We were 15 minutes late for our pick up to leave as usual. Got going at 7:45. First passed through Fianarantsoa at 9:30. Grimy small city in the middle of nowhere. There are many, many people on the street. Women in shiny dresses and blouses are on their way to church. At least that's what we assume. Older men also wear their Sunday best, some with dress pants,a jacket and Fedora. The Bara people live here.
Nicola's found the drive quite beautiful with all the terraced fields. The Bara are known for their skill at growing rice. Their favorite method of moving materials is by a cart that has a steering wheel at the back. It's also pushed from the back and has no sides. The people jump on and take a ride when going down hill.
We go over bare hills, pass through a few towns. Even on some of the loneliest stretches of road we see pedestrians walking along the side often carrying something, a shovel, charcoal,or a plastic fiber sack that usually weighs a lot. Women will carry loads on their head and a guy will carry his load on the back of his shoulders.
We stopped at Anja park where we saw the ring tail lemur or cat cat as our guide liked to call them I suppose because of their resemblance to cats. He also pointed out crocodiles in the lake and a couple of chameleons.
We pass more pedestrians. Interestingly we've never seen a hitch hiker. And just after I write that a young man in an Iroquois cut tries to flag us down and Flavian flashes him the peace sign.
The larger two and three room houses with metal roofs give way to one room clay huts with thatched roofs.
We travel through the town of Ihosy which is the capital of the Baru people a name thought to have originated from the African Bantu. Flavian now tells us that they are known for herding cattle. Young men are considered worthy of marriage only after they have stolen a cow. The taxis here have upgraded from the pousse pousse (rickshaws) to tuk tuks.
Over the pass separating west from east, we follow a plateau with miles and miles of grassland. Flavian says that the people plant grass in certain areas for the Zebu and sometimes they'll burn areas to make the grass grow greener. The agricultural potential for grain in the area must be tremendous but in this country, the zebu reigns supreme.
Our hotel is nothing short of amazing. The craftsmanship is of the highest quality. Each of the posts on the main buildings has been intricately carved. The stone work around the outside is set in patterns as is the marble and woodwork on the floor. There's a large compound with buildings forming a half circle around the main building with a large swimming pool and grassed area in the centre. Our room features a sitting area, queen sized bed with mosquito netting (not necessary) and the most modern of bathrooms with double sinks and huge shower area. I say this because it is such an amazing contrast to the poverty through which we've just passed. Honestly, it can't be justified. It's just a given.
We decided on drinks before dinner and ordered the local flavoured rum. To our surprise we received half a tumbler full and were pretty hammered before moving over to the dining room. Dinner equalled the surroundings. Nicola won the selection with a wonderfully marinated wild bore.
Nicola's found the drive quite beautiful with all the terraced fields. The Bara are known for their skill at growing rice. Their favorite method of moving materials is by a cart that has a steering wheel at the back. It's also pushed from the back and has no sides. The people jump on and take a ride when going down hill.
We go over bare hills, pass through a few towns. Even on some of the loneliest stretches of road we see pedestrians walking along the side often carrying something, a shovel, charcoal,or a plastic fiber sack that usually weighs a lot. Women will carry loads on their head and a guy will carry his load on the back of his shoulders.
We stopped at Anja park where we saw the ring tail lemur or cat cat as our guide liked to call them I suppose because of their resemblance to cats. He also pointed out crocodiles in the lake and a couple of chameleons.
We pass more pedestrians. Interestingly we've never seen a hitch hiker. And just after I write that a young man in an Iroquois cut tries to flag us down and Flavian flashes him the peace sign.
The larger two and three room houses with metal roofs give way to one room clay huts with thatched roofs.
We travel through the town of Ihosy which is the capital of the Baru people a name thought to have originated from the African Bantu. Flavian now tells us that they are known for herding cattle. Young men are considered worthy of marriage only after they have stolen a cow. The taxis here have upgraded from the pousse pousse (rickshaws) to tuk tuks.
Over the pass separating west from east, we follow a plateau with miles and miles of grassland. Flavian says that the people plant grass in certain areas for the Zebu and sometimes they'll burn areas to make the grass grow greener. The agricultural potential for grain in the area must be tremendous but in this country, the zebu reigns supreme.
Our hotel is nothing short of amazing. The craftsmanship is of the highest quality. Each of the posts on the main buildings has been intricately carved. The stone work around the outside is set in patterns as is the marble and woodwork on the floor. There's a large compound with buildings forming a half circle around the main building with a large swimming pool and grassed area in the centre. Our room features a sitting area, queen sized bed with mosquito netting (not necessary) and the most modern of bathrooms with double sinks and huge shower area. I say this because it is such an amazing contrast to the poverty through which we've just passed. Honestly, it can't be justified. It's just a given.
We decided on drinks before dinner and ordered the local flavoured rum. To our surprise we received half a tumbler full and were pretty hammered before moving over to the dining room. Dinner equalled the surroundings. Nicola won the selection with a wonderfully marinated wild bore.
No comments:
Post a Comment