Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
DON'T MISS
LITTLE HAITI
If you haven't been to Port-au-Prince, then Little Haiti (La Petite Haïti), one of the most
evocative neighborhoods in Miami, is the next best thing. Young men in tank tops listen to
Francophone rap, while broad-necked women wearing bright wraps gossip in front of the
botanicas- which, by the way, are not selling plants. A botanicahere is a vodoushop. The
neighborhood is one of Miami's poorest and it's not advisable to walk around here alone
after dark, but by day or if visiting the Little Haiti Cultural Center you'll be fine.
Botanicasare perhaps the most 'foreign' sight in Little Haiti. Storefronts promise to
help in matters of love, work and sometimes 'immigration services,' but trust us, there are
no marriage counselors or Immigration and Naturalization agents in here. As you enter
you'll probably get a funny look, but be courteous, curious and respectful and you should
be welcomed. Before you browse, forget stereotypes about pins and dolls. Like many tra-
ditional religions, vodourecognizes supernatural forces in everyday objects, and powers
that are both distinct from and part of one overarching deity. Ergo, you'll see shrines to
Jesus next to altars to traditional vodoudeities. Notice the large statues of what look like
people; these actually represent loa(pronounced lwa), intermediary spirits that form a
pantheon below God in the vodoureligious hierarchy. Drop a coin into a loaoffering bowl
before you leave, especially to Papa Legba, spirit of crossroads and, by our reckoning,
travelers.
GOOGLE MAP
;
www.librerimapou.com
; 5919 NE 2nd Ave), bursting with thousands of titles (in-
cluding periodicals) in English, French and Creole, as well as crafts and recorded music.
