Sunday, October 13, 2013
We had a leisurely morning checking off things on our to-do lists. Jeff came over to wish us a good trip. We left just after 1 and had an easy drive, stopping off for a bathroom/ice cream visit at McDonald’s and getting gas. Bob and Rob called en route to wish us a safe trip. We drove to the wrong Microtel at first, but a half hour later we were in the right one. After checking in, we went in search of food and ate at a Cracker Barrel just a couple of miles down the road. We arranged for a 4:30 wake up call and a 5AM shuttle to the airport five minutes away, as evidenced by the sound of airplanes overhead as I write this. We may be able to grab breakfast as we go. With the car safely parked in back, we spent the evening working on our computers before heading for bed nice and early.
Monday, October 14 & Tuesday, October 15, 2013
We got up around 4:20- before the alarm or wake up call. Neither of us had a good night. Breakfast was put out by the time we got to the lobby so had bagels, cereal and muffins, then got in the shuttle for the airport. We were there in plenty of time and went through a security point where we didn’t have to take off our shoes or get our laptops out. We used the wifi and awaited boarding for the first leg of our journey.
The flight from Raleigh to JFK went fine. At the airport we had to ride the train to the international terminal. There was no free internet so Dick worked on bird site reorganization and I did crossword
puzzles while we waited.
The flight to Johannesburg took fifteen long hours. I dozed some- and really liked my new wrap-around pillow. Dick worked on the computer for as long as the battery had power and, of course, slept more than I did. I watched The Hangover #3 and Parental Controls which passed three hours. We were fed a dinner (good veggie lasagna), breakfast (pancakes), and snacks. All-in-all the flight seemed very long.
But when we got to Johannesburg we woke up, walking a good long way to our gate for the flight to Antananarivo, Madagascar. In going through the security checkpoint I managed to leave my passport, but luckily Dick noticed the passport envelope wasn’t as thick as it should have been. We retraced our tracks and a man looked around the checkpoint and found my passport, then boldly requested a tip for finding it. After an hour or so’s wait, we boarded a bus to go to our plane. Before we took off, the flight attendant went through the cabin fumigating it with a spray that she said wasn’t dangerous. But we covered our noses and mouths and waited for the heavy odor to dissipate. That flight was three hours and we both slept through a good part of it. They served a chicken dish with rice, crackers, and elegant chocolates.
In Antananarivo it was sunny and warm. We filled out the forms for our free visas and waited for our luggage to come out. Our driver was at the front of the building holding a sign with our names on it and he helped us find the ATM to change some money.
We drove through really interesting scenery- lots of rice paddies lining the rods with horned African hump- backed cattle, zebus, at the sides of roads. Many people carried loads on their heads or pushed rudimentary wagons along the road. Busses were crowded with riders and many people wore colorful traditional clothes. Trees and flowers were blooming everywhere- especially the purple jacaranda trees Little stall-like stores lined the streets and people and cars, animals and wagons competed constantly for the right-of-way. It was very nice not to be driving! We drove through the poorer sections of town to the Residence Lapasoa hotel. It’s a renovated brick building up on the hillside with lovely wood carvings and an open area to walk through to get to our room.
We let people know we had arrived safely via the internet and caught up on their news.
Around 5:30 we checked out the adjoining restaurant, but found the menu in French with no one who could translate it. So we went out and walked around a bit, and didn’t find any other restaurants, but mingled with the crowds heading home. The people around here are a mixture of Africans and Asians. We went back to the hotel and tried again at six to find out what exactly was on the menu, but were told the restaurant wouldn’t open until 7. Being tired, we decided to eat some of the granola bars and pecans I’d brought, then do better tomorrow. So tea and a good book, some research for tomorrow’s adventure and we were done for the day by 9 after pretty much two days on the go.
We slept until around 1AM, then spent an hour or so working on the computers, then back to sleep again. I actually slept until almost 8, then we had a leisurely time- me showering and flooding the bathroom because the shower has nothing to stop water from going all over the floor. We went down to the dining room and had their buffet breakfast- yogurt and cereal, fruit salad, juice, tea and croissants and french bread.
When we got back to the room, we got a call that Patrick- the Madagascar head of our tour company- Jenman Travels would be over to talk to us soon. He told us of a modification he wanted to make, cutting one stay a day short to avoid a very long drive. We’ll stop at an intermediary city for the night instead. That sounded good to us, so they’ll arrange it. Tomorrow morning our driver/tour guide Nono will pick us up at the hotel at 8 and we’ll be off.
Last night I had used the tour guidebook and internet to find an activity for today and we had chosen the Tsimbazaza Zoo, located about a ten minute taxi drive from the hotel. The man at the front desk went out to find a taxi driver for us who took us across the street to his elderly Renault taxi. He drove us through the crowded market streets and along the manmade lake that’s ringed with flowering purple jacaranda trees in the center of town.
The trip to the zoo was faster than we expected and the entrance fee less than we had been lead to believe on the internet. Like most zoos, it was filled with groups of young children and their teachers, many of whom said Bonjour as we passed. Madagascar’s French colonial history has left its mark, with French and Malagasy the major languages.
The cages had small mesh fencing- not the best for photos, but Dick managed to take quite a few- and many were species native only to Madagascar. They had giant tortoises, wild pigs, crocodiles, and ostriches. But my favorite was the lemurs, of course. When I was looking at the outer cages, a young woman encouraged me to go with the keepers, who let me in to the inner compound. Leaving Dick as they encouraged me in, they opened various cages and gave me handfuls of clover to tempt the lemurs- who weren’t shy at all. One of the keepers took photos as we went- and Dick did finally find me and join me for a short while. Not sure of all the lemurs, but at least fed ring-tailed and blue-eyed lemurs. When I’d seen them all, they asked for a tip of 10,000 airie ($5)- but each! So I ended up tipping $20 total- which was exorbitant and which Dick would have prevented had he stuck around.
We finished up walking around, toured the gift shop, and were waved over by our taxi driver as we left the zoo. He had stayed around, feeling a sure fare from us was better than cruising in hopes of one. Traffic was very congested because it was around lunch time and we slowly made it back to the hotel. Our driver had us close our windows and pointed to my necklace, showing us that people reached through the open window and stole things as the cabs went by. So warned, we made it safely back to the Residence Lapasoa and the taxi just cost us $20 for the whole morning.
