - Day Trip to Bassin Bleu and Visit with Baba
Caetano Brito reports:
Waking up to the sound of the ocean and the warm breeze at Hotel Cyvadier was a perfect way to start our 7th day in Haiti. After a tasty breakfast which included eggs, french toast, and fruit, the gang was ready to head out to Bassin Bleu.
On our way there, we came to an impasse due to the roaring ending
because of a river. Our guide Daniel, decided it was best to walk across the
river as Lilly, our driver, drove around an alternative route. Step by step,
each of us slowly took our time and carefully crossed the river in excitement
and a little bit of fear. Once we successfully crossed the river, our journey
to Bassin Bleu began. 30 seconds into our hike, we encountered a sign that said
"Bassin Bleu 5.7 km." We knew this was going to be a long and
physically draining hike up a steep mountain. As usual, the athletic young
soccer boys, walked at their own pace and passed the rest of the group by at
least 100 yards.
The group rejoined when the boys came to a fork in the road
and did not know exactly where to go. Halfway up the mountain we were
exhausted. Luckily, we had enough water to make it to our destination. Each
rest stop we made had its own breathtaking view of Jacmel, the ocean, and the
mountains surrounding the city. It was hard to walk away from each view, but we
thought a picture would be enough to capture the moment. In a way, we were
jealous of the locals living in the mountains who had the view each day.
After a
couple more rigorous hills, we arrived at a sign that said "Bassin Bleu
700 m." Our faces lit up and we knew that the walk was worth it even
though we had some people who could not finish and got a ride up to the
destination. Waiting for us at Baba's house was fresh coconuts ready to be cut
open. We each cherished the sweet states of coconut water and the meat inside.
Finally, when we arrived at Bassin Bleu, we could not believe what we were
seeing. A natural waterfall with fresh water as blue as the sky. It was truly
paradise, we wanted to stay there forever. The best part for the kids was the
jumps. There were three jumps, two of which Pally didn't was us to jump off of.
We started with the first and second jumps which were 10 and 20 feet high.
Trinididdy was able to capture some live action photos of the kids jumping off
the waterfall jumps. After a series of diving, and cannon balls, the boys, were
brace enough to climb up to the third jump which was 35 feet high.
Due to past
experiences, Pally was a against us jumping off because he didn't want any
injuries. However, because boys are how they are, they chose to jump at their
own risk knowing that anything could happen. Although it seemed dangerous, the
jump was a once in a life time opportunity and was completely worth it. Sadly,
we had to head back down to Hotel Cyvadier because the thunderstorms started
rolling in.
Making a quick stop at Baba's house, we were refreshed with some
sweet coffee and a delicious meal which included rice and beans which were
planted by the previous Haiti group in March. Saying one last goodbye to Bassin
Bleu and Baba, we were all tired from a long day of hiking, swimming,
sightseeing, and eating. The scenic route down was just as amazing as the walk
up. At last, we all arrived safely at the hotel to conclude our day.
