Adventure in Madagascar, 1/13/24 to 1/26/24 aboard Le Champlain

[vjt]

     We disembarked at the pier and were loaded by small groups into 4x4’s.  Our first stop was a private botanical garden, full of magnificent specimens of native plants.  

 

 

[vjt]

     After our trek through the beautiful forest, we were treated to a drink at a large resort.  We sat under a pleasant palm tree, caught our breath and were treated to a parade of cloths with a lovely design.

 

 

 

 

 We then went back to town for a visit to the market, first to greet us was this seamstress, doing her electric machine work right on the ground.  She seems to have a pile of work next to her.

 

[vjt]

     Clothing stores!

 

 

   

     We were then treated to a ride on the tricycles that are used to run errands throughout Madagascar.  It was a lot of fun, but we had to be mindful that the brakes (if rarely used) were liable to through us right over the handlebars!

 

 

     

     We ended that exciting chapter in front to their Marine Biological Museum.  Its most exciting exhibit was a pickled Coelacanth, previously thought to be sort of a "missing link" between fish and quadrupeds.  Cool.

 

       

 

     Goodbye to Tolear, it was a great day!  This is a view from our wonderful aft balcony, showing the modest local port and the sellers lined up to sell us souvenirs.  I always feel badly that we can't buy from everyone.

 

[vjt]

     Due to weather problems we were not able to land at Nosy Be.  This is another excursion for snorkeling, diving and birdwatching.  This is one of the reasons that I described the cruise as largely a cultural one.  We have to remember that these cruises are adventures and there always are great surprises and occasional disappointment.

 

     January, Wednesday 24.  We visited another interesting village: Sarodrono.  OK, I admit this was not the 24th's disembarkation into zodiacs...but it is thought-provoking.

 

 

[jpalbny]

You definitely need to time your steps correctly, when entering the zodiac in rough waters. I usually wait for the crest of the wave, and then step quickly and confidently!

 

Thanks for continuing to post about this unique destination! So far, our stops and your stops have not overlapped. Which can only mean that we have to go back for more!

 

Cool coelacanth, by the way. Would love to see a specimen. A "living fossil" thought to have been extinct since the age of the dinosaurs, but rediscovered less than 100 years ago.

[vjt]

     We left for Saradrano quite early in the morning as it promised to be another hot, sticky day.  As always we carried water and a bit of money in case there was something we wanted.  Saradrano proved to be a remote, tiny fishing village.  It was possible to come overland from, say Toliara, but that would be a bit of a slog.  As we came into the bay, we saw a number of boats that were clearly bringing people from other locations, to visit or trade (maybe even with us).  This was another wet landing along a sandy beach covered with hand made outriggers.

 

     There were local guides to show us around.  Although I do not know of the arrangements, we felt pretty certain that Ponant gives a handsome donation to the village as everyone turned out showing us their work and responsibilities...which included a bit of singing and dancing!

 

     Here is a forger with his shipbuilding tools.

 

 

 

     The laundry.

     

[vjt]

     The schools were very charming and there was a  professional teacher.

 

 

     But even here, there was a poignant episode.  The teacher brought a younger boy out to where we were standing.  He had eruptions on his face and elbow and she was worried about them.  It was very touching that she would think we were capable of helping, presumably because we were (relatively) wealthy and educated.  I certainly hope that it wasn't because we were also caucasian...In any event, the ship's doctor was at a discrete distance, but he was looking after one of our looking guides who had fallen dead faint in the sand.  We never heard what that was all about, but my guess is that she was pregnant.  I sure was capable of doing that in that weather when I was expecting.

 

     Here is the local communication center.   This was the first place it seemed as though the residents might not individual cell access.

 

 

     There was a lot more to see, a soft-drinks booth, the village latrine, the community pump, carefully watched and regulated and the singing and dancing, I think you can imagine what that might be like

 

     The treat of the day was to take an outrigger ride alongshore, and to visit the suspended beds of algae which were largely tended by the women.  These algae were part of an extensive industrial supply chain and largely supplanted the former cash crop: fish.  There was no way I was going to take an undignified tumble into one of those narrow boats, not to mention the unattractive possibility of photos of my disembarkation from said boats.  No-one was more amazed than I when I clambered aboard.  It was SO MUCH FUN!

 

 

     We returned to Le Champlain very happy, and enjoyed the changing sky from  on our deck (with champagne (awful stuff) and hors d'oeuvres.  Next, fancy dress for the Captain's dinner!

     

      

    

 

      Bye to Madagascar! Next stop: Reunion

[jpalbny]

Those outrigger canoes are pretty. We used one to cross the channel between Île-Sainte-Marie and Île aux Nattes!

Edited March 3 by jpalbny