You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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Dec 02, 2005 07:00 PM Fianarantsoa - most picturesque in Madagascar?
The names of the cities in Madagascar are long and very difficult to remember... Fiana-rant-soa - university town in Central Madagascar les on three levels. Upper lelel is most interesting with the cathedral /but churches are open here in the mornings only/ cobble-stoned streets and nice views. You will see also rice fields in the valley! Recently open Zomotel hotel offers special rates /20000 ariary for the brand-new room/. Internet access is not easily available: try CHEZ LAURENT in the New Town /mid-level/ - they charge 3000 ariary per hour of slow connection. The bottle of local beer costs 1200 ariary...
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Dec 01, 2005 07:00 PM Madagascar - Ranomafana National Park
Do you like adventure in the rainforest? - This is a place to go! The access is difficult - it is not far from Fianarantsoa city
by the 25 km of the road is horrible! Bumps, dust will give you hard 2 or 3 hours before you will reach the lodge at the park gate. Yes, there is crowded and slow local transport I used - the ticket costs 6000 ariary.
Dorm bed in the lodge costs 7000. Park entry - hefty 25000... and the guide /you are not allowed alone/ - from 22000 for 3-h walk. I saw three species of lemurs, many exotic flowers and waterfalls on the river... Wet, with bugs on my legs I was happy to be back in Fianarantsoa...
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Nov 30, 2005 07:00 PM Ambositra - the cheese from Benedictine Monastery
I am in Ambositra - dirty and colorfull village in the central Madagascar. Beautifull hills around... French baguettes are the only kind of bread you can eat - the small ones costs 200 ariary /1 USD=2060 ariary/.
I have a currency problem: there are two curriencies in use here: new ariary and old malgasy francs 1 ariary is worth 5 old francs. Why? People in the market often use old francs if you ask the price... horrible missunderstandings...
The jewel of Ambositra is Benedictine Monastery famous of the probuction of cheese... During my visit they said - no cheese on sale because limited supply of the milk before rainy season. Then when they recognized that I am from Poland - the countru of John Paul II they found a piece of the cheese for me - very tasty! JPII was our best ambassador!
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Nov 29, 2005 07:00 PM Madagascar - by rickshaw in Antsirabe
I decided to stay longer in Antananarivo at the end of my Madadascar circuit. Today I am in Antsirabe in the central part of the island. It is nice town - the capital of the prowince. No buses in the city! The main means of the city transport are red push rickshaws - you will find here hundereds of them. Longer ride costs 0.50 USD, shorter even less. The rickshaw men are barefoot. Few of them is alway waiting in front of my budget hotel Ville d'Eau were I pay 10000 ariary per room with comunal bath /like 5 USD/. Madagascar people are calm and friendly, most of them know French so it is worth to learn at least basic words before arrival.
In the morning I went to the two picturesque lakes - 7 +18 km - throgh the nice countryside. I found it very poor but also very colorful. Yes, this is one of the most interesting corners of Africa!
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Nov 28, 2005 07:00 PM Welcome to Madagascar!
It was late evening when we landed in Antanarivo airport. After heat and dust on Comoros it was raining here!
I got visa on arrival without any problem no photo required but
return ticket...
Taxi drivers are the same in all airports - they know that you do not know the rates and the value of the local money...
They asked me equivalent of 80 USD for the ride to the town!
Instead of going by taxi walk to Ivato village - 800 m from the terminal you will find nice budget hotel Manoir Rouge - you can spend the night there for 12 USD/double and go to the capital by public transport next morning.
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Nov 27, 2005 07:00 PM Comoros - escaping from the ash and dust...
Even if the little wind is blowing there is a big cloud of dust and ash over Moroni.
To escape from the capital I decided to go to the north of the Grand Comore island. I t is the most attractive are on the island - with nice beaches, salt lakes located in the old craters and interesting rock formations. If you are ready to do it by local transport it is cheap - like 5 USD for the full-day circuit.
I enjoyed sun and emerald & blue sea - the volcanic activity did not raach this part of the island.
In the evening I have my once-a week flight to the Madagascar.
I hope it will come to take me out of Moroni...
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Nov 26, 2005 07:00 PM Volcanic ashes cover Moroni /and me/…
The 30-min inter-island flight Anjouan to Moroni was four hours delayed. Thay said: do not worry, here it is normal...
When I finally landed on the Grand Comore I was surprised by gray landscape: after eruption of the volcano everything in Moroni is covered by 1-2 cm thick volcanic ash –like a powder. People on the streets wear masks to breath easier. After sunset the red lighting is visible over the crater of Mt Karthala – volcano peak towering Moroni – it is only 4-5 km away. Fortunately we do not see any other volcanic activity. Everybody prays for rain… I must survive in this ashes till tomorrow evening – no flights to Madagascar before!
Keep your fingers crossed, please!
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Nov 25, 2005 07:00 PM Around the Anjouan - by local transport only
The best beaches of the Comoros are on Moheli, but I wanted to see also Moya – announced to be the best beach on rocky Anjouan. It is 1.5 hour drive by shared taxi from Mutsamudu to the opposite side of the island. On the route picturesque views of the rocky coast dotted by palm trees. Thatched houses in the banana trees in the countryside…
Moya beach is beautiful! But let you know: it is only small cove – less then 100 m wide… To complete the tour around the Anjouan island you must take now rare transport from Moya to Domoni. No timetable, just seat on the roadside and wait in the heat… Lucky? You will be awarded by the views: steep, narrow road will take you from the level of the sea more then 1000 m above – and you will see BIG BLUE around… Fantastic!
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Nov 24, 2005 07:00 PM Medina in Mutsamudu…
Bon jour! – local people greet me very often… Lovely! But check your change paying for the share taxi ride!!!
I took the flight to the third island of Comoros – Anjouan. You will see its picturesque green mountains up to 1600 m high from the distance. Mutsamudu – the capital of the island has the ruins of the citadel overlooking the town. It is the must to climb there for the spectacular view – just take the stairs from the marche – local market full of mango, bananas and manioc… From the citadel you will see medina down there – it is the biggest and most interesting old Arab town on the Comoros….. I got bad message: last night there were eruption of ash from the Karthala volcano on the Grand Comore… I will be there soon...
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Nov 23, 2005 07:00 PM Itsamiya – Where the turtles are…
Comoros... Only one share taxi per day goes to Itsamiya on the eastern tip of Moheli… Go early and take your food with you! Stay in the beach bungalow /only 2 rooms there/. This little fishing village has no electricity or running water but do have spectacular location. Baobabs just on the coast... Fish plus banana chips for dinner. The highlight of Itsamiya are big sea turtles coming every night to lay eggs on the beach. This is the only place you can see them year around! Take you torch with you! The spectacle stqrts around 9 pm. There is smart boy – Daun who can guide you for 1500 CFr. I saw 7 turtles – each more then 1 m long… Daun says that in the peak season /July-August/ there are more then 100 of them each night!
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