We stayed in our room for a good part of the afternoon, working on photos, putting things on Facebook, and snoozing (me). Around 5 we headed out and went downhill to take photos of the purple jacaranda trees that encircled the lake with a government building on a high hill above it. On the way back up we spotted the Zebu Original Bistro with a menu outside that looked good and hours from 11-10. While we stood on their veranda reading a poster we’d seen before that had different religions take on the phrase “Sh.. Happens”, a cute waitress came and told us they were open, so we decided to try them out. She spoke very reasonable English and moved a chair to set up their chalkboard menu so we could pick out something we wanted for dinner. Jazz music played in the background and the walls were decorated with sheet music including one entitled “Jesus Snob”? and a Picasso-styled rendering of a Zebu/woman.
Dick chose the chicken with mushrooms and I got a zebu steak with very good French fries (frites). She brought out a bottle of Coke and some rather classy embossed Coke glasses and a little brass dish of roasted peanuts with cayenne pepper. We both enjoyed our dinners. The zebu steak tasted like regular steak and wasn’t as tough as some tourist reviews made it out to be. The meal cost $19 including tip- a bargain for a nice evening. So it was back to the hotel for a relaxing evening catching up with photo editing and communicating with friends.
Thursday, October 17, 2013- Antananarivo to Antsirabe
We were off too early for me after a poor night. Nono met us in the lobby after our breakfast of yogurt and cornflakes, fruit salad, croissants and French bread with pineapple vanilla jam. that was very good. We left just after 8 and got a bunch of tiny bananas at a stand on the way. Nono conversed a bit with us and he filled us in on Madagascar history. In the background an eclectic variety of music played, from African songs, to French songs, to American hits like “We Are The World,” “La Isla Bonita,” “Say You, Say Me,” and the Russian song, “Winds of Change.” I got the chills when “Africa” by Toto came on.
The drive to Antsirabe took three hours, plus a few stops at roadside shops. The terrain was agricultural with terrace fields separated by dams of red clay. They made a lovely patchwork view of the countryside. Some patches were the bright green of the rice nurseries, while others were rough looking patches of red and gold clay lumps, and others were checkerboard like grids with round holes dug in the center of each small square, waiting for new plantings. Available space was well used, with terraces up hillsides as the land grew more hilly. Zebus gave way to beef and dairy cattle as the cooler climate suited them better. Interspersed with farm fields were areas for brick makers, their kilns working now before the rainy season begins in a month and makes building curing fires impossible for a while.
We passed a number of speciality towns, much like in Peru- towns that made aluminum pots and pans, Catholic statues, charcoal, raffia animal figures, and toys from wood and old aluminum cans. We got a bottle of coke at one of the shopping areas and drank it down to get the deposit back before moving on. The road was very good for the most part, but some areas had potholes and travel through towns was interesting to say the least as car and truck drivers, little crowded local buses, pedestrians and rickshaws sparred for the right-of-way. We passed groups of school children all dressed in the same colors on their way to and from school as the day progressed. And in one town we saw a political parade of people, many of them teenagers, wearing shirts endorsing one of the many candidates for the Presidential election to be held on Oct. 25, with run-offs to follow. Nono told us the marchers were paid by the politicians as well as given the T shirts.
We stopped for lunch at a place Nono knew and Dick and I had a chicken pizza while I drank the inevitable Coca Cola and Dick had a local beer. Nono declined to join us and went to a place he knew and liked. There were many vendors displaying their wares outside the restaurant- which was frequented by many more Western looking people than we had seen to date. Dick bought his souvenir T shirt and, of course, the seller followed him back to me and sold me one too- for $2.50 less than Dick’s.
We continued on, watching the kilometer markers count down as we neared Antsirabe.
Dick and I dozed a little, but the stops and speed bumps woke us up. We drove through the town and Nono pointed out a monument to the many tribes making up the Malagasy people. Soon we were at the Royal Palace, a lovely modern looking hotel with large rooms and African decor. We spent about 45 minutes in our room, then joined Nono again to drive into town.
We visited the rock polishing center where we were first given the names of the minerals native to Madagascar and some samples of the rocks they worked on. I was pleased that I could recognize most of the rock names from their English sound-alikes. Then we went into the sale room where they had lovely crystals, polished minerals and ammonites. It was hard (and pricey) to choose but I finally felt I had gotten a good deal which took pretty much all the money I had left.
Poor, but unwilling to stop looking at rocks, we had Nono drive us to the independent dealers rock market where fifteen or so dealers had tables outside displaying their wares. I managed to spend most of what Dick had left there. Broke, we visited an ATM, then a supermarket for six liter bottles of water to use on the rest of the trip, and a packet of cashews. Another stop at a boulangerie for a round loaf of wheat bread, and we were ready to head back to the hotel.
We took a walk around the outside of the hotel and then down the street in front of it, looking for birds in vain again. A cute young rickshaw driver walked along with us on the way back and, though he spoke some English, we couldn’t get the idea through that we were on a tour and wouldn’t be able to use his service.
We ate bread and cashews for ‘dinner’ and commenced to doing our computer work. Tomorrow we have to meet Nono at 7:30 for the drive to Morondava where we’ll stay for four days.
Friday, October 18, 2013- Antsirabe to Morondava
We were up early to get breakfast at 7, then meet Nono at 7:30. We went to the wrong breakfast room first, but had the way shown to us and had yogurt and croissants in good time to meet Nono. A long day of travel was ahead of us- 500 K’s over roads that were challenging- especially before lunch. We had potholes, zebu in the road, and political demonstrations to circumvent as we went. But it was an interesting ride through many small villages and changing terrain. Towns had small shops lining the way and often a large group of townspeople sitting together eating and talking. At the rivers people were bathing and washing clothes. In other places people were panning for gold and breaking river rocks with long handled chisels to make blocks for building- hard work!.
We stopped for lunch at La Priogue, above the town, where we’ll spend the changed night on the way back across. The hotel connected had a group of small chalets painted pink and yellow. We ate on the deck overlooking ponds where fishermen had made circular pens they used to herd fish into. On the wall of the restaurant was a crocodile hide and another outside on a rock- both of which had been caught in the river below. We had chicken which was tough from being an athletic free range chicken, but probably had a more pleasant life than the chickens we were used to eating. A little girl stuck her head up from beside a rock while we were eating and smiled at us. Later she came around by the car and I gave her a pencil and pad from my cache. Then her brother showed up and got a pencil and a little ball too. They waved as we left and she blew a kiss when I did- a very nice moment.
