Tonga Soa Fort Dauphin

I can’t believe I’ve been here for over a week. Landing a week ago and all the things that have gone on since then already seems like a long time ago. Madagascar does a weird thing to time. On the one hand, time goes incredibly fast. But whenever you go back home, it feels like you’ve been living in a parallel universe for the past few months and time stood still while you were away!

Fort Dauphin/Tolagnaro by air. The last photo my poor camera took before being abandoned.

The week didn’t get off to a good start with me leaving my camera on the plane. I was so excited to get out and explore that I left my camera on my seat, what a fool. However, proof if ever it was needed that the Malagasy are heroes, they found it and kept it for me! They did insist that I had my photo taken with the guy who found my camera though. It’s a great photo I’m sure you’ll agree.

This week I’ve mainly been exploring my old haunts in Fort Dauphin, getting to know my neighbourhood, Bazarikely (little market) and getting to grips with every day living here. It’s really different living here to being a pioneer. Trying to figure out what to do about food is the biggest thing. Nowhere does sandwiches, it’s too hot for soup and I’m scared the salad will rot my insides. Crisps and doughnuts it is then!

The crash-pad aka the stables.

I’m living in the Azafady “crash pad” where the long term volunteers are staying which is about a 5 minute walk from the Azafady office and literally a stone’s throw from Matt’s place. Good bathroom (with a shower and a throne toilet! Yahoo!), big kitchen and a huge lounge/dining room area. Electricity and water supplies are sporadic but big buckets are kept full and candles are there in case of emergency! I’m living there with Katie (Lemur Venture Coordinator), Mel (Lemur Venture Assistant Coordinator) and Diana (English teacher from the states). It’s a bit like living in student halls, people always coming and going and always somebody to talk to which is really cool. Especially when they have very similar mind sets to you and their boyfriends are also on a different continent.

View from my window.

On Monday we had a torrential tropical storm. I wish I had had my camera with me and it wasn’t sat in the airport so I could show just how dramatic it all was. There were HUGE hail stones the size of marbles, the rain came down in stair rods and within 5 minutes the roads had been converted to frothy rivers. The water was lapping at our doorstep in no time and we had to shout in our kitchen to hear ourselves over the noise of the rain on the tin roof. I think some modifications will be necessary before the rainy season, that or inflatable furniture.

The rest of the week has been less dramatic but no less exciting. I’ve been exploring the beaches, sussing out where to eat and where to buy food etc and chilling out before my first load of Pioneers arrive on the 4th October.

<---Libanona Beach

I was a bit apprehensive about market day. My Malagasy is next to non-existent and my maths isn’t fab either. However, I came out with a goodie bag of locally grown tomatoes, green beans, onions, pasta, a big wooden spoon, a new sarong, some rice and a marginally improved understanding of Malagasy. Go team!

So far highlights have been going out for THB and rum when I first arrived at Escale and Las Vegas followed by escaping the clutches of local men at Gina’s (the local nightclub), “family Sunday dinner” at Chez Perline (a great place to eat which looks like an outhouse but does an amazing zebu spag bol), eating brochettes for the first time in over 2 years (they are just as good as you remember!), going back out to Lanirano where the Pioneer campsite is (note to old pioneers, it has changed so much! So many new buildings. But good news, Gremlin is still there and it looks like she is pregnant!), chilling out at Libonona beach, catching up with Brett, Matt, Claude Yvon, Harey, Dino, Jimmy and meeting a whole new bunch of friendly faces who have been great at taking me under their wing, answering my hundreds of questions and showing me the ropes.

Big bug

It’s pretty much been one long party! Nights out, meals out, hanging out on a tropical beach, sweating and getting excited for the start of work! Bugs in the water tried their best to ruin the week and my birthday but I still managed to go out for a tasty meal at Filao and stuff down a twix and some cake whilst watching Bridget Jones’ diary. Who said being sick can’t be fun?!

View of the back of the office from my annexe