MAD is Over! Enter the Cape!

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  Cape Town, South Africa
Thursday, June 19, 2008

HELLO EVERYONE!

I am so happy to be writing you! What a world wind adventure it has been! Madagascar is beautiful! The mountains, the lemurs, chameleons, baobob trees, Tsingy ( an amazing natural wonder they believe happened when Mad split from the mainland) and the beach!

I am going to try and catch you up a bit on the last 19 or so days. This may be a long blong and I am trying to type fast so bear with me if there are any typos. At least Im using my own lap top.

The first day we arrived in Tana and I think I pretty much touched base with you twice since then. But let me fill you in on more. Antananarivo is the Capital of Mad and it was surprisingly huge! I mean gigantic. I was really thinking that Mad was pretty desolate but I was very much humbled by my opinion our first morning overlooking the city. One of my friends told me that actually 1/3 of the population of Mad lives in Tana. I totally believe it. And its a huge island.

We got aquainted with our group and spen one night in Tana. Somehow, no one told me that on gap you share a room (which is totally fine, just would have liked to know this in advance) so imagine my surprise when from a dead sleep in my hotel room the phone rang at midnight, with a very broken english accent trying to convince me to open my door for my friend. "I am sorry madame, your friend is here." "Non, I don't have a friend here." I hung up. Twice more he called me back and said, "Madame, your friend is here, you must let here in." Then, a knock on my hotel room door. I had been traveling all day and was soooo tired and a little iffy about OPENING my door. But nonetheless, I cracked it and saw our receptionist and a white european girl looking very tired with a backpack.Hello? I said. Can I help you. "This is your roomate," he said. "Are you with Gap?" I said. Yeah she said. "My flight just got in from Germany." I am so tired. I looked at the receptionist and said, "There must be a mistake, I only have a double bed. No room for another person." He didn't understand. After about five minutes of TRYING to communicate with him, and the girl looking tired, and the explanations from both seemed, this was her room too. I just said, "Okay, just come in. Its late and we are both exhausted."

"Ah, I just want to sleep, " she said. And thus began my journey in Mad.It really was a telltale sign to how the country is run and how my trip would be the next 19 days. Dani was her name, and as it turned out we were to share a room the next 18 days. Luckily, we had our own beds for the remainder. I must say though, it was a strange, semi sleepless first night. Sharing a bed with a stranger is a first for me. Their language and culture didn't offer much explanation for the incident ever. But it turned out fine. Dani, was actually pretty cool.

The rest of the group was really neat too. We had Ann and Jann from New Zealand. Both were radiologist. Then there was Vincenzo who is one of the funniest men we have ever met. He is from Sicily but has been living in Zurich the last few years and is an Engineer. The only family he really has left is a great aunt who is in her 90's in Sicily. I tell you this because I think it paints a picture of him. He is a wonderfully colorful character and has really made me want to go to Italy. His common phrase was "Madonna Mia!" He always made us laugh. He speaks 6 languages. English, French, Italian, Arabic, Spanish and Portugese. Yeah, I sort of felt like a dumb american several times on this trip.

Then, there was Dani the German. She is from Northern Germany a small town I will have to see the map to remember the name of the town.

Then, there was Wha-Ja who stole me and Vincenzo's hearts. She was a lovely Korean women who also was very funny. She has been living the past 30 years in Australia. She broke free from the tradition of the Korean lifestyle to get married and have your family pay for your house, etc. She wanted to see the world and travel. She remains unmarried and very happy. We enjoyed a long two hour walk alone together in Nosy be our last few days and sort of bonded. I told her to expect me in Sydney one day! So, Rick, we have another spot!

Then, there were the Englanders. They were about my age and in Medical School in Birmingham England. They are the ones I met at the airport and rode with in the Taxi. I loved them instantly I think. Aside from the cute accent, they were insanely friendly and funny. We sort of all latched on to each other. They were only on our tour for the first 9 days, but had been traveling to Botswana and Namibia prior. As well as Uganda. I also told them to expect me in Birmingham and that they better come to the states as well!

Then there was me the american and Michael our native guide. He is Malagasy. His english is a bit broken and made for some interesting communciation skills on the trip, but I still have to give him props. At least he speaks more than one language. And he knows some italian. That is one thing that amazes me. Even in 3rd world countries a lot of the poor even know more than one language fluently. Kind of makes me a little ashamed. I am on a mission now to learn my swahili and french fluently.

The first day of our actual tour we went to Andasibe to the Mantadia National Park. It was really neat and a beautiful drive with our session of spotting lemurs. Throughout the tour, our first nine days consisted of the southern region of Mad. We went to Antsirabe, Ranomafana, Ambalavao and then two nights in Isalo. All of the parks were unique in their own way but I really enjoyed Isalo. There is where we spent a whole day hiking to the top of this peak. What an amazing view and loads of Ringtailed Lemurs at the end. One jumped right over my shoulder. It was such a rush!

