Madagascar ..... the place we've wanted to visit since 2008 but never quite got round too.
At times we feared disappoint due to what we had heard about deforestation all I can say is
that we needn't have worried.
Madagascar turned out to be the hardest country to get to out of any we have been too. It
is like we really weren't meant to get there. Constant flight cancellations meant we were
stuck in Mauritius for days. At several points we considered simply cancelling our plans for
Madagascar. Thankfully we didn't and we managed to rearrange our local guide and keep to our
original plans.
Upon first arriving in Antananarivo we knew that we had to make up for lost time. We had lost
out on several days so far due to the difficulty in getting here. So at 5pm local time we hit
the road. Driving several hours at night through the windy roads after getting out of the cities
traffic. Before the sun set we got to see a glimpse of what Madagascar had to offer. Within our
first hour in the country we had seen a football team who had won a Zebu by beating the other
team, rice paddies stretching like lagoons with small islands for houses and primitive brick
making factories. As the sun began to set and the road became windier we knew that the trip was
going to be special. If we survived, as driving at night on unlit roads in such a poor country
is a hazardous affair.
That night we rocked in late and had time to stop quickly for some pizza in a tourist gaff. It
was at this point that we became aware of just how cheap it was in Madagascar and as such how
poor the country must be. We paid around £2 for a pizza for two and a litre of coke in a tourist
restaurant.
The next morning we took our time to explore the place we had arrived the night before before
we had to hit the road in order to get to the next stop on our journey.
We started out by visiting a Zebu factory where they make wares from the horn and hide of the
Zebu. We saw the process they used and brought some souvenirs. Usually we steer away from this
sort of thing but in a country as poor as Madagascar we felt it was appropriate. After this we
stopped in Antisirabe's premier natural stone shop and discovered some fantastic items that
would have cost a fortune elsewhere, but due to the amount of poverty what came as an insignificant
amount to us we the largest sale of the day for them. It was funny as when leaving the shop we
were treated like royalty. I think the reality is that we had probably just fed all of the
individuals working their and there families for a month. It was a very humbling experience and
we had not paid a cent more than we had wanted too. The items we got were expertly crafted as well.
On a strange note they had an army of tortoises guarding the stones. Not something we had expected
to see in the middle of such a large island.
Next we hit the road as we knew we had a long drive to our first major stop in Madagascar.
Today was our first full days driving during the day. It gave us our best chance to see exactly
what Madagascar was about. It was a monday so we knew that we would see people commuting and working.
The first thing which took us by surprise was just how quickly after getting outside of Tana did the
country become rural with just small towns and villages with vast expanses inbetween. It was also
at this point that we first became aware as too how wet Madagascar must be as there were rice paddies
everywhere. The scenery was crazy though as there were barren hills with vast green expanses in the
fore front.
At lunch we stopped in a small town and were treated to a traditional dance and music affair. From here
on things became distinctly more rural with herds of Zebu being shepherded up the main road and the
locals riding/pushing their converted train track cars up and down the windy roads. It is at this point
that you become aware of just how hard life is in Madagascar. People slaving out in the heat of the day
over hundreds of kilometres just to get water on roads that are indirect at best and with steep inclines.
As you drive up and down the roads you see loads of people walking or riding push bikes clearly on their
way somewhere, yet 90 minutes drive down the road you've still not reached anywhere reassembling a
community and you just ponder exactly how far they are going.
Trees had started to appear, they had got larger and streams and waterfalls had begun to appear.
We knew we had reached our first national park. This gave us the first time to try out our new
micro SLR and I found it worked really well, the images were much sharper than the old model and
the view finder really helped. It also took shots really fast, not surprising given it is rated
as one of the fastest focusing cameras in the world.
During our time here we did a morning trek for 5 hours into the national park hunting for wildlife
and lemurs. When we first entered the park we weren't entirely sure what we were going to see.
Anytime you start a trek into a rainforest on a concreted path you have reservations. We needn't
have worried somehow we had managed to bag the best guide and accomplice. We saw some crazy stuff from
geckos camouflaged like dead leaves to many lemurs and rare birds. We saw lemurs leaping from tree to
tree at gravity defying heights, fights between groups and those just chilling out and sleeping.
Seeing 5 types of lemurs so earlier into our trip had led us to a great start. Even if we were dying
at the pace of our guide and soaked through with sweat. At altitude, high humidity and a warm day
weren't doing us any favours.
