Hotel Niaouly Antananarivo

... situated in the village of Ivato just outside the capital Antananarivo , 90% of buildings in Ivato appeared to be wooden shacks and the main means of transport appeared to be foot. There was a dull dustyness about everything including the people although there was little sign of the abject poverty I had come to expect. On getting out of the Taxi I prepared myself for the onslaught of touts and ...

... drive to Ambositra where we got to visit artists doing traditional wood carving, we had dinner at a community center and participated in some rum drinking and traditional dancing. - From Ambositra went to a near by village where they do traditional silk weaving. After a demonstration we went for a hike climbing a near by peak with the president of the mountain...or so he claims. He performed a traditional ...

... The drive is eye-opening as I see the level of poverty that is prevalent here. Rice paddies are abundant and I distinctly see one guy fishing from one no more than 10 meters away from where another guy is peeing in the same paddy. I presume downtown must be a bit better, but am astonished to find that it isn't. Hotel Colbert (www.colbert-hotel.com) is nice, but not by American standards. I put my stuff down in my room and quickly leave to ...

... meal in a private patio, while Andry is cleaning his car. I decide to have the Madagascar dish', whatever that is. Unfortunately, that is out and the local fish is recommended. I do not like it so much. It tastes a bit like trout. And is accompanied by white rice. And I am not such a plain white rice lover. Anyway, next stop: the palace of the all-powerful king Andrianampoinimerina (and you thought Antananarivo was a tongue breaker). He had 12 wives of which only ...

... C took on the fleamarkets. After dragging her water-carrying sherpa through the entire length and breadth of possible human enterprise, they left with... nothing. Intuitively sensing that G's spirits might be dipping ever so slightly, C persuaded him into some chocolate cakeletts and Chocolat Chaud. [from the Patisserie again, of course] Once back in their room, they noticed Feedback Forms on a corner table... It was so ...

... a room that's closed off from the rest of the house. I was afraid that a robber would know we weren't in our house and try to break in. By 3 p.m. on Wednesday we were out of our house and staying with a family here. We checked the internet and Cyclone Indalala was predicted to be a class 4 and heading straight for the town. At 6, the rain and heavy winds, the kind you can't walk in, had started. It had also already knocked ...

... support does not happen. Thank you for helping my 'loved one' while he is out of the country doing some very, very difficult work for many deserving people. A link to an article on the situation: http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db9 00SID/YSAR-6WMTST?OpenDocument A link to some recent pictures Joe sent: http://www1.snapfish.com/share/p=947311 170293427155/l=242286 392/g=12538123/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB

... Our friend found us a turkey in the country. He brought it to us, alive, but we had one of the workers for a vanilla family kill, cook, and clean it. I was pretty sure that if an American attempted to kill the turkey there would have been injuries. Those things look like they would fight back. We made mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, green been casserole, deviled eggs, and gravy and stuffing from the box. It was delicious, especially the gravy and stuffing. And that ...

... a granny... or sponsoring a chimp at monkey world (monkey rescue centre in Dorset En-Ger-Land)... except you get regular blogs so you can see how I'm doing... much love.... xx (Please Please leave comments... you can say whatever you like coz I'm in another country building peace and love... so it'll be ages before I kick your **** for it. And I might not remember.... No that's not true... I will remember... I've a memory like an elephant!) xxxxxxxxxxx

... thing I have ever seen- and he crawls through our fence and lays in our yard. I think he likes us- he sits on our doorstep and looks in as we eat. Of course Aaron fed him and now he will never leave. We were planning on getting a kitten, but "Madoor" may be our new friend! He is so ugly- you have got to see a picture of him to believe it!!! Even with our fence we have chicken and duck parades through our yard! Yesterday a bunch of chickens got in and were ...