Andavadoaka, Madagascar
Madagascar
La Reunion and Mauritius
Follow the above links to photobooks
Friday, 30 November 2007
Wednesday, 28 November 2007
As Sweet as the Sugary Land - Mauritius
November 2007
Time to relax and chill out.
Enjoy the cool cloudy morning, the warm to hot sunny afternoon.
Slow to start and afternoon visit to the beach, afternoon on the buses along the coast.
Whatever food I like, hmmmmmmm cereal and yoghurt, raisins, chocolate (that actually tastes like chocolate).
Time to pay a last tribute to Madagascar with numerous fees and charges to get my baggage back from freight, thanks of the info. Cons all the way.
Family catch up, beautiful villa, pool view, thin white sands.
Tennis anyone? Ping Pong? Swimming? Snorkelling? Diving? Sunbathing? Pedalo? Everything? OK then.
Time to return to the cold, raining isle.
AAAHHH HOME.
Time to relax and chill out.
Enjoy the cool cloudy morning, the warm to hot sunny afternoon.
Slow to start and afternoon visit to the beach, afternoon on the buses along the coast.
Whatever food I like, hmmmmmmm cereal and yoghurt, raisins, chocolate (that actually tastes like chocolate).
Time to pay a last tribute to Madagascar with numerous fees and charges to get my baggage back from freight, thanks of the info. Cons all the way.
Family catch up, beautiful villa, pool view, thin white sands.
Tennis anyone? Ping Pong? Swimming? Snorkelling? Diving? Sunbathing? Pedalo? Everything? OK then.
Time to return to the cold, raining isle.
AAAHHH HOME.
French but Fantastic – La Reunion
October 2007
Towering cliffs surrounding the cirques, mountains and valleys, canyons and meadows all contained within.
Wonderful and numerous water falls – highland and lowland, long and thin, glimmering in the rosy evening sun, wide, full flowing cascades, crashing into still deep pools.
Crazy, weird, mulleted hill dwellers, morning lone drinkers on random corners.
Lava, lava, lava
Lava flowing down the mountain to the see
Lava flowing across the road (blocking the only way around the island)
Lava cracking under foot, breaking like glass, emitting warmth (evidence of the recent eruption). Proximity to lava that is slightly worrying and not wholly allowed.
Black sand beach, hot under foot and on top of foot in the strong spring sun.
Crashing waves arriving in sets, spraying through blow holes, clear glassy water with the offshore breeze. (Apparently appreciated by numerous sharks).
Volcano, crater, mountain, crater, lava, smoking, lava, path fallen into the lava, crater.
Canyons, jump, slide, swim, abseil, jump, slide – fall. Wet, warm, dry.
Piton: tallest peak up up up, dark 4am up. Fantastic views over everywhere we have been. Down Down Down, knees alert.
Turtles, sea, sand.
FLY
Towering cliffs surrounding the cirques, mountains and valleys, canyons and meadows all contained within.
Wonderful and numerous water falls – highland and lowland, long and thin, glimmering in the rosy evening sun, wide, full flowing cascades, crashing into still deep pools.
Crazy, weird, mulleted hill dwellers, morning lone drinkers on random corners.
Lava, lava, lava
Lava flowing down the mountain to the see
Lava flowing across the road (blocking the only way around the island)
Lava cracking under foot, breaking like glass, emitting warmth (evidence of the recent eruption). Proximity to lava that is slightly worrying and not wholly allowed.
Black sand beach, hot under foot and on top of foot in the strong spring sun.
Crashing waves arriving in sets, spraying through blow holes, clear glassy water with the offshore breeze. (Apparently appreciated by numerous sharks).
Volcano, crater, mountain, crater, lava, smoking, lava, path fallen into the lava, crater.
Canyons, jump, slide, swim, abseil, jump, slide – fall. Wet, warm, dry.
Piton: tallest peak up up up, dark 4am up. Fantastic views over everywhere we have been. Down Down Down, knees alert.
Turtles, sea, sand.
FLY
Thursday, 18 October 2007
Madagascar: Tana the Terrible
October 2007
I have grown to dislike Tana a lot.