During the afternoon we went to check out the natural spring swimming pool and tour around the local
village. Unfortunately they had drained the pool in order to clean it and it was still being refilled
so we couldn't go for a dip. It was still worth having headed down though as no other tourists had
and it allowed us to see the locals playing and enjoying the river. You could see an entire snapshot
of Madagascan life here. Children playing, shepherds washing their animals and woman washing pots, pans
and clothes along with men who were just cooling off from a hard day working the fields.
The next day we started our journey towards the Isalo national park. Today we travelled through
several towns including one our drivers daughter lived in. We saw a lot of things going on including
many brick factories and people carrying raw Zebu hides down the main road. Gotta love 3rd world food
hygiene.
On route we also stopped at a traditional silk factory were we saw the process of making fabric from
it. We also saw how they dye the colours and how long it actually takes. Each piece of silk can take up
to 6 weeks from the start to the end of the process. We also managed to bag some nice silk wares.
We were lucky that because we were travelling through on a Wednesday that we could stop and see the
weekly Zebu market. Clearly tourists were not a common sight at the market as many locals were perplexed
by our presence. It was a really surreal scene with Zebu of all sizes as far as the eye could see.
Each wednesday people walk from the surrounding region some having set out as early as sunday in order
to sell their Zebu. From here they are brought, some for transport and slaughter in the capital Tana
and some destined for other regions. It was a really nice addition to our trip made especially good
by the fact it was off the tourist trail.
The further we drove the more barren the landscape became. Red sand replaced rice paddies and brick houses
were replaced by mud huts with straw roofs. The temperatures also soared and the air became drier.
Eventually cacti began to appear in place of trees and grass. Though there was the odd river in stark
contrast to the hostility of the environment. Lush green banks met by vibrant red sand with deep blue
water. It is a sight which is hard to fathom. As we got nearer and nearer to Isalo though even these
infrequent water sources were replaced by mile after mile of barreness with the temperature pushing past
35 celsius. Fires were also a common sight in such scorched earth.
On our journey between Ranomafana and Isalo we stopped at around 11:30 am to visit the Anja community reserve. This isn't a national park but an area set aside for conservation by a local community. When we were told that we were going to be climbing up what was basically a small mountain in the middle of the day in very hot conditions we weren't thrilled especially when we had worn our clean travel clothes that day. We were also dubious about where lemurs would be found in such a hostile environment. Boy was it worth it though being the only ones in the reserve and getting up close to many ring-tailed lemurs including a mother nursing an infant was incredible. We also traversed between canyons and caves in order to reach the top and be granted with a great vista.
Given the barreness of the surroundings we really didn't expect much from a national park out
here. I mean even how someone could define something here as a national park we did not know.
We were later proven to be incorrect. Isalo might have been the best national park for us.
Maybe this is due to the fact that we had massively underestimated it.
During our time in the park we saw our first baobabs even if they were the tiny variety.
We also saw vast peaks not dissimilar from some of those we had seen in the United States.
By mid morning we came upon a mirage in the middle of a scorched canyon. A natural water pool
in between the canyon with its whole own ecosystem. Sheltered partly from the midday sun
it enabled a fantastic escape from the heat of the day. We were lucky as well that we had made
it ahead of the handful of other tourists and as such got to enjoy it all to ourselves.
From here we set out on a long hot walk through the vast canyon over steep peaks to reach our
lunch spot. We stopped at many vantage points and saw a stick insect which was impossible
to tell from the actual branch. At lunch we were surprised to find that we were sharing it
with several types of lemurs. Thankfully we had asked for 1 litre of coke for lunch as we
needed it given the hardship of the morning.
After lunch we headed out into another narrow canyon and followed a stream over rocks and across
beaches until we reached three natural pools. The largest of which was so deep you couldn't see
the bottom and very very cold. With a waterfall filling the pool in the background and high cliffs
surrounding you on every side this truly felt like a fantastic place. A little bit of something
special that the earth had been keeping to itself.
Setting out from here we knew that we had a long and hard walk back to a hot car. Thankfully we
knew that upon arriving that evening we would be able to get cold beer, watch a beautiful sunset
and have a good meal.
The next day we started the drive to our final stop in Madagascar. The morning was spent
driving out of the national park. After this we drove through gem town after gem town
where the locals sift the rivers and mud to find stones which can be sold on for a profit.
As with most places like this in poor countries the locals weren't the ones who benefitted
with the gem stores named things like Shanghai Gems and Thai Turquoise. The houses where
the stones were being sold from were also ridiculous and in stark contrast with the local
housing in the surrounding areas. As to be expected the people here were the least friendly
to foreigners almost to the extent of being hostile. We were also told that crime was high
there.