We continued west and began to see baobabs odd upside down looking trees. The plants became more tropical and the weather seemed warmer. When we arrived in Morondava, Nono had to find the hotel Chez Maggie- which was changed from the usual one. It was a charming place, right on the oceanfront with small chalets for guests and lovely gardens. Our room had two beds with mosquito netting- a first for this trip. And it also had resident geckos to help with bug control. The lounge and desk were cement and mosaic tile based with pillows on top of the lounge. Between sections of the lounge was a recess filled with shells and coral. But there were drawbacks- the internet was broken and, at first, we could get no water in the bathroom- except for the toilet. We later found that there were hours of the day when that regularly happened. Nono had left, so there was nothing to do but grin and bear it. We’re scheduled for another two nights here, but the water situation might change that. The tour company at least has the other hotel they used before.
So we walked down the lane and decided to eat at the Papoose Restaurant. I ordered Chicken Coco and Dick ordered grilled fish- and then we waited...... a long time for our meal. The music was in Malagasy at first, then some English songs. When we got back we read some information in the room and found that the electricity to pump water was to be shut off at 8, ten minutes from when we got back- so Dick tried to hurry up a shower- only to have the water off five minutes earlier than mentioned. So we both headed for the swimming pool- at 75+ degrees not a bad alternative. With the hope of getting both a shower and breakfast from 7-7:30 when we’re scheduled to leave for the park, I called it an optimistic night! With a barnyard lullaby from the pig behind us, we drifted off to sleep.
Saturday, October 19, 2013- Morondava- Kirindy Forest- Morondava
Dick was up and out looking for birds early. We both showered and went to breakfast for 7. We ate on the terrace- a continental breakfast. Nono was waiting for us when we got to the parking lot. We had a two hour drive to the Kirindy Reserve, a Madagascar National Park called a dry forest to distinguish it from the rain forest which we would visit later on. The first part of the drive was on paved road, but then the last 3/4 was on a dirt road- red sand with lots of roller coaster dips and ruts. Nono artfully dodged the worst of them and we stopped every so often when Dick spotted birds. He got a few good pictures.
At the park we ordered spaghetti lunches, then set off with our guide who was very knowledgeable- both in speaking English and in identifying species- even by their cries. First the guides poked under a building to get the largest predator in Madagascar, a fossa, out for us to see. It was shaped like a large cat and we followed it enough to get decent photos of it. Then our guide led us along forest paths. First we saw brown and white lemurs high in trees. A number of lizards scuttled along, usually pausing long enough for photos before heading for their holes. Several times we saw a mongoose, but I didn’t get any good photos and don’t know if Dick did yet.
Other than that- our guide found a lot of birds for Dick to photograph, among them Magpie robin, Giant coua, Coquerel’s coua, helmeted drongo, and Skop’s Owl high up in a hole in a tree. Our guide was a wizard at finding species of every kind and almost always spotted creatures before we did. We wandered the forest paths for two hours, then returned for our lunch. I visited the bathroom which was a hybrid- a footprint toilet with a water tank to flush stuff down. A faucet outside served for washing hands. After lunch we headed back down the sandy road.
We stopped at the Avenue of the Baobabs so we could take Nono’s photo- as well as our own in front of the tree lined road. Two little boys came over with chameleons on sticks and offered to have their photo taken for around $.50, so we did that. Lots of people, especially children and women, smiled and waved as we drove by.
We got back to Morondava around five and Nono took us to an ATM and a boulangerie (bakery, the new word Nono learned from us) for a couple of loaves of French bread. At the hotel we made our future arrangements- to meet him on Monday at 11 for our drive back to La Pirogue.
We retrieved our computers from the hotel safe and found that their internet was still not working. So we headed for the beach and walked along the sandbars enclosing a pool of water. I found a soft coral fan, one of the ram’s horn type small shells I found before, and several feathers- not a great take. Dick swam so he could say he’d swum in the Indian Ocean. The beach certainly had a dirty element about it, but was okay on the whole.
Back at our room, we puzzled what to do about the internet so we could tell everyone we were okay. We finally came up with a great solution- go to a hotel with internet to eat and ask if we could use their passwords. The first one was wiling to do that, but the dining room wasn’t open yet. We finally ended up at Le Baobab Cafe and Dick had a beer while I had a rum and coke- overlooking the river. On the way in a pair of turtles in a small pool area were demonstrating how they perpetuate the species- something I remember people puzzling about back in my college days. Internet there was slow, but we got off messages to everyone and got one from Heather saying all went well on their trekking.
And so it was back to the hotel, buying water and peanuts at a small stall. We munched while we wrote/edited photos, took a swim in the pool, then listened to pig lullabies once more- with a day of leisure to look forward to.
Sunday, October 20, 2013- Morondava
Dick went out early in pursuit of birds and fishing boats and got some lovely photos.. I got up just after 7, showered, and we had breakfast outside on the terrace. He stayed in the room to work on bird photos and I did my beach walk, finding tiny sand dollars and a big, but slightly broken periwinkle type shell- among others. It was low tide and I walked down to the native village. On the way I met two little girls around eight and six with three of their little brothers. I asked to take their photo and gave them around 10 cents for the privilege- which made them happy.
When I got back I told Dick about a dark bird there with the white egrets and he wanted to go check it out- so I went back out with him. While he stalked birds I beach-combed and found a large tooth from a whale or shark, a nice cowrie and more sand dollars, some of which were so tiny and fragile they didn’t even make it into my bag. I waded through mud flats barefooted and sometime had accidentally stepped in sailor poo in my sandals so had to wash up a good deal in the ocean. The tide was very far out and a woman even asked me in Spanish where the beach was, since it was hard to see from the shore.
When we got back we decided to go back to the Baobab Cafe and had cokes and did a little on the internet but it was very slow. We had thought of taking a boat trip out from there- into the marshes, but Dick was afraid to take his camera in the somewhat flimsy outriggers there. When we got back, the maid had finished with the room, so we went to lunch at the Chez Maggie’s restaurant. I had grilled zebu steak and chocolate crepes, and Dick had a creamed vegetable soup and fruit salad.
Nono insisted we had one more night here, while my reading of the schedule said we had two nights. He was the boss so we revised our thoughts accordingly. Both of us feel we’ve had a good enough amount of time in Morondava, so would be ready to move on tomorrow.