Maybe this is completely unfounded, but I have spent a lot of time there, none of it particularly fruitful and not half as functional as I would have liked.
It is expensive and oozes hassle and there really isn’t anything to see.
Tried to go for a walk once, but found the only lake, which was surrounded largely by unsavouries and exhaust fumes, a let down. I feel trapped, like I should be able to get things sorted and organized, but everything ends up more of a mess and I seem to have spent more days that I would care to think about sorting nothing.
In Tana’s defence it might not be Tana at all, but the functions I am trying to accomplish. I blame Air Madagascar for much of this. It seems to take them 2 hours to see you, they are then ultimately unhelpful and rude and send you off only to not get an answer and have to return the next day and go through it all over again. It isn’t even as if they are a cheap airline, they are ridiculously expensive for the distance, routes and capacity of the planes. And the monopoly. So they are the only way you can really travel coast to coast and always have to go through Tana. Hotels as well, seem always to be busy, there never seem enough rooms available. This trip alone we have had to change room nearly every night and get thrown out of the hotel the following day despite our patronage for 4 nights (based on fullness not raucous behaviour on our part).
I will be pleased to leave Tana and all that it stands for in my head, however, prejudiced it might be.
Loving the ice cream though, sooooooooo goooooooooood.
I have grown to dislike Tana a lot.
Maybe this is completely unfounded, but I have spent a lot of time there, none of it particularly fruitful and not half as functional as I would have liked.
It is expensive and oozes hassle and there really isn’t anything to see.
Tried to go for a walk once, but found the only lake, which was surrounded largely by unsavouries and exhaust fumes, a let down. I feel trapped, like I should be able to get things sorted and organized, but everything ends up more of a mess and I seem to have spent more days that I would care to think about sorting nothing.
In Tana’s defence it might not be Tana at all, but the functions I am trying to accomplish. I blame Air Madagascar for much of this. It seems to take them 2 hours to see you, they are then ultimately unhelpful and rude and send you off only to not get an answer and have to return the next day and go through it all over again. It isn’t even as if they are a cheap airline, they are ridiculously expensive for the distance, routes and capacity of the planes. And the monopoly. So they are the only way you can really travel coast to coast and always have to go through Tana. Hotels as well, seem always to be busy, there never seem enough rooms available. This trip alone we have had to change room nearly every night and get thrown out of the hotel the following day despite our patronage for 4 nights (based on fullness not raucous behaviour on our part).
I will be pleased to leave Tana and all that it stands for in my head, however, prejudiced it might be.
Loving the ice cream though, sooooooooo goooooooooood.
Madagascar: Tsingy-me Tsingy-you
October 2007
Long distance, but so worth it.
Red track towards the baobabs (tall species rather than the short fatties we had in Andava). On and on and on towards the river, an hour crossing down the Tsiribinha river on the ferry. Hours later crossing another river with a ramp at 45degrees, we have 4 goes at getting up it!
Into the Tsingy, grey limestone pinnacles. Walking through the cracks in the Tsingy with rock towering above and all sides. Great to interact with the nature in as much as climbing up and down, walking through, and reaching a view point at the top means that you can.
The occasional lemur making its cry and leaping as they do, if you are lucky, and they aren’t just sitting in the tops of trees eating in the same spot.
More hours spent in a 4x4 to reach more tsingy of the ‘grande’ variety, and then on our way out.
A pirogue down the Manambolo canyon, sunrise cruise, gorgeous colours displayed on the rocks and pretty little caves in the river banks to explore as well. Loads of birds (not sure what they are, but they are lovely anyway).
Sunset at Baobab Avenue with all the other tourists, but a calming place when the sun has set and everyone runs back to Morondava and we head to Kirindy National Park for a slow night walk and sleep in the calm tranquil forest. More lemurs, a few chameleons, and a 4x4 back to Morondava to catch a flight to terrible Tana.
Long distance, but so worth it.
Red track towards the baobabs (tall species rather than the short fatties we had in Andava). On and on and on towards the river, an hour crossing down the Tsiribinha river on the ferry. Hours later crossing another river with a ramp at 45degrees, we have 4 goes at getting up it!