As we drove on the standard of the local housing deteriorated to sticks and straw for the walls
and roofs. The land became even more barren and local kids would beg at the side of the road
for water. occasionally we would stop at the side of the road and give bottles of water
to the kids to take home to their families. This might have been the only drink they had that
week, it might have also have been their last drink. I got the feeling that tourists don't
often stop to give away their surplus of water but it was the smallest and simplest gesture
of our humanity to share such a life giving item with those in so much more need than us.
It was also at this point that we saw the magnificent baobab trees towering over entire
communities and in stark contrast to the arid flat landscape. We had seen all that we wanted
to in Madagascar and were happy to finish up our trip with a nice stop at the beach.
We didn't really know what to expect from the beach. We had heard that those in the north were
nice but really we had just come down here to see the baobab tress. As the road turned into sand
and the number of vehicles decreased we passed through tiny rural communities we realised that
we had now truly left whatever limited tourist trail there had been. The people here were of a
different ethnicity and resembled more Kuna Indian sea gypsies than Africans. The local way of
life here was fishing and salt mining. Despite being next to the sea acquiring water was hard.
We were pleasantly surprised during our arrival here just how beautiful it was. The water was
very warm aided by the fact it was the Indian Ocean. The waters an enticing blue and the sand
gorgeously rustic. Out on the beach by the hotel we could sit and engage with locals as they went
about their daily business, friendly as always and watch the sunset over the ocean.
On our full day here we were asked if we wanted to go out on activities but instead we decided to
walk along the beach and boy was it worth it. As we walked we went past locals bathing in pits made
from sea water, doing washing, fishing and being a sunday local kids playing in the sea. Some
of the local kids only a few years of age had minature boats which they could sail up and down the
beach in a similar fashion to those of their parents. Other kids played football. The people here
were surprised to see us. For us to be brave enough to venture out into their community is always
a humbling experience for both parties. Young kids were intrigued by our white skin and tattoos
and wanted to follow us up and down the beach. It was truly an unexpected and magnificent end to
our journey through this beautiful and diverse country.
From Ifaty we headed back to Tana. Lots of people fly this leg, but it a) cost too much and
b) we already knew that flights only went out when the wanted. So we had instead opted to
drive all the way back in just two days. An intense road trip lay ahead.
We actually were really looking forward to the drive as we knew that it would be a fantastic
look through the different sceneries the country had in fast succession. Unfortunately the food
at Ifaty had made me sick and I vomited on someone's doorstep along the way. On the journey we
saw the people who sit out all day in the sun breaking granite from rock by hand armed only
with hammers and people walking great distances for market and those attending church. We also
saw a different take on town life and many interesting scenes went past through the window.
Sometimes the best way to see a place is on the road. As we neared Tana we saw a local bus
with literally 200 plus chickens of the roof. They must have been terrified as driving in
Madagascar is a dangerous experience even for those used to it. We had seen many accidents
along our journey and there was little protection to stop you going over the edge following
one small mistake. Thankfully our driver had kept us safe throughout our time here.
Coming to Madagascar we did not know really what to expect. We had hoped to see a lemur and a baob,
but other than that we weren't expecting much. We had heard about the deforestation and the effects
of palm oil, but during our time we didn't see any palm oil and while the deforestation was evident
it seemed that this had been out of neccessity rather than for financial gain. The deforestation we
sure had been done in order to grow rice and thus feed the populace.
The one thing that did surprise us the most though was the lack of tourists. We had expected the
trip to be much more of a tourist affair. Throughout the majority of our trip we had only seen
the same tourists, maybe 10 or so in total. We were on the cusp of the High and Low season but
still I hadn't expected so few, especially when the country has so much to offer.
Madagascar had managed to come out in the top five of the countries we had visited. Somehow it had
topped even Kyrgyzstan which we had visited earlier this year and that was a simply mind-blowing place.
Our time here had also helped me make the most important decision of my career. A significant pay
increase and better long term employment prospects or to have time and enjoy life. I had nearly
accepted selling out in order for a quick return, but spending time in Madagascar had made me
remember that some of the happiest people on the planet are those with the least. As George Calin
once put it "someone else's stuff is shit, but your shit is stuff". Madagascar had also made me
remember what it is that I am truly passionate about and what I need to be doing and involved with
both at home and abroad. Madagascar will be forever remembered as the place that reminded me of
my humanity and allowed me to re-adjust my priorities.
