Hotel La Ribaudiere Antananarivo

... I was more successful in escaping the crowds than planned.The FCO advice since an army-backed takeover of the government in March is not to visit Madagascar at all. Most people have heeded that advice and there area hardly any tourists there. In some places I was the one and only visitor which was very strange but very peaceful.<br><br> I left Manchester the afternoon of Saturday 11th July, arriving ...

... me on my toes....and little time to relax! Definetely a different 3rd year than I thought :) But, my Peace Corps time here is finished in July and then.....we'll see! I am ready to come back to the states and I need to get my masters at some point....ah, life is crazy. Hope all is well with you and the cold, cold winter is on it's way out. Here, it's about 90 every day with rain ...

... south out of town and eventually ended up in the city of Antsirabe. This city had many rickshaws (called a pouse-pouse) and drivers who camped outside the nice small "Villa Camellia" hotel where we stayed. I was happy as I found a gas station just down the street that I could walk to that had Diet Cokes (typical American - huh). The next morning we did a tour of the city and Babba took ...

... Abend statt elektrisches Licht. Es wird viel Reis und Maniok angebaut. Zebus grasen auf den Weiden, Huehner rennen umher, Hunde schlafen mitten auf der Strasse, alles wirkt sehr relaxed. Ueberall sind kleine Staende an den Strassen, an denen Speissen angeboten werden. Wir fahren weiter ueber Tamatave nach Soanierano-Ivango und setzen mit dem Boot ueber auf die Pirateninsel St. Marie. Nach einer Nacht in einer einfachen Huette direkt ...

... able to make from the yarn sent by Mom and Dad.(and worn on Amy's head at one point). Look for details regarding this year's golf outing comming to an email inbox near you! There are several pictures also added of our cousin Mark's visit over Thanksgiving. What an incredible time that must have been! Lemurs and lizards and all! Much love, Brother J 630.209.4389

Moderately early start from a very misty Vakona, which apparently is very common. And another lovely drive, retracing our route of yesterday back to Tana. Took us three hours this time withouth the holiday and diversions. Returned to Sakamanga where Liv and I said goodbye to Lisa who headed for the airport ...

... was a hangover and the Gasy liqour hit me harder than I'm used to. I tried to walk it off that day but when I still was sore and feverish that night, I knew it was chicken gunea, a mosquito disease that is similiar to malaria. Your joints ache and you run a fever and at the end you get a very unattractive, uncomfortable red blotchy rash that itches (I have that now, it's a blow to my vanity). Everyone in my town is getting it, and I must've ...

This morning I was up early for the start of my next leg of the trip. I left the hotel by 08:00 for the forty-five minute drive to the airport. I first dropped the rental car, which is a complicated thing to do in Mauritius. One had to fight against the flow of arriving passeng**s into the arrival area to drop the key, then push the luggage cart through the parking lot and on the roadway, around and up to the departure level. I was ...

... The noise of the tin roof makes it sound like someone is trying to start a really old generator, or perhaps hurling gravel around! Hear the next day that one man died from a heart attack when lightning struck right next to him, and a woman got burnt when her curtains set on fire. Puts into perspective just how dangerous the weather can be. Tue 24th Oct - A bee sting. A bee sting??!! Who the hell gets stung by a bee in the middle of their ...

After an eleven hour flight from Paris with Air Madagascar (good service, nice food, bizarre French films on the TV, worryingly wobbly seat), Anna-leigh and I touch down in Antananarivo (Tana for short), the capital. The time is around 5.30am, the temperature is unexpectedly cold - frost on the car windscreens was not what I was expecting when I imagined Madagascar! To be honest, I'm ...