At a garden gate, a visitor calls out “Onè,” and from inside comes the answer “Respè,” a Creole exchange of honor and respect that opens the door to a chat. Out on the street, people gather around tap-taps painted with bright slogans, swapping news while the shared pickup fills seat by seat.
Past the busy streets near the Gulf of Gonâve, the city climbs into the hills, where gingerbread houses show off fretwork balconies and steep roofs. The weather stays hot all year, with rainy spells in spring and late summer and drier, gentler days from December to March. A Local Friend walks beside you on these slopes, matching your steps and pointing out what a guidebook would miss.