But, no. When we walked out to shop for bread and peanuts, we met Nono in the parking lot. We said we were going to get lunch for tomorrow, and he said, “No No.” We weren’t leaving until Tuesday- which is what I’d thought all along. We’re not overly enthused about another day here in Morondava, but may try to find an excursion for tomorrow. And we didn’t find any shops selling bread and peanuts!
We worked on photos and journal, then did another beach walk. Coming out along a lane at the end of the beach, we walked back to Chez Maggie. I found the notebook listing tours available from the hotel and we decided to do the pirogue through the mangrove swamp tomorrow morning at 7. Dick had vegetable soup again and I had some of his bread and the fruit salad.
Back at the room, the power went off for a short while, but we could still work on our computers. And so we finished off another day in Morondava with a good plan for tomorrow.
Monday, October 21, 2013- Morondava
We were up before 5:45 and had breakfast before meeting out pirogue crew- men paddling in front and back. They took us to the mangrove swamp where some birds flew overhead, but none were on the ground. For the last half hour we visited a fishing village on an island. The people were all very friendly. We walked down to the school where the children seemed excited to see us- or maybe use us as an excuse to get out of class. The teacher spoke some English, so I could tell him I had been a teacher too. Many women had their faces painted with clay to avoid the sun. It was very interesting wandering through the village, seeing people shaving a log to make a boat, doing laundry, and cooking over charcoal fires.
Pigs and goats roamed freely although some were in pens made from slender sticks. Everyone seemed very friendly and our guide joked with many of the people. Lots of the little children called, “Vasa,vasa,” their name for white people, as we walked along.
When we got back we did a bit of editing photos, then headed back to the beach where Dick could photograph birds at the mud flats at low tide. I wandered, beach-combing, and saw the dog we’d both walked with in the last few days. A man jogging by stopped to talk, although I couldn’t understand much. I found a lot of sand dollars and offered him one, which he broke to show me what was inside. Then he sifted though sand under the water and came up with three live sand dollars. He broke one in half and showed me the small star inside in the middle.
On the way to join Dick, Davidson introduced himself and joined me and accompanied me all the way, offering his services as a pirogue guide and finding out I was with Dick but we weren’t married. He was a very friendly sort- but after reading the poster on our closet in the room, I wonder about the sex trade around here. At least I’m glad there’s a movement afoot to ban it!
We went out to get a pizza but found they didn’t fire up the oven until later, so bought four loaves of French bread and a big bottle of Coke and sat by the pool and ate while doing computer stuff- but not internet. To cool off we took a swim in the pool, then figured it might be time to try for that pizza again.
And it was. We sat by the river and had a pineapple/ mushroom pizza and I had a glass of South African wine. We got a second pizza to go to use for our lunch picnic tomorrow. I stayed by reception to use the internet when we got back and had a little success with email and facebook instant messages, but couldn’t post photos to my facebook page.
We’ve learned that whenever we hear loud music, it’s probably another political rally. There was a big one on the beach yesterday and people wearing T shirts with candidates’ faces on them are everywhere. We’re quite happy that we’ll be in a national park on election day!
Tuesday, October 22, 2013- Morondava to Mirandrivazo
I had packed most of my things yesterday, so after a shower (and it’s a very good one here) we headed for breakfast with our computers. Dick ate fast and headed back to pack up. I managed to write a note to Rob, then posted two posts with a total of five photos. We won’t have internet tonight so it was nice to get them off.
We were off with Nono before eight on what was a pretty hot ride. After a few photo stops for birds and scenes, we did our picnic stop where there was a tree for shade. I roamed around looking for interesting rocks and think I found two pieces of petrified wood, plus a few other interesting ones for Rob. Along the way we saw rice and corn on the cob drying on tarps by the road.
A little down the road Nono wanted to stop for his lunch at a small restaurant. They had a generator-run cooler and ice cold cokes tasted very good. An old man was walking around with two live chickens and a very quiet duck hanging from his hands. We refused purchasing one, but I took his photo and later gave him the equivalent of $.10 which seemed to make him very happy and earned me a translated ‘thank you very much’ from a young guy watching it all- another very nice moment here. We watched a little of a sci-fi movie that was playing in the restaurant, then Nono washed his hands using the bucket on the sidewalk, and we were off again.
We passed a few army checkpoints, one of which we were stopped at, but the road was decent for the most part and we got to La Pirogue Hotel in Miandrivazo around 1:30. Our room isn’t as flashy as the one at Chez Maggie, but just fine. They even turned on the water after we arrived so Dick took a shower. We have no internet as expected, but I got stuff off this morning, so that’s okay. The hotel is fully booked and had to turn away a group of people with Election Observer shirts. All the people staying here appear to be Vasa (white people), like us.
We napped for a while with the fan blowing on us- it’s very hot today! Then we went down to the restaurant and Dick had a big beer and I had a coke and a bit of his beer. Nono was there too, so Dick showed him his picture at the baobab trees and his birds and such. We walked out behind the cottages and Dick tried to get bird photos. I checked the rocks there and didn’t find any crystals, but did pick up a few interesting quartz-type rocks. We sat on the porch and I attempted to take sunset photos. It was amazing how fast the sun went down. I tried to converse with a friendly guy there, but I know un peu French. Then it was into our room under the netting and away from the mosquitoes until it was time for dinner.
I wrote a few emails to send the next time we have internet. Then we sat out on the porch for a little while before going over for dinner. I had zebu shiskabobs and Dick had vegetables and rice. The porch where we ate was at least ten degrees cooler than our room, so when we finished dinner we sat at an outside table on the patio and opened the room to let it cool down. We didn’t find any mosquitoes outside, so didn’t worry- plus we have a net to cover the bed area. Looking down at the valley it’s easy to see that those down at the bottom use candles while those in the upper high rent district have electric lights brightly shining.
We went to bed with the windows open and mosquito netting covering them, but the security guard knocked on our door and told us to close them for security reasons. So, with the fan turned on us, we retired for a nice, warm night’s sleep.
Wednesday, October 23, 2013- Miandrivazo to Ambositra
Dick was out checking for birds when I got up and showered. There was only cold water from the hand held shower, but it was warm enough that it didn’t matter. Our breakfast on the terrace was very basic- only toasted bread, marmalade, honey, tea and fruit juice. We were packed up and ready to go at 7:30. It was a five hour drive all told. The first part of the drive was very slow going- lots of pothole dodging. But there were lots of photo ops along the way and, of course, the inevitable pee stop as Nono calls it.
