We pass through Ilakaka which is known for sapphire. People were mining for it in the river as we pass In the car. Many, many men were hanging out on the main street. Lots of cars (which is unusual) and gem shops. We're stopped at two check stops on the way out off town. One manned by the army, the other by the police.
We pass through a few towns known for their sapphire with more gem shops and cars. Then we pass a village where they make rum in big barrels from sugar cane grown in the field nearby.
We see our first baobab trees. They're immense. It's too bad the baobab avenue is so difficult to get to. The terrain is very dry as we near the coast and the people are very poor living in only small wooden shacks not more than 10 feet square with grass thatched roofs. Children push canisters of water up the hill and carry bundles of wood just like their parents.
We stopped at the Auberge de la Table for lunch and a tour of their gardens. We learned that baobab tree living in the garden no more than 12 feet tall is over 100 years old and that they can live to be over 1000 years of age. The ones along the road we'd passed our guide tells us must be between 500 and 600 years of age. Like the baobab, many of the plants he shows us have hollow centres in which they can store water. The “elephant trunk” tree is similar in appearance to the baobab except that it grows a little faster and has even fewer branches at th top. Our guide also shows us a mouse lemur that he says he didn't show the Italians because they were too loud and he was afraid they'd frighten this nocturnal creature. He showed very little unrest in us except to open his eyes and look down while Nicola frantically tried to take his picture.
Tulear is located along the coast and is the capital of the region. There was very little to distinguish it from the other towns we passed through except that it seemed poorer. Privately owned public transportation is provided by minibuses and converted trucks with seats and a canvas top attached to the truck bed congregate in one area of town where we watch the passengers get on and off. Where the “shops” in Tana and Antsirabe have solid wooden sides and a tin roof, these are made of sticks with a thatched roof and sell even less than their less than affluent counterparts. Tomatoes, some fruit, second hand clothing, lubricants and other car repair items. The drive along the coast to our hotel was scary with Flavian passing everything in the road. The road is made of sand and he claims that he was afraid of sinking into it but there was only one place that was obviously a danger as another vehicle was stuck there. He didn't bother to stop so that we could help push the poor guys out.
Our hotel has a lovely lobby where we were given fresh fruit drinks as a welcome. The beam supporting the greater structure of the building still retains the essence of the tree trunk and two forking branches. Photos on the way to the washroom show various stages of construction. Our room is attached to the drivers’ and servant quarters and we could hear them like they were in the room with us as only grass separates the top of the wall and pitched roof. They did go to sleep fairly early however we were woken the next day with a taped English lesson that goes through various scenarios such as ordering in a restaurant and the exchange of pleasantries on the street. It was turned off when the lesson on banking began.
We pass through a few towns known for their sapphire with more gem shops and cars. Then we pass a village where they make rum in big barrels from sugar cane grown in the field nearby.
We see our first baobab trees. They're immense. It's too bad the baobab avenue is so difficult to get to. The terrain is very dry as we near the coast and the people are very poor living in only small wooden shacks not more than 10 feet square with grass thatched roofs. Children push canisters of water up the hill and carry bundles of wood just like their parents.
We stopped at the Auberge de la Table for lunch and a tour of their gardens. We learned that baobab tree living in the garden no more than 12 feet tall is over 100 years old and that they can live to be over 1000 years of age. The ones along the road we'd passed our guide tells us must be between 500 and 600 years of age. Like the baobab, many of the plants he shows us have hollow centres in which they can store water. The “elephant trunk” tree is similar in appearance to the baobab except that it grows a little faster and has even fewer branches at th top. Our guide also shows us a mouse lemur that he says he didn't show the Italians because they were too loud and he was afraid they'd frighten this nocturnal creature. He showed very little unrest in us except to open his eyes and look down while Nicola frantically tried to take his picture.
Tulear is located along the coast and is the capital of the region. There was very little to distinguish it from the other towns we passed through except that it seemed poorer. Privately owned public transportation is provided by minibuses and converted trucks with seats and a canvas top attached to the truck bed congregate in one area of town where we watch the passengers get on and off. Where the “shops” in Tana and Antsirabe have solid wooden sides and a tin roof, these are made of sticks with a thatched roof and sell even less than their less than affluent counterparts. Tomatoes, some fruit, second hand clothing, lubricants and other car repair items. The drive along the coast to our hotel was scary with Flavian passing everything in the road. The road is made of sand and he claims that he was afraid of sinking into it but there was only one place that was obviously a danger as another vehicle was stuck there. He didn't bother to stop so that we could help push the poor guys out.
Our hotel has a lovely lobby where we were given fresh fruit drinks as a welcome. The beam supporting the greater structure of the building still retains the essence of the tree trunk and two forking branches. Photos on the way to the washroom show various stages of construction. Our room is attached to the drivers’ and servant quarters and we could hear them like they were in the room with us as only grass separates the top of the wall and pitched roof. They did go to sleep fairly early however we were woken the next day with a taped English lesson that goes through various scenarios such as ordering in a restaurant and the exchange of pleasantries on the street. It was turned off when the lesson on banking began.
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