Haiti

My children and I volunteered for 6 years in the northern part of the Dominican Republic. And while we had crossed the border and traveled into Haiti, we wanted to see more of the country. In 2014, we flew into Port Au Prince and then traveled overland from there to Monte Cristi in the Dominican Republic.

Port Au Prince is an exciting place to travel – alive with commerce! It seems that everyone there is an entrepreneur selling goods and services on the city’s bustling streets.

Yes, the country is one of the poorest in the region and world, however pigeon holing this country into that narrative is doing it a disservice. Sure, it’s poor but it has heart.

This is a country of artists and ingenuity … check out this cool bus. These are all over the city. I’m telling you … this country is a photographer’s paradise!

We rode horses in northern Haiti, to the top of the Citadelle, the largest fortress in the Western Hemisphere. When Haiti was seeking its independence in the 1800s, it was designed to withstand an attack from France.

Zimbabwe

Spectacular Victoria Falls from the air (helicopter) Country Information: The capital of Zimbabwe is Harare. There are approximately 16 million people living here. There are 15 official languages. Shona and Ndebele are the most widely spoken, with English as the...

Bhutan

Legendary Tiger’s Nest Monastery, 2016 Jim's Perspectives: Bhutan is guided by their Gross National Happiness predicated on these four pillars: The preservation of the environment, which by law 60% of the country must remain forest for future generations The...

Serbia

Outside of Bujanovac, Serbia, 2015   Country Information: In Serbia, there are about 7.2 million people and the capital is Belgrade. The official language is Serbian, but because Serbia is nestled between many other countries, many regional languages are spoken...