Into the Tsingy, grey limestone pinnacles. Walking through the cracks in the Tsingy with rock towering above and all sides. Great to interact with the nature in as much as climbing up and down, walking through, and reaching a view point at the top means that you can.
The occasional lemur making its cry and leaping as they do, if you are lucky, and they aren’t just sitting in the tops of trees eating in the same spot.
More hours spent in a 4x4 to reach more tsingy of the ‘grande’ variety, and then on our way out.
A pirogue down the Manambolo canyon, sunrise cruise, gorgeous colours displayed on the rocks and pretty little caves in the river banks to explore as well. Loads of birds (not sure what they are, but they are lovely anyway).
Sunset at Baobab Avenue with all the other tourists, but a calming place when the sun has set and everyone runs back to Morondava and we head to Kirindy National Park for a slow night walk and sleep in the calm tranquil forest. More lemurs, a few chameleons, and a 4x4 back to Morondava to catch a flight to terrible Tana.
Madagascar: Leave the Andava-land
October 2007
No tears, but sadness that lies deep within the soul.
Memories that will haunt for a long time and will continue sporadically erupting.
A walk to remember: Coco Beach, my hut, everyone who has helped me there and laughed at me for acting out what I cannot say in French or Malagasy.
The Blue Ventures ‘Nosy Cao’ and ‘Bat Cave’ where much functional time was spent.
The views, the steps, the generator shed, the beach, the village.
The people of Andavadoaka ‘salama jenny’.
Friends in the village, all the local staff, happy to help and chat.
Visiting a friend who just had a baby and the grandmother taking 10mins to wake the heavily sleeping baby, so I could say hello/goodbye.
A final swim.
Breathe it in.
Dawn.
Gone.
No tears, but sadness that lies deep within the soul.
Memories that will haunt for a long time and will continue sporadically erupting.
A walk to remember: Coco Beach, my hut, everyone who has helped me there and laughed at me for acting out what I cannot say in French or Malagasy.
The Blue Ventures ‘Nosy Cao’ and ‘Bat Cave’ where much functional time was spent.
The views, the steps, the generator shed, the beach, the village.
The people of Andavadoaka ‘salama jenny’.
Friends in the village, all the local staff, happy to help and chat.
Visiting a friend who just had a baby and the grandmother taking 10mins to wake the heavily sleeping baby, so I could say hello/goodbye.
A final swim.
Breathe it in.
Dawn.
Gone.
Madagascar: Every Day Joys, Every Day Turmoils
Still September 2007
Morning:
Joy: waking up in the morning sun just in time for breakfast
Turmoil: Being woken up by the goats, chickens or a 4x4 running its engine behind your hut and gassing you at 5am .
Breakfast:
Joy: fresh bread and plenty of egg
Turmoil: Rice cakes, a mild appreciation first time around, but you don’t even want to waste your condiments on trying to make them taste better. Just condiment on its own is the way to go, preferably Nutella, though a few have been know to go straight for the marmite.
Dive:
Joy: your favourite BCD, weight belt are just waiting for you to use
Turmoil: no BCD in your size, all the weights have been used, and only the heavy white tanks are left
Joy: leave in TsonTso boat with Thomas as driver, all goes well have a fantastic dive.
Turmoil: Get Aloalo boat with big waves on a far far journey to find out that the waves are too big on the dive site to go it. Alternatively, someone has forgotten the Surface Marker Buoy, and the dive is aborted before you hit the water. Or you are at a great dive site and your buddy cant equalise so the dive is aborted for you both.
Joy: return from a dive to find the water is still on and the sun has been warming it nicely.
Turmoil: no water left, late for lunch, all good food is gone.
Food:
Joy: fish boc boc (small pieces of battered fish), beetroot, potato salad, grilled fish, fish or zebu kebabs, mashed potato and chips, soup.
Turmoil: skinny chicken (especially the neck), squid (not so good), prawns (especially bad for me, but others seem to love it). Fruit for dessert (a banana) after the same for 4 nights in a row.
Evening:
Joy: THB beer and peanuts watching the sunset
Turmoil: A rubbish long staff meeting, with arguments and annihilations
People:
Joy: Hanging out with the local lads, laughing, being generally cheeky and having fun
Turmoil: Having to instil the rules and protocols that international staff break all the time making me the bad guy again.