In talking about the country, Nono observed that there was no welfare for people who don’t work- so even the pickpockets have to work!
We stopped in Antsirabe at an internet cafe and both of us had a pizza- chicken for me, vegetarian for Dick. I sent off several emails I had written and read everyone’s new and comments, plus alerted them that I didn’t know when we’d next have internet. At all the large towns we passed, politicians’ vans were broadcasting their message. Another market of mineral sellers was right next to the pizza place, and I slipped in there just as it was threatening to rain. I bought a nice piece for Rob’s Christmas, and we were off- with even a little hail falling on the hood of the car as we drove out of Antsirabe.
The drive to Ambositra took a bit over two hours. Again we photographed rice fields and people beating the rice to remove it from the stalks. Men and boys were working at a river, trying to break the rock into brick-sized building blocks at another place. The scenery was lovely despite the cloudiness, which turned into another rainstorms as we reached Ambositra.
Just outside the town limits we stopped at a store that sold wood carvings and such that the area is famous for and I had fun shopping for small gifts to take home. Nono found an ATM for us almost across from our hotel (the Hotel Mania) and Dick restocked us with money Then we bought bread and water and later Nono came with a bunch of bananas for us- most likely our dinner tonight! The thunder and rain made it unlikely that we’ll go out again tonight- and we’re right in the middle of the city, though a good bit back from the main street
Our room is nice with a lovely parquetry floor and carved headboards. We’re up on the fourth floor, so it may be relatively quiet tonight- though the election is Saturday and that might bring the politicians out late. We asked Nono to pick us up at 8 tomorrow and planned on an early, quiet- and cooler bedtime!
Unfortunately I developed traveler’s diarrhea as the night wore on. I took my cipro and settled down for a fairly poor night’s sleep, but I can sleep in the car tomorrow.
Thursday, October 24, 2013- Ranomafana
My diarrhea had lessened, but I felt pretty washed out getting ready to go. I had bread and tea, then we met Nono for the drive to the Ranomafana National Park. The day was gray, but we stopped a couple of times to photograph waterfalls and Dick got a lot of people photos. I snoozed pretty much all the way.
We’re staying in a chalet in a complex called Chez Gaspard with a comfortable bed and a beaded curtain separating the bathroom from the bedroom. Dick went off to leave off our laundry and in search for birds while I dozed a bit, but didn’t feel good enough to be very comfortable. But at least ‘the runs’ have stopped. He went out again to work on the computer down at the reception area. Then we both rested for a while. At five we went out in search of dinner- only to find that the restaurant doesn’t open until 6:30. I managed to find a little store with homemade yogurt and had a couple of cups- which I had to eat there because she reuses the cups. We saw Nono at an outdoor table and Dick told him I most likely won’t do the 5AM hike tomorrow.
We worked on computer stuff until 6:30, then headed back to the restaurant. Dick had a fish with head on and all and I had tea and cream of carrot soup- but only ate about half. The waitress helped us get on the internet and I wrote messages to Christy and Rob and letters to Chris and Marize- for her birthday on the 26th.
It was rainy and dark on the walk back to the room, but who should show up but Nono with a flashlight. The hotel is going to bring Dick a thermos of tea and bread for the hike tomorrow morning- plus maybe a plastic bag to protect his camera.
Friday, October 25, 2013- Ranomafana
Dick was up and off for 5AM only to find at reception that the guide wasn’t coming until 5:30, so he came back and lay down until Nono came to get him. It was drizzling so he took my camera because he was afraid his would get wet and fry the electronics. Hopefully he got some good pictures from one of the two.
I slept until almost 8, then got up, took pills and showered. Since I had time to kill, I cut my nails before heading down to breakfast. I sat in the reception area having breakfast and watching the rain drip off the satellite dish. Still don’t feel too peppy, but things seem to be working fairly normally. After breakfast I walked down to the end of the hotel complex, hoping to spot a lemur or two, but all I found were some amazing spiders in gigantic webs. Then I headed in the other direction to try to find a way down to the river to rock hunt and found the native path. I found a couple of things of interest. Everyone smiled and said bon jour and one tiny girl even put out her hand to touch mine while her mother giggled about it. The people have been amazingly open and friendly and, except for the large cities, we feel completely safe even though we obviously stand out.
Dick got back just before ten, soaked to the skin and tired from a hard uphill and downhill hike. He got photos of the golden bamboo lemur- found only in this forest, and five or six new Madagascar birds. I had been feeling a little bummed out about missing the opportunity to see lemurs here, since I thought we were doing a city tour this afternoon, but Dick said his same guide is coming in the afternoon to take us on another walk on more level ground. And after hearing about the rigor and minimal animals and birds, I felt better. Maybe it will stop raining for the afternoon and the lemurs will all be frolicking about.
Most of the tourists we see here seem to be French- which makes sense since the country’s major language is French and it certainly is a change from French life!
The sun was out when we went out for lunch at a place Dick had seen in yesterday’s bird walk. It was called La Manja and very popular with tour buses. Several long tables were reserved and there was no room, so we walked further down the road, photographing houses and whatever took our interest. When we got back, a woman who seemed like the manager gave us the table on the porch that she was going to use. Three boys were selling spices on trays and one of them pointed out a very pretty lizard that we got a photo of. Dick had carrots, rice and fruit salad and I had roasted chicken and french fries. It was the usual tough chicken but at least I felt like eating it.
We rested a bit before going out to meet our tour guide, Bill. Nono drove us and we picked up Miriam, the tour assistant. We went to a different area than Dick did in the morning, passing a school where it was crowded with voters, people walking to and from the polling place.
When we got to the trail, Miriam gave me a bamboo pole to help on slippery parts. We walked down stairs made of sticks that were bound together. Dick got several bird photos, but nothing that excited him too much before downloading them. But we did see a family of red bellied brown lemurs and got good photos of them. We saw two tiny frogs, one of which Miriam caught so we could photograph it. The weather held and we had a good day overall. One of the neatest parts for me was Miriam singing along to American hit songs on the way back to the hotel. In some ways it’s a small world for sure.
