Madagascar - Part Two - Antananarivo

 SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 7th

 

This is public transportation in Madagascar

On Sunday the Bremners were up early and off to fast Sunday at the local Malagasy ward, which gave us a chance to sleep in.  We awoke to the AMAZING smell of homemade cinnamon rolls - which looked, smelled and tasted like Aunt Marlene used to make when I was a kid - it took me to a very happy place as I enjoyed a war
m bun. 

 

After testimony meeting, the American families in the ward met back at the Bremners for Sunday School.  Damian and I went for a walk up to the gas station about a half mile away to get some snacks and explore.  I enjoyed getting out and experiencing a feel of the lively streets, but it made Damian really uncomfortable - probably because he’s far more perceptive and vigilant than I am.  Apparently I was being followed around the store, but I was completely clueless trying to find biscuits that were suitable for stray dogs.  

When we made our way back to Villa Jonathon the families had left, so we decided to impart on an adventure with Steve and Micah.  They said they’d drive us up to the hills for a beautiful nature walk - but unfortunately they got horribly lost.  

Repeatedly.  

Damian and I couldn’t stop giggling - it was a really fun ride through the back streets of rural Madagascar and a testament to the incompetence of Google Maps.  Eventually we decided to give up and I suggested we go to Croc Farm.  Steve and Micah were amenable so off we went - getting lost yet again (twice) before Steve found the right path.  There was only an hour left before closing, but it was more than enough time to explore this surprisingly wonderful park.  Not only was there a nursery of HUNDREDS of little baby crocs, but they also had some MONSTER crocs as well as chameleons, birds, owls, tiny little frogs and so much more.  Honestly, it was beautifully arranged - but my favorite part was getting to walk right up to the fence of one of the monster croc pens - the beasts were laying in the sun right up against the fence and I put my hand through and pet them.  (Their tails, people, NOWHERE near anyone’s teeth)  I felt incredibly brave since alligators/crocodiles is one of my biggest irrational fears.  

 

When it closed, we headed back towards the Villa - Micah suggested their usual Sunday evening fare of smoothies and popcorn but Damian and I opted for something more substantial and Steve dropped us at a nearby Lebanese restaurant called O’Paillottes where we enjoyed some great food and drinks. The waitress was concerned because she couldn’t provide change for the equivalent of a $5 bill - I told her to keep the change, which made her quite happy. (Unfortunately, Damian and I weren’t thinking about the ice not being filtered water and had quite a scare when we realized our mistake) We offered to grab a taxi, but it was so close that Steve picked us up and then invited us to join the family for game night, homemade chocolate chip cookies and to view the blood moon lunar eclipse.  This time it was me who wasn’t feeling well and I kept to the room while Damian joined them for some night sky magic and we asked for a raincheck on game night and went to bed.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 8th

 

After Steve & Micah got to work, they sent Tian
(the driver) back to the house to pick us up.  We started a little later than expected due to traffic to/from the embassy - but we were off to Lemur Park.  Today is the first day of school for most of the kids in town, so the traffic was exceedingly bad.  People were standing in the middle of the road sel
ling school supplies - wheelchairs and elderly people were parked in the middle of the lane begging - kids were running along the side of the car yelling, “Madame! Madame!” in the hopes of a handout.  Steve warned us not to give away any money, as they’ll recognize the car moving forward and be mobbed repeatedly.  Honestly, it was all a bit overwhelming - so many people EVERYWHERE.  It took us 45 minutes just to drive through a few blocks because we were dodging people, carts, wheelchairs, scooters, etc.

 

We approached the main highway to turn towards Lemur Park but ended up at a Police Roadblock.  Tian said that the main bridge was closed to one way traffic and that we’d have to wait for them to reverse direction to cross.  Honestly, it wasn’t a big deal - we pulled aside and waited patiently.  And waited.  And waited.  And waited.  Damian and Tian were both asking, “Are you SURE you want to see the Lemurs?” and I kept thinking, “they’ve GOT to reverse direction soon, right?” but it was a full forty five minutes before we were allowed to pass.  As far as taking an alternate route, that’s not an option because there aren’t any other roads to get you where you want to go - a continuing problem throughout the country.

The delay did give us a great opportunity for people watching.  Some things we noted - littering is absolutely the norm.  The streets are filthy, and there is garbage everywhere.  Public transportation vans are literally hop on/ hop off style - you wave at the guy in the van, he pulls over, you jump in and pay the ticket taker.  If the van is full, you just hang off the back like we saw in India (but not as bad, as there aren’t people sitting on the hood or the roof or anything crazy like that).  

 

There were many folks doing their laundry in the river, which looked incredibly muddy.  We found out, it’s that color because of the iron oxide - if you were to take a glass of the river water and let it settle in a glass on the counter, it would very quickly separate and look completely clear.  Once their clothing is washed, most of them laid it out on the grass or in the bushes next to the river to dry.  It makes sense because clean water is uncertain in most of the houses - people can go days and days without any access to water unless they carry it in via pails and buckets. 

Even the water at the Bremners villa is non-potable, but they have a distiller on site and a water tank so they don’t have to worry about shortages.

 The sheer number of people out and about is astounding, but it was surprising to see how many of them are wearing American t-shirts:  Chicago Bulls, Harvard, Alabama, etc. Also, the women really do carry things on their heads - many also have babies in arms as they go.  Men can, but primarily carry things on their shoulders or backs. Also - SO MANY people in bare feet on the streets - surprised me a bit.

 There’s a language of honking - I mentioned this before - different honks for different purposes - and we stayed long enough waiting for traffic to clear to get a better understanding of it.

Finally on the road to Lemur Park, we found ourselves behind another car from the American Embassy - Tian recognized the plates.  It turned out to be Steve’s friend Gerald and his family - we all arrived at the same time so we shared a tour guide as we walked around the park.  There are several different species of lemur - some walk to two legs and some walk on four, but they can’t cross breed.  (Technically two of them can, but doing so makes their offspring infertile…)

 

The park was pretty interesting - so many different types of lemurs and a guide who explained the specifics of each, as well as introducing us to alot of the flora and fauna.  I enjoyed it - it was ALOT of walking but definitely worth it.

 

On the drive back to Tana, we were hit with the same traffic jam as before but managed to get by in less time and drove directly to the embassy to have lunch with Steve and Micah.  Steve gave us a tour and dropped us off at the little commissary to buy some souvenirs (and chocolate) to take home before bringing us back to Tian.

 

Interesting note:  Malagasy are VERY serious about following the rules of the traffic circle (heed to the car already in the circle). There’s only one traffic light in Antananarivo, and it’s never working anyway - and honestly, I haven’t seen a single stop sign either.  

 

Tian drove us back to the villa with a stop at the pharmacy - with Damian not taking the Anti-malarials, it made sense to buy some anti-biotics, which are over the counter here in Madagascar.  Then off to take a nap.

 

When Steve & Micah got home, we had a wonderful dinner that their housekeeper (Olga) made - a traditional Malagasy dish called Ravitoto - which is alot like collard greens.  It was good - not my favorite, but certainly edible - a little bitter, but much better with pineapple & pineapple juice on top of it.  It was lovely to have a taste of the local flavor - and Steve & Micah ensure me that her recipe is the best.

 

After dinner, we played a rousing game of “Loud Librarians” - which Steve & Micah easily won - and then took a nap before it was time to head to the airport for our flight to Tanzania.  Steve woke up to meet the cab at midnight and ensure we got safely on our way to the airport.

Random fact: Zebu is a type of cow - also called the "humpback ox" because it has a hump in its neck where it stores fat.