On Wed, 13 Feb 2013 07:45:43 -0500, "Flying Pig"
wrote:

We ARE planning to take the southern route; we'll first go to Ile a Vache,
an island near Haiti

=====

Good luck with that; it is certainly the road less traveled. I'm
sure you are aware that Hati can be a very dangerous place. Our
insurance won't even cover us if we go there, not that I have any real
desire. We actually set foot on mainland Hati back in 2005. The
cruise ship companies have set up sort of a little Potemkin village in
a place called La Badie on the north coast. It's pleasant enough and
we did some kayaking along the shore, never far from armed guards
however. Off in the distance there were barbed wire fences being
patroled by armed guards with dogs, shotguns and assault rifles.

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Labadee,+Nord,+Haiti&hl=en&ll=19.784392,-72.245235&spn=0.010782,0.013797&sll=37.6,-95.665&sspn=36.911991,56.513672&oq=la+badie,+hati& t=h&hnear=Labadee,+Nord,+Haiti&z=16