When we got back to the hotel we checked for our laundry and found it there, but still pretty damp. It cost $22- not cheap, but it should do us, with a bit of hand washing, until we get home. Back in our room we hung damp clothes everywhere, especially on the frame for the mosquito netting. Dick checked out his photos and we waited for the restaurant to open at 6:30 so we could do the internet again as we ate. I had cream of carrot soup and tea- perfect for tonight. IMed with Rob and sent messages to Christy and two more journal pages to Chris. Even played Words with Friends with Sue and Karla. We charged batteries and computers and then to bed.
Saturday, October 26, 2013- Ranomafana to Fianarantsoa
We were up in plenty of time to get ready. The weather was nice so Dick went out on a bird walk and found a good place. I wrote postcards and got organized. After we packed up all our wet clothes and checked out, Nono drove us close to where Dick had seen an amazing rickety bridge on his early walk. It was really neat and I took photos. Then I bought six painted seed necklaces from a vendor there for $3. We continued on stopping for a few bird photos, but were in Fianarantsoa by 11:00. Nono stopped for us to get bread, water, stamps for postcards, and three hand done cards- two of them embroidered that two girls were selling for their school-which they told me in English- the first English we’d heard from non-guide people.
Then we drove on to the Zomatel Hotel- at the mid-level of the town and used the internet downstairs while waiting for our room to get ready. It was the nicest one yet- very modern with a rounded glassed-in shower and complimentary toothbrushes, shampoo, body wash. We immediately trashed it with all our wet laundry, of course, then relaxed before heading out to seek our lunch.
After reading hotel reviews on line, we opted to eat at the snack bar here and shared a very good pizza and a large bottle of Coke. For some reason, the waiter was insistent that he pour the Coke so we let him, until the last half glass when Dick surreptitiously poured the last of it for me. Then we walked along the markets on the hotel’s street, of which many were closing down as thunder rumbled. Nono told us that much that they sold was second hand including shoes and shirts, but that he bought most of his clothes at such a market in Tana. We stayed under an overhang for a short while, then the rain seemed to stop so we ventured up We turned up a side street and were in the food market- chickens, peppers, green beans, tomatoes, rice, beans, and pineapple. As the rain got harder again, we headed back down the narrow streets and made it to the hotel somewhat dry.
We spent some time in our room, then headed down to the lobby where there was a stronger internet signal and Dick worked on bird identification while I posted and IMed on facebook. After an hour or so, we headed back upstairs and had a cup of tea and some of the sweet bread we bought on the way here. I worked on my photos and Dick began reading a French novel he got at a hotel book exchange. He took a cold shower when the hot wouldn’t come and we had an early bedtime.
Sunday, October 27, 2013- Fianarantsoa to Isalo
After a fairly poor night’s sleep, we got up early and found there was nice hot water for showering. We went down for the usual breakfast of juice, croissant, french bread and tea. Nono was there and we packed the car and were off before 8. He found a mailbox for me to mail my postcards and an ATM for Dick and we were off on our 5-6 hour drive. The landscape changed from green and fertile to dry and somewhat barren as we went along.
As we drove Nono described the countyside and gave us information. For example the growing of grapes in the area began because Catholics use so much in their ceremonies, that the priests imported vines from Europe and thus this area became dotted with vineyards. He said that because of the difference in soil between here and France, the wines taste differently and they make good, not great wine for use only in Madagascar.
About halfway there, we stopped at Anja Park, a park owned by several towns comprising 50-some hectacres and home to over 500 ring tailed lemurs. I wanted to visit the WC first, but found the first footprint stall inhabited by a snake that was eating a lizard! So I pulled the broken door across the doorway and used the empty one. Then, with our two guides, we walked up the trail and immediately found lemurs in the trees by a picnic area. After taking lots of photos, we continued on and found a green chameleon on a tree, then a snake like the one in the john.
After that there were lots of lemur photo ops, including ones with babies. When they were high in the tree, taking good photos was difficult, but there were so many chances we both felt sure we’d have some good ones in the end. We found a group that were passing around the smallest chameleon found in Madagascar, a little brown colored guy who didn’t seem bothered by all the attention.
After that we hit the bush in search of birds and Dick managed to get a few photos. One of the guides, very gallantly, gave me his hand on all the downhill stretches. We ate lunch under a thatched pavilion while Nono went off to have his.
When he got back, we continued out drive to Isalo, passing over a really barren 50 K plateau where only grass and stunted trees grew. We passed through one large, busy town, then saw the mountains of the park appear. I had expected needle like spires, but I guess they’re inside the park- which is something like 30 K by 125K in size.
We’re staying at the Isalo Ranch in a cute round bungalow with a thatched roof and sitting area with lovely garden and two deck chairs. The bathroom seems good and the water is solar heated. We walked around the complex. The reception desk is fronted with a mosaic of colored sandstones with geodes, ammonites, and crystals worked into it- just my kind of thing. I checked the water temp in the pool and decided it was pretty cool for my tastes. Dick went out after working on his photos and took some more birds. I worked on my photos and wrote this journal. Dinner begins at 7- late for us- but it’s the only show outside of town and the guidebook says the food is good.
Tomorrow we’ll leave at 7:30 and do two hikes, one 3K and one 4K before maybe swimming in the natural pool there.
Dinner was pretty good- chicken curry in cocoanut sauce with scalloped type potatoes. We ordered cheese sandwiches and bananas for tomorrow’s picnic or picque- nicque as the menu said. When we got back to our cottage, we left the door open a while to get fresh air in. The we showered, washed T-shirts and got organized for 6AM wake up tomorrow.
Some thoughts: Major industries here are growing rice, making bricks, and herding zebus it would seem after going around a good deal of the southern half of Madagascar.
And children- as well as chickens- are pretty much free range here. Very little ones can be seen by the side of the road alone, evidently reliable enough to know not to get in the way of cars. Children as young as six can be seen with a baby on their hip or a jug on their head. By eight or nine, they’re off tending herds of goats or zebu. Parents seem very loving and you seldom hear a crying child, but children become self-reliant at an early age. In infancy the baby is carried in a sling close to the mother, but soon they have to do their bit, hanging on as mother puts one hand under their bottom but they need to cling to her to keep from falling off. Then they toddle under the watchful eye of mom or a bigger sister or brother, then they become the bigger sister or brother with those responsibilities for the next child. And the Malagasy seem to have large families, as Americans did back in the old days when the farm could use many hands to prosper.