Night Night:
Joy: Being ready for bed before the lights go out at 10pm
Turmoil: Working late again and forget the time and end up lightless in the loo when the water has run out and no toilet paper.
Exercise:
Joy: swimming 2km across beautiful turtle beach and back, with a relatively calm sea and decent visibility to watch all the sea grass swaying with the waves.
Turmoil: having no time for anything other than work work work, and never able to get away to enjoy everything else Andavadoaka has to offer.
Transport:
Joy: Volunteers leaving and having a couple of days without having to be at everyone’s beck and call every minute of the day.
Turmoil: a camion journey to Tulear or return that doesn’t go well and involves no sleep and stressful planning for 48hours to ensure the safe return of volunteers and staff to Coco Beach.
Communication:
Joy: receiving e-mails from friends and family keeping me in the loop, love and support
Turmoil: send and receive e-mail nights as compiling and re-distributing takes hours and many a party night have been ruined by work commitments.
Mottos:
You will learn to hate the goats, chickens, cats for waking you.
Keep the toilet doors shut, the goats eat the paper, we eat the goats, not a good circle of life.
You will try to catch the goats but you will fail.
Most injuries occur walking back from the epi-bar!
You might like diving but you will miss Andavadoaka and the local people forever.
Alefa – Lets go
Morning:
Joy: waking up in the morning sun just in time for breakfast
Turmoil: Being woken up by the goats, chickens or a 4x4 running its engine behind your hut and gassing you at 5am .
Breakfast:
Joy: fresh bread and plenty of egg
Turmoil: Rice cakes, a mild appreciation first time around, but you don’t even want to waste your condiments on trying to make them taste better. Just condiment on its own is the way to go, preferably Nutella, though a few have been know to go straight for the marmite.
Dive:
Joy: your favourite BCD, weight belt are just waiting for you to use
Turmoil: no BCD in your size, all the weights have been used, and only the heavy white tanks are left
Joy: leave in TsonTso boat with Thomas as driver, all goes well have a fantastic dive.
Turmoil: Get Aloalo boat with big waves on a far far journey to find out that the waves are too big on the dive site to go it. Alternatively, someone has forgotten the Surface Marker Buoy, and the dive is aborted before you hit the water. Or you are at a great dive site and your buddy cant equalise so the dive is aborted for you both.
Joy: return from a dive to find the water is still on and the sun has been warming it nicely.
Turmoil: no water left, late for lunch, all good food is gone.
Food:
Joy: fish boc boc (small pieces of battered fish), beetroot, potato salad, grilled fish, fish or zebu kebabs, mashed potato and chips, soup.
Turmoil: skinny chicken (especially the neck), squid (not so good), prawns (especially bad for me, but others seem to love it). Fruit for dessert (a banana) after the same for 4 nights in a row.
Evening:
Joy: THB beer and peanuts watching the sunset
Turmoil: A rubbish long staff meeting, with arguments and annihilations
People:
Joy: Hanging out with the local lads, laughing, being generally cheeky and having fun
Turmoil: Having to instil the rules and protocols that international staff break all the time making me the bad guy again.
Night Night:
Joy: Being ready for bed before the lights go out at 10pm
Turmoil: Working late again and forget the time and end up lightless in the loo when the water has run out and no toilet paper.
Exercise:
Joy: swimming 2km across beautiful turtle beach and back, with a relatively calm sea and decent visibility to watch all the sea grass swaying with the waves.
Turmoil: having no time for anything other than work work work, and never able to get away to enjoy everything else Andavadoaka has to offer.
Transport:
Joy: Volunteers leaving and having a couple of days without having to be at everyone’s beck and call every minute of the day.
Turmoil: a camion journey to Tulear or return that doesn’t go well and involves no sleep and stressful planning for 48hours to ensure the safe return of volunteers and staff to Coco Beach.
Communication:
Joy: receiving e-mails from friends and family keeping me in the loop, love and support
Turmoil: send and receive e-mail nights as compiling and re-distributing takes hours and many a party night have been ruined by work commitments.