Then we went back to Tana and said good-bye to Helena and Mike the Englanders. It was sad, but more adventure to come. Then, we flew the next day to Diego Suarez. I am a little sad for them they missed the northern tour because it was very different and a little more exciting in my opinion. Diego Suarez was more of a touristy city with a little more happening. Unfortunately, prostitution became very evident the remainder of the trip. There are a lot of sexual tourists in the Northern part of Mad. A very sad and disgusting part of the economy that they are apparently trying to fight, although it is still legal. Everywhere there are signs that say, "Stop sexual tourism," although everywhere also its evident. Rather large European men with BEAUTIFUL Malagasy women. Its so disgusting I have to stop talking about it.

Then, we left to the Montagne d'Ambre National Park. There we spent two nights. I was a little disappointed because our itinerary told us we would be supplied with tents. Thus, I was fully expecting to camp and very excited about it. But, really it was just a cabin with no electricity that the five of us women had to share a room while the men had a room. It was still a great bonding experience for all of us and we had a blast. I learned a lot about political views and foreign affairs and the views of america over our dinners together.

There were also beautiful waterfalls and just lovely little bugs and the smallest chameleon on earth which is smaller than our pinky at full size. I have pictures. Makes you sort of nervous where you walk!

Then, we went to the Ankarana Special Reserve. There we stayed in a little hut with once again no electricity and two outhouses for the whole camp. There we hiked to see the bat cave. It was huge and soo noisy with screeching bats. Rick, I thought of you the whole time and your fear of getting bitten by a bat. These were not small bats either. They were huge.

When we left, about one hour down the road I reached into my bag to grab my journal and it was gone. My heart sank. Its the pretty brown leather one I got in Kenya that I have been writing in this whole trip. I told Michael frantically that I had left it under my pillow at the hut and tried to explain what it looked like. The guides assured me they would get it back. I wasn't so sure and I was really heartbroken.

The next day we drove to Ankify. I don't think I was full prepared for this. None of us were. When we pulled up to our lodge, it was our 13th day. We were tired, a little hiked out and when we saw our rooms... PARADISE!

They were adorable little huts literally on the beach! We dumped our bags, put on our suits and jumped in. It was so peaceful. We were the only people on the beach, surrounded by the mountains. It was bliss. The next day we left for Nosy Be. If you look at the map of Mad its the really little island to the northwest of Mad. We had to carry our bags through the water to the boat (yes, camera gear and all) and took a 30-45 minute boat ride to Nosy Be.

When we got the island there were fisherman everywhere in these little homemade boats. Some, were transporting bananas. It gave me the fix I wanted for Zanzibar that I missed out on.

When we got to our lodge, I told everyone, "Then next few days, I am not leaving." It was free range time for biking, boating, snorkeling, whatever. But this beach girl just wanted beach. And I was running low on dough. Nosy Be is very pricy if you ever go. Like, they wanted $8 for a bowl of rice. I had been accustomed to paying $1 - $2. So, Dani and I went in on some produce and bread from the market. Avocados, Bananas, Bread... It lasted us our last few days.

The water was blue, the sand was white...amazing. Dani, Vincenzo and I decided to stay an additional day instead of spending two of our last days in Tana. So the rest of the group left and the 3 of us stayed one more day. They went for an all day boat ride and snorkel fest, while I "stayed on the beach" by myself. It was perfect solitude. Especially, after 19 days with 6 people and no privacy. I did however, wish Rick was there too. Especially, with all the honeymooners showing up. Okay, now I was beginning my first bout of homesickness. But I couldn't let it get me down! One more month!

So, we left Nosy Be (and the German sex Tourists that were also showing up and the large amount of Italians that were staying at the next beach) and I headed back to Tana for my last night. I said goodbye to Vincenzo and Dani at the airport. I had arranged for our guide to meet me at the airport and I paid for his travel just so I wouldn't have to deal with the Taxi thing again. Its quite a bear with drivers arguing over you and we were coming in at night. When I got to the airport he was waiting and even had his friend who was a driver take use. And he arranged for the same driver to pick me up and take me to the airport the next morning.

It was very nice. But still... no internet. Agh! I didn't have a room booked in Cape Town yet and I was starting to worry. The next morning though, God answered my prayers.

I met two girls at the Tana airport that were just finishing there two year term with the Peace Corps. Carrie and Elaine from Florida. Americans! Music to my ears! We really hit it off and as it turned out they were going to Cape Town, had a room booked at a hostel and invited me to hang out with them and a few of their other girlfriend joinging in a day.

Perfect! We arrived to the hostel (and don't worry there are more locks on this place then anywhere I've stayed so far including a night guard) and we are sharing a room for $10 a person per night. We discovered theres a Rugby game saturday we are going to. ITALY VS. South Africa. Its about $20 so it should be really fun! I am very happy I met them and we are having a blast. Its really fun to watch them actually.

I don't' know how they did it. Two years in Madagascar. I must say, its beautiful, but 19 days were plenty for me. I would go back for more camping and nature, but the city is stressful with constantly trying to be on guard. It really wears you out. They did return my journal by the way. They sent it with a french couple that came to Nosy Be. Unfortunately, the leather binding was gone, just my writing remained, but none the less, i am surprised I got it back.

So, here I am. Safe and sound. Well traveled, more to see and loving every minute. A few things I really miss are my friends and family, IZZY, ophelia and Flea running out of battery! Outback, senor tequila and AMERICA!

Be in touch soon!

Much love,
Aurevoir!

Elise

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