We were up and going before the alarm clock as usual. I washed another shirt before we headed over for breakfast- which looks very familiar by now. This petit dejunier had a couple of slices of banana bread, but the usual juice, tea, french bread and jam. They had our lunches ready (cheese sandwiches and bananas) and we were off with Nono a couple of minutes before 7:30. Along the way we picked up Marquis, our guide for the park walk. The road into the park was among the roughest we’ve driven with Nono and that’s saying something. At one point we even had to ford a big area through a river.
When we arrived at the Isalo National Park, Marquis took us up- fairly steeply on the first leg of the 3 K walk for the morning’s journey. At the beginning of the trail was a cairn made by visitors and we found a stone and laid it there in honor of Rob- our geologist. But before we chose a stone, Marquis told us to watch out for scorpions under the rocks we might check. And he found a scorpion on one he turned over- a nasty looking beastie though not deadly.
We walked along sandstone paths and steps carved out of it, seeing the beautiful carved rocks- reminiscent of the Grand Canyon. I took lots of photos and picked up rocks I though Rob or I would like. It was fairly barren of plant life, so little in the way of birds for the morning walk. Marquis pointed out plants, including the elephant foot- which looked like tiny baobabs with pretty yellow flowers. And we saw several stick insects- unbelievably like the sticks they clung to.
He showed us a temporary tomb when the dead are placed until their bones can be cleaned and they can go to the family tomb high on the cliffs. The park is a holy area for the Bara People and we were told not to point at their tombs, but to bend our pointer finger back at the second joint as they did. An old metal coffin, with its lid inside the cave, was left as an example of their burial customs.
The first leg of the walk took about an hour and a half, so by 9:30 we were by the natural swimming pool. Dick sat and dangled his legs in and a few hardy souls and little children swam. We rested there for a half hour or so, then began the 3 K trail. This trail went down into woods but also along the rim of the ‘canyon.’ Footing was usually good, but there were strong breezes and we were careful of how we stepped up and down stairs hewn in the rock or constructed of flat sandstone slabs.
Around noon we reached the river where we stopped for lunch. There was a campground there with tables set for campers to eat. Nearby a family of ringtail lemur were having a good time and we got photos, especially of a mother and baby. Up in the trees, two brown lemurs were preparing for their afternoon naps. Sitting with our feet in the cool water as we ate our cheese sandwiches was very relaxing. The sandstone bottom of the stream had lovely patterns in some areas. Dick managed to get a wagtail (bird with the suggested habit) and a man found a small chameleon that we all took photos of.
We walked back through the campground after deciding to forego another 4K walk to another natural pool. A man found a beautiful green chameleon and once again, a group gathered to shoot photos. Marquis told me a brown lemur was over by the trash, so we went in search and found it begging food from people eating at the tables. I got some good photos, trying hard to get its golden eyes showing in at least one shot.
The trail back to meet Nono certainly had its ups and downs- as the whole area had had. But Dick got lots of chances at birds and we saw a very large brown chameleon. The weather continued to be good, sunny and breezy enough to keep us cooled off.
The road back to the main road (Madagascar Rt. 7) was even longer and rougher than I remembered and we dodged back and forth to avoid the worst ruts and holes. At the little commercial area by the main road, we said goodbye to Marquis and drove back to the hotel. Nono told us the routine for tomorrow. Our flight leaves at 5:30 and we have to be at the airport 2 hours early. Not the greatest news, but the worst was that Tulear, despite its place on the ocean, has no beaches and no way to get to the water. So there goes my hopes of finding unique shells in Madagascar unless I buy them. Ah well. Dick was sympathetic and we’ll certainly plan for beach time on our next trip! Nono will pick us up at 7:30 tomorrow and we’ll visit an arboretum then goof off in Tulear until we have to head for the airport. It seems unreal that we’ll spend tomorrow night back in Antananarivo where we started what seems a long time ago!
So we had a big bottle of Coke between us and sat by the pool hypothesizing on future trips including ones driving in the US. Then we went back to the cottage to work on photos, etc. and wait impatiently for dinner at 7. A thunderstorm blew over and took with it the wind we’d had all day, but left us light rain.
At dinner we got a big bottle of Three Horses Madagascar Beer (THB) because they didn’t have any regular sized bottles. We shared that and each had pumpkin soup. Then I had sort of pineapple cake with bananas too in vanilla sauce- fine but not great. We walked back to our cottage in the rain and packed some for tomorrow. Dick had washed a few clothes and hung them on bushes outside and pretty much everything was dry. By 9 we were ready for bed once again!
Tuesday, October 29- Isalo- Tulear- Antananarivo
We were awake early as usual and showered and packed before breakfast. Dick paid our restaurant bill which was very reasonable and we hit the road with Nono shortly after 7:30.
The road was straight and better than most we’d seen on the trip. We drove past the edge of Isalo Park where some of the formations seemed more fantastic than those we’d seen inside. Suddenly the park was behind us and the land became flat and dry for the most part. We saw cacti with yellow blooms and the ever present red sandstone and soil.
The sapphire mining area was bustling. Nono thought it dangerous, but it looked much like any other set of adjoining towns with busy markets along the street. The only difference was the prevalence of signs offering sapphires to buy. I even saw one that looked like the usual wooden stall with a jewelers case set up on the counter. But most of the sapphire selling stores were more modern looking with metal gates to move in place when they closed.
We stopped at The Arboretum, a garden of native plants established by a Swiss botanist years ago. Our guide took us around, pointing out many birds, lizards, and even a mouse lemur sleeping high in a tree. We toured with two Canadian couples who were very knowledgeable about both flora and fauna. They had a small museum with local minerals, shells, and a prehistoric egg from an extinct bird. We had lunch at their lovely restaurant. Dick has cous-cous with vegetables and I had zebu steak with french fries and chocolate mousse for desert- very good.
It took about a half hour from there to reach the waterfront at Tulear, and we quickly saw why Nono hadn’t recommended it. The water’s edge had a deep layer of sea weed, with trash enmeshed. I saw part of a snakeskin and some goat horns as well. Lots of little boys were swimming au naturel and wanted to show off, I think, but I didn’t look. We weren’t sorry to return to the tourist market.
