Botanicas

Lonely Planet review

The storefronts promise to help in matters of love, work and sometimes 'immigration services,' but trust us, there are no marriage counselors or INS guys in these shops. Welcome to the wide world of vodou . As you enter you'll probably get a funny look, but be courteous, curious and respectful and you should be welcomed.

Before you browse, forget your stereotypes about pins and dolls, because vodou is no scarier than wine turning into blood on Communion. Like many traditional religions, vodou recognizes supernatural forces in everyday objects, powers that are both distinct and part of a single overarching deity. Ergo, you'll see shrines to Jesus next to altars to traditional deities.

Notice the large statues of what look like people; these actually represent loa (pronounced 'lwa'), intermediary spirits that form a pantheon below God in the vodou religious hierarchy. Drop a coin into one of the loa's offering bowls before you leave, especially to Papa Legba, spirit of crossroads and, by our reckoning, travelers.