History is not kept behind glass here. It lives in a market chat that slides from French into English and back, in old buildings, and in porch stories handed down by families.

The weather follows the map: hot, humid and rainy near the coast and in the forested south, drier and hotter toward the semi-arid north. Pack for sun and sudden downpours. A Local Friend opens a door you would not have knocked on, and the past turns into an invitation to someone's courtyard.