Mottos:
You will learn to hate the goats, chickens, cats for waking you.
Keep the toilet doors shut, the goats eat the paper, we eat the goats, not a good circle of life.
You will try to catch the goats but you will fail.
Most injuries occur walking back from the epi-bar!
You might like diving but you will miss Andavadoaka and the local people forever.
Alefa – Lets go
Madagascar: A Walk Through Coco Beach to the Village of Andavadoaka:
Still September 2007
Coco Beach
Starting at the restaurant: On your left: my purple hut and all the other staff huts, whilst on the right you have the huts for other guests (stone construction still going ahead after a full year) and Coco Beach staff building with Fara, Heri and Tiuri in the front and Naina at the back, just in front of their building you have the loos (mostly working with running water now that the blue barrels have been constructed to collect pumped water twice a day).
Football Pitch
Continuing down the sand track (north) you pass the football pitch on the right, the light by the path (good satellite phone coverage point), another set of loos on your left for staff, and then the local staff huts as well (Boniface and the goats and chickens). Walking a little further will bring the generator shed on the right (at the side of the football pitch) you can cut across the football pitch to get directly to the village, but we will go via the volunteer huts today. On your left you will pass by the sand dunes and frequent signs ‘sabaka’ (hat), crème masoandra (sun cream) etc.
Volunteer Huts
At the top of the slope the 4 volunteer loos on the right and the goat tap and trough on the left, just behind the Radoko (medic) hut, 5 huts for volunteers (4 with 2 bunk beds and 1 with 2 small beds), one hut for Bic (local BV staff) and another hut for Nahuda’s family (cook at Coco Beach). All huts lean to varying degrees and there are no right angles anywhere, giving lots of character, also a number of hammocks strung up all over the place and one of the best views at Coco Beach of Half moon beach and Andavadoaka rock. At the end of all the accommodation huts is the classroom ‘Nosy Cao’ and opposite that the dive center ‘Bat Cave’ which contains two rooms partitioned for equipment and an outside covered area for kit up and down. The compressor lives at the back of the covered area and nearby a tap and a couple of blue barrels kept full for cleaning equipment.
Nosy Cao
Next to Nosy Cao is Zafi’s hut, he is the guardian (and makes the best pendants for necklaces), and behind his hut is the cliff edge, the coral slope up to the Mary statue (best location for watching the pirogue race, and where weather measurements are taken). Opposite Zafi are the precarious steps down to Andavadoaka beach (with full dive kit can seem daunting at first), on the right is the fisheries cooperative (no longer in service, but where George WCS boat driver resides), and behind that the football pitch again (having rounded the corner) which is also the helicopter landing zone (however, as far as I am aware only nuns have arrived by chopper here).
Andavadoaka Beach
A walk along the beach or a minor scramble over some rocks takes you towards the village, past the Ark (an old boutre left to waste, we inquired about buying it for an artificial reef but they wanted full price for it) on the right then our old boat shelters. Behind the scrub is the protestant church.
In front we see Club Aloalo building, white and newly decorated with fish along the walls outside, vines and baobabs on the columns and newly constructed steps, on the inside there is a map of Madagascar and the world. The best choice is to cut up to the village from here otherwise you get into ‘poo territory’ a function of the free shitting policy in this culture (but only kids go on the beach, sometimes decorating their packages with shells, whilst the adults are more discrete and go in the forest, though often quite close to their wells!). Behind club Aloalo (heading east), pass on the right Viviennes hut (washing lady, you can often see your smalls hanging out to dry here), pass the path to the protestant church (right).
