Friday 18 November 2011

Today is a public holiday commemorating the Battle of Vertiere in 1803. From early in the morning we could hear the brass bands marching up the main street to the town square where the parade starts at the end of the official Te Deum held in the old catholic cathedral. So off we went to the square where there was a small crowd by Haitian standards waiting outside the church for the official party to leave and the parade to start. It was really hot in the sun and we had to shelter under some trees to get some shade. From our vantage point we could observe the preparations for the parade. There were quite a number of school brass bands in their colourful American style uniforms waiting patiently for the start of the activities. Most of the bands here also have a group of what is called ‘majorettes’ which basically are the equivalent of the New Zealand marching girls.

At some stage a small group of Haitians on horseback and dressed in period character clothes arrived carrying fake guns and wearing military hats modeled on the style worn by the French army in the 18th and 19th century. They looked quite fearsome with large rings dangling from their ears resembling more captain Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean than General Jean Jacques Dessalines or Toussaint L’Ouverture who were the leaders of the revolt of the Haitians against the French.



I also noticed the presence of the UN troops all dressed up in their combat gear and armed to their teeth patrolling the area. I wasn’t sure whether that meant we were safe in case of trouble but they looked like they meant business. We were the only white people on the square and I hoped that the Haitians were not associating us with their French colonial masters of the past particularly on a day like this!!!



Anyway the parade eventually got on its way and it was great seeing all the bands marching past blasting their brass instruments and beating the drums with great gusto.

From the square they all walk all the way to Vertiere where there is a monument commemorating the famous battle. I guess it would take them at least an hour to get there fighting their way through the traffic and facing the blazing sun. I suppose that is a small sacrifice compared to those who were on the battlefield on 18 November 1803! Vive la Republique de Haiti!