78
JUNE2015
AMERICANWAY
CULTURATRAVEL/ROSANNAU/GETTY IMAGES
myonlyotherday inthesaddlewassixmonthsagoonatrail
ride intheGrandCanyon?Fortunately, there’saconvenient
wallformountingthesilvergrayequinenamedPanama,but
sinceIfindnohorn, Igrab theblue fabricwrappedaround
thesaddle. I’mgladthattwoboyswearingflip-flopsaccom-
panymeupthe4-foot-widepathway—one leadingandthe
otheroccasionallycoaxingmymountwithathinswitch.The
path isstonyandslick,butthehorserarelyslips.Myfingers
holdontightlydespitethegradually increasingrainfall.Itry
not to think
deathgrip
.
Wrapped inmore thanmist, theCitadelle rises above
us as we turn a sharp corner. Shaped like the prow of
a ship, thewalls range from80 to 130 feet.Aroundanother
corner,wedismountbysteppingononeofseveralblackiron
cannons.Huddlingunder thehigh stone-archedentrance,
marchands—thinkentrepreneurswithcoolers—sellbottled
water, sodaand fruit. Iawaitmycompanions still climbing
thepath.Howdifferent this space is frommy visit to the
MuséedeGuahaba inLimbé—acompact circularbuilding
inspiredby thehutswhere the indigenouspre-Columbian
my friendamberwalsh, who started in the peace
Corps in Haiti and nowworks for an in-country edu-
cation nonprofit, stays at Norm’s Place, a waterfront
bed-and-breakfast.WhenIpullup there, ownerAngelique
Zarchinpointsout thedoublehammocksbesideherseven
neat, comfy, stone-walled rooms ina restoredFrench fort.
“It’sasimplerwayof life,”Ambersays.
Ourmountaintopgoal isnotsimpleonthisdrenchedday,
butwhen the roadsare reporteddry,weagree to tryagain.
AttimesIwonder iftheascent isworththeanxiety,butDan
Josephkeepsuson track, steeringclearof sheerdrop-offs.
Iseenoguardrails.Thecar iswheezing likeanasthmaticas
wecrawl into theemptyCitadelleparking lot.
The rain ispeltingnow, andalthough there’sawalkway,
I rideahorseon the last legof this journey.Did Imention