Through the Village (southern end)
The road bends to the left (north) as you walk through the village, Nassims camion is often parked outside the large building on the right (behind which is one of the village wells). Continuing through the village there are fences on both sides until you get to the first of the epi-bars. On the left (before the first street turning is a stall on the road, this is where you can often find Cynthia (she makes the best cakes in the village), she lives down the small street, as does Mr. Roger (former president and now vice president of Befandefa) and his family in front of the big tree. You will often find James (local staff boat driver) here as well as he is family and has his hut in the same courtyard. Back to the main road, on the right you have the local lady-boys hut (he also makes cakes, but I find them pretty greasy). As far as lady-boys go he is a bit rubbish, looks like a relatively short man, square face and wears the occasional skirt (his favourite is a knee length yellow one, but more often than not he will just be in a sarong). Next to his hut is his epi-bar and then next to that the supermarket (owned by Nassim, local Karani Indian, we also order all our fuel from him). Supermarket has a seating area outside which is a great place to drink beer (THB) and eat peanuts (best place to buy them is opposite 30p for a bag full enough to feed everyone). On the left after the supermarket is a opening in the fence, a sort of gateway, third hut on the left which an outside covered area, a little picket fence and a few hammocks, is where Thomas (local BV staff Dive Master, boat driver, all around great guy) lives.
Through the Village (northern end)
Back on the main street, on the left is the epi-bar Chez Leon, the current favourite hang out on party nights in the village, has lots of wall hangings of girls from the 80’s, his prized possessions. Outside in the evenings you can buy the best samosas in town and sesame brittle. Straight ahead on the road is the BV notice board, under used. Beside the BV board is a path (short-cut) to the catholic mission school. To the right the epi-bar Chez Antoine (much smaller than the others in town). Next to that the Grande Salle, used for plays and local events. That road continues east to out-of-town, but there is a left road which takes you past the catholic mission and church, and eventually the catholic mission primary school, continuing on is the catrholic mission secondary school and the path leading out of town to Velonsak village or the Mobile Orange point.
Opposite the secondary school is the doctors building (though there is rarely anyone there and most use the BV medic when they can). At the end of Andavadoaka beach is the land that will be used by BV for the eco-lodge (when it eventually gets up and running).
Andavadoaka Beach (north – heading south)
Walking back along the beach watching your step you will pass numerous pirogues, children shouting ‘salama vazaha’, a few fish monitoring structures (shady spots), a large building running east is where Angelo (local BV staff currently doing everything possible and especially working on the compressor, most helpful guy ever) and his family live. Further along the beach there is epi-bar Chez Dada (we normally meet the Nahudas there at the beginning of each expedition), is a great place to be in the summer as there is an outside area for drinking and dancing when the heat inside is unbearable. You can cut up to the supermarket and Thomas hut from here. Walk further along the beach and you return to Club Aloalo, and you know where you are, a short step from Coco Beach once again.
Coco Beach
Starting at the restaurant: On your left: my purple hut and all the other staff huts, whilst on the right you have the huts for other guests (stone construction still going ahead after a full year) and Coco Beach staff building with Fara, Heri and Tiuri in the front and Naina at the back, just in front of their building you have the loos (mostly working with running water now that the blue barrels have been constructed to collect pumped water twice a day).
Football Pitch
Continuing down the sand track (north) you pass the football pitch on the right, the light by the path (good satellite phone coverage point), another set of loos on your left for staff, and then the local staff huts as well (Boniface and the goats and chickens). Walking a little further will bring the generator shed on the right (at the side of the football pitch) you can cut across the football pitch to get directly to the village, but we will go via the volunteer huts today. On your left you will pass by the sand dunes and frequent signs ‘sabaka’ (hat), crème masoandra (sun cream) etc.
Volunteer Huts
At the top of the slope the 4 volunteer loos on the right and the goat tap and trough on the left, just behind the Radoko (medic) hut, 5 huts for volunteers (4 with 2 bunk beds and 1 with 2 small beds), one hut for Bic (local BV staff) and another hut for Nahuda’s family (cook at Coco Beach). All huts lean to varying degrees and there are no right angles anywhere, giving lots of character, also a number of hammocks strung up all over the place and one of the best views at Coco Beach of Half moon beach and Andavadoaka rock. At the end of all the accommodation huts is the classroom ‘Nosy Cao’ and opposite that the dive center ‘Bat Cave’ which contains two rooms partitioned for equipment and an outside covered area for kit up and down. The compressor lives at the back of the covered area and nearby a tap and a couple of blue barrels kept full for cleaning equipment.
