Chez Edgard Antananarivo

... at the ATM on the way to the hotel as I spent all my money at the market! We ate lunch at the Chinese restaurant near our hotel then walked around the city center a bit. It started to rain so we headed back to the hotel. Had diner again in the hotel restaurant next to the American Embassy. We have an early flight tomorrow (6:30am!) so must leave the hotel at 4:30am. It will be a long day.....

... a beach front bungalow and two days to do nothing. We did some snorkeling which was really cool and ate a whole lot of fish. Very relaxing. - Yesterday we killed the day back in Tulear before getting on the plane to fly back to Tana. Interesting place, no metal detectors, no security.... I should be able to better keep this up to date now that I have internet available. Hope all is well at home. André & Gina

... manawana" which means hello here??? Scratch what I said earlier about everyone offering me weed! After hearing his five/ten minute sales pitch I decide that I like him. I tell him that I'm on my way to watch the game but that if he meets me at 8 am tomorrow morning at the travel agency he says he works for, that I will work with him to set up a trip to one or two of the national parks! I enter "Thibaut" at Hotel Glacier, as recommended ...

... LEATHEL with all those little hands) and these tickets have to go to the safe. Dr T checks out the internet and ... it is not working. He tries another room: not better. We get a 'box', which should magically do the trick. It does, sort of. Stepping back out of the hotel, Dr T finds a lovely terrace, with cheap beer, this man is a wonder. We have a couple of beers: Three Horses Beer: 1,5 Euro for 650ml and a little snack. Dr T enjoys a crispy double hot ...

... as possible but it's a challenge when a nice restaurant means that a napkin is present and the bathroom has a toilet AND toilet paper. We also went to Andasibe, a rainforest. We saw indri indri lemurs, they're the biggest species of lemurs. The guide book describes them as looking like 4 year olds in panda suits. That's accurate and possibly true. We had 2 guides that would leave us on the trail to "find" lemurs ...

... We were, and still are, officially refugees. We have no house, and are not sure if we will have one. Currently we have changed from teachers to relief workers. Before we can start relief work, though, we need a place to stay. The school superintendent should find us housing, but we're not sure if he can since so many people need a place. I don't know what will happen if there's no house. The good news is that there were ...

... the situation seem worse... I have never been in line to get on the airplane with a beggar on either side, police asking for money from the driver at every checkpoint, the president using the army to guard his private yoghurt company, old craggy french guys with pretty young malagasy girls.... But with the negativity aside, you find those problems in alot of countries... I will leave this place wanting to come back.

... an English man that married a Malagasy woman and they are always looking for more support from the American community! Ok, thanks again for all the good letters, cards, pictures, etc. and most importantly- prayers!!! Love you and miss you all!!!! -A :) I have to get going, but I will find more info. about sending books at a 'book rate' here for the English center.....but I need to wait until after Christmas.

... out "Good morning, teacher." I walked in and asked them where they were the day before. They started talking a mile a minute in Malagasy trying to explain, but I didn't understand of course. Nor did I really care except to express my dissatisfaction. I taught my other three classes,and the kids were pretty well behaved. They seem excited to learn English, or stare at a white person and laugh when they speak Malagasy. Either way, the attention can be ...

It is Saturday April 8th and we took a trip to the Capital for lunch , internet and the grocery store! We are beginning week 8 of training and are almost finished! Three weeks from now we will be in our own home in Anosibe an'Ala!!! Time is flying by now! Last week we went on a technical field trip. It was wonderful. We went to another volunteer's site and got muddy planting rice in the ricefields. She lives in a beautiful little village nestled between rainforested ...