King Henri I with benefactor of the Haitian nation

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As you leave Pétion-Ville and ascend Rue Kenskoff, the layers of life are peeled back one by one. The warm coastal air gives way to a much-welcomed chill. Gradually the dusty road becomes rich red clay dirt, and as you crest the mountain

12 MAGIC HAITI JUNE 2012

a new world of fertile farmland appears. Keep going and you will find yourself surrounded by a lush pine forest with clouds lazily floating through the vast mountain views below. It is here where the kreyol proverb “Deye mon gen mon” (Behind

mountains, more mountains) comes to life. It is also here, 6,000 feet above the busy city below, where you will find the perfect place to experience these stunning mountains, The Lodge at Furcy. This transformation of scen-

ery is what led Nicole Gardere and her husband Stanley Urban to open The Lodge at Furcy in February 2002. What started as a mountain getaway for the couple has turned into a 21-room Swiss-style Chalet. “We said, lets add rooms and maybe we’ll get some guests,” says Nicole. Ignoring warnings from her friends that no visitors would make the trip up the mountain, they went forward and gradually added on over the years. Now, The Lodge is a bustling respite for hikers, aid workers and Haitians looking for a break from the beach. Despite its grand size, the lodge fits right in with the landscape that surrounds it. It has been consciously built to fit the contour of the mountain itself and is enveloped in a lush curtain of trees. The rooms, which


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