Haitian Beatz

I thought about consulting a lawyer before writing this travel piece.

Should there be a disclaimer? Something to get me off the legal hook, maybe protect me from liability and litigious travellers and their solicitors?

After all, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada have this to say about the land I've chosen to profile as a destination for the truly adventurous traveller:

"Travel Report, Haiti. Canadians travelling to Haiti should exercise a high degree of caution due to the ongoing political tensions and the high levels of criminal activity and violence throughout the country."

I might also add don't drink the water, make sure you get ALL your shots and steer clear of "the Voodoo man," who may threaten to turn you into a goat. (True story).

There. That should cover it. On with the review.

Haiti is a hard land. For the visitor, everything there is hard, from the time you're swarmed by indigent men looking for work carrying your bags upon arrival at the airport in Port-au-Prince to the time you depart, passing through the gauntlet of security and customs checkpoints on the way home.

On top of that Haiti is a heartbreaking land. This has always been the case but it is particularly true now, as the country still struggles, two years later, to dig out from the January 2010 earthquake that killed more than 200,000 people and left hundreds of thousands injured or homeless.

Let's be clear. Haiti is no vacation.