It is nearly impossible to pick up a book about Haiti and not help but notice lavish descriptions of the faded grandeur and motley characters populating the veranda of the 19th century gothic gingerbread mansion Hotel Oloffson. I have wanted to go there for many years, but since I learned of the hotel featured in Graham Greene's 1966 novel The Comedians (which he called the Hotel Trianon), Haiti has until recently (January 12 earthquake notwithstanding) been too dangerous a tourist destination. This all changed when the U.N. installed the MINUSTAH peacekeeping forces to curb gang violence.
Built by the Sams family, it was home of two Haitian presidents. The Sam mansion was used as a hospital durig the U.S. occupation from 1915-1935. Werner Olaffson, a swedish sea captain converted the mansion to a hotel. Run by Richard A. Morse since 1987, a Princeton graduate, it is a regular performance venue for his mizik rasin band RAM. I was pleased to have had a chance to speak with Richard when we stayed at the hotel.
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