A man offered to show me sapphires and opened a paper with several beautiful cut stones, allowing me to take a photo. Then two women from the first stall kept dumping more and more seashells into a basket, asking 30,000 for all as they kept adding more. We browsed a few more stalls, but the people were pretty insistent so we tried to look away and keep moving. I finally stopped to look at small crystals and felt pretty harassed as I chose some, language and price confusion taking it’s toll by then. To add to the mental chaos, two men- including the one who had originally shown me gems, swooped down on us holding out small sapphires (or so they said) and other small colorful minerals and asking for money from them. I finally took some from the original man- who had by this time told me I wasn’t a nice person for buying stones from someone else. It was with considerable relief we got in the car and left.
Nono drove us to two T-shirt shops where I got a shirt for Liam that said, “Land of the Lemurs” on it. We headed from there to the airport, getting there about three hours before our flight. Nono gave us our voucher for our hotel room for the next two nights. Earlier he had given us the brochure for the garden we’ll visit tomorrow. He hung around and helped us get through check in very easily. With no real security checks we went out to the gate. Dick plugged in and sat on the floor to work on photos. I read for a while, then worked on this and Dick continued with the birds.
After sitting at the gate until the plane should have been loading, a message came on the intercom that the flight wouldn’t be in until 9:40, so we won’t be taking off until 10 or so and in Tana around 11. They offered a voucher for dinner for the inconvenience, then busses from the Victory Hotel picked us up and transported us there. We had a nice meal out by the pool and did our internet stuff. I ‘talked’ with Christy, Rob, and Angela, and caught up on email.
They got us back on buses and to the airport around 10:30. We waited around a little while then got on the plane. I dozed a bit of the flight, but woke up to have peach iced tea and really good cashews.
My suitcase was probably the last one off the plane, but our driver, with our names on a sign, was waiting for us. The streets of Tana were very quiet except for one area where it looked like they were selling alcoholic drinks on the sidewalk. The drive took longer than expected but the Residence Lapasoa hotel staff was waiting to help get our suitcases back upstairs to Room 7, the one we had before. After doing the minimal possible, we tumbled into bed around 2 AM.
ßWednesday, October 30, 2013- Antananarivo
We were awake around 8, so decided to get up and get on with the morning. Breakfast at this hotel was a nice break, with yogurt, cereal, and fruit salad as well as the usual croissant and french bread and juice.
The front desk called us a taxi and a nice young guy took us to the gate of Parc Tsarasaotra, a private park with large rookery and lots of water birds. Unfortunately the gatekeeper wouldn’t let us in and told our driver where to go to buy tickets for entrance. So back we went through the busy streets to an enclosed compound where, after asking directions of three men, we found the very nice office where we purchased two entry tickets.
With the gatekeeper’s blessing, we entered the park and made our way around the lagoon. Dick got several kind of ducks and herons, but was most thrilled about a Madagascar Kingfisher. I took photos of flowers and enjoyed the pretty day. We never did find the office building but did see what seemed to be the EEU Building in there. After almost three hours, Dick felt he had done his best for birds. We were pleasantly surprised to find our driver waiting for us and got back to the hotel in good time despite lunchtime traffic.
The Zebu Original Bistro had served us a memorable meal when we first arrived, so we went back there and enjoyed sitting outside in their walled garden. They serve peanuts with cayenne pepper as an appetizer- very zingy and good. Then Dick had chicken (really nice tender chicken) with mushrooms and I had zebu- what else in the cafe with that name?
After a false start, we made our way back down to the marketplace we had visited the first day, and got bread and bananas- for our simple evening meal. Then we headed back up to our room, to work on photos, write to friends, write this journal and rest up after our long night last night. I washed out a few things and we used the balcony as our drying room.
We repacked suitcases, showered, caught up on photos, email, facebook, etc. and generally had a wind down evening. Dick got a message from Robin about renting a car for birding expeditions and told him to go ahead. Kenya, here we come!
Additional Madagascar Thoughts/Memories- Nono’s music- African to Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder. He played it almost constantly and it added to the experience on long drives. He drove on sides, wrong side, sidewalks- anything to get around potholes, animals, trucks and any other road impediments. But he was a great driver and we felt very comfortable with him.
Impressions of Madagascar- very friendly people, poverty, bad roads- potholes, zebu carts, people, stray animals. Street food. All small shops- walk up to- with a keeper inside or sitting out on a chair. Very few supermarkets or conventional stores. Everything from repair parts, hub caps for cars, furniture, plastic ware, food, drugs, hair braiding was done at these stores. Beautiful scenery around every corner.
Thursday, October 31, 2013- Antananarivo to Narobi
Dick got up and went out to the outdoor lounge to work on the computer. I got up shortly after and began getting organized to leave. We went down for breakfast then headed down again around 9:15 to meet our driver. The drive to the airport went fairly well, with heavy traffic, but only one bottleneck at construction.
Check in went fine and we headed through five different passport kinds of checks- one at check-in, one at exit visa, one before and one during security check and one at the gate. In addition we had to identify our luggage plane side before it would be loaded onto the plane. Even with all that, we were off in good time- phew after the last flight! Dinner on board was among the best we’ve had- chicken, potatoes, and veggies, salad, pound cake, and apple tart.
The three hour flight went fairly quickly and it was 81 degrees when we landed in Nairobi to the strains of “I Can See Clearly Now”- a good omen. We had filled out our visa forms this morning, so it was pretty easy to get them done and $100 later we were both official visitors to Kenya. From there we had a frustrating time with the ATM’s and ended up getting some money from them and the rest by Dick changing $300 American. A woman approached us in the lobby with offers to get us a taxi and she helped us with money changing, so we went with her to her office and purchased our taxi ride to Hartebeest Camp for $27. She took us outside to where the taxi would pick us up, and after about 15 minutes it came.
Traffic was terrible at first and it took us an hour to go the 15 K to the hotel. The driver was patient, listening to a Christian radio station, and actually knew how to get to Hartebeest Camp- turning down a very small road. He honked and they opened the gate, met us, and carried in our luggage. We asked to see the room and were well satisfied. The bed has a pink satin quilt and the toilet and sink are floral Victorian china- charming! There is a smell of mothballs though- from the kitchen sink and shower- as a deterrent to creepies coming in, we guess.
We paid for our two nights in American dollars, then went out in search of dinner. The hotel had an outdoor bar and they showed us the menu there. We both ordered chicken curry and after a good long wait, had much more than we could eat. But the people there were lovely and we enjoyed the evening.