Nosy Cao
Next to Nosy Cao is Zafi’s hut, he is the guardian (and makes the best pendants for necklaces), and behind his hut is the cliff edge, the coral slope up to the Mary statue (best location for watching the pirogue race, and where weather measurements are taken). Opposite Zafi are the precarious steps down to Andavadoaka beach (with full dive kit can seem daunting at first), on the right is the fisheries cooperative (no longer in service, but where George WCS boat driver resides), and behind that the football pitch again (having rounded the corner) which is also the helicopter landing zone (however, as far as I am aware only nuns have arrived by chopper here).
Andavadoaka Beach
A walk along the beach or a minor scramble over some rocks takes you towards the village, past the Ark (an old boutre left to waste, we inquired about buying it for an artificial reef but they wanted full price for it) on the right then our old boat shelters. Behind the scrub is the protestant church.
In front we see Club Aloalo building, white and newly decorated with fish along the walls outside, vines and baobabs on the columns and newly constructed steps, on the inside there is a map of Madagascar and the world. The best choice is to cut up to the village from here otherwise you get into ‘poo territory’ a function of the free shitting policy in this culture (but only kids go on the beach, sometimes decorating their packages with shells, whilst the adults are more discrete and go in the forest, though often quite close to their wells!). Behind club Aloalo (heading east), pass on the right Viviennes hut (washing lady, you can often see your smalls hanging out to dry here), pass the path to the protestant church (right).
Through the Village (southern end)
The road bends to the left (north) as you walk through the village, Nassims camion is often parked outside the large building on the right (behind which is one of the village wells). Continuing through the village there are fences on both sides until you get to the first of the epi-bars. On the left (before the first street turning is a stall on the road, this is where you can often find Cynthia (she makes the best cakes in the village), she lives down the small street, as does Mr. Roger (former president and now vice president of Befandefa) and his family in front of the big tree. You will often find James (local staff boat driver) here as well as he is family and has his hut in the same courtyard. Back to the main road, on the right you have the local lady-boys hut (he also makes cakes, but I find them pretty greasy). As far as lady-boys go he is a bit rubbish, looks like a relatively short man, square face and wears the occasional skirt (his favourite is a knee length yellow one, but more often than not he will just be in a sarong). Next to his hut is his epi-bar and then next to that the supermarket (owned by Nassim, local Karani Indian, we also order all our fuel from him). Supermarket has a seating area outside which is a great place to drink beer (THB) and eat peanuts (best place to buy them is opposite 30p for a bag full enough to feed everyone). On the left after the supermarket is a opening in the fence, a sort of gateway, third hut on the left which an outside covered area, a little picket fence and a few hammocks, is where Thomas (local BV staff Dive Master, boat driver, all around great guy) lives.
Through the Village (northern end)
Back on the main street, on the left is the epi-bar Chez Leon, the current favourite hang out on party nights in the village, has lots of wall hangings of girls from the 80’s, his prized possessions. Outside in the evenings you can buy the best samosas in town and sesame brittle. Straight ahead on the road is the BV notice board, under used. Beside the BV board is a path (short-cut) to the catholic mission school. To the right the epi-bar Chez Antoine (much smaller than the others in town). Next to that the Grande Salle, used for plays and local events. That road continues east to out-of-town, but there is a left road which takes you past the catholic mission and church, and eventually the catholic mission primary school, continuing on is the catrholic mission secondary school and the path leading out of town to Velonsak village or the Mobile Orange point.
Opposite the secondary school is the doctors building (though there is rarely anyone there and most use the BV medic when they can). At the end of Andavadoaka beach is the land that will be used by BV for the eco-lodge (when it eventually gets up and running).
Andavadoaka Beach (north – heading south)
Walking back along the beach watching your step you will pass numerous pirogues, children shouting ‘salama vazaha’, a few fish monitoring structures (shady spots), a large building running east is where Angelo (local BV staff currently doing everything possible and especially working on the compressor, most helpful guy ever) and his family live. Further along the beach there is epi-bar Chez Dada (we normally meet the Nahudas there at the beginning of each expedition), is a great place to be in the summer as there is an outside area for drinking and dancing when the heat inside is unbearable. You can cut up to the supermarket and Thomas hut from here. Walk further along the beach and you return to Club Aloalo, and you know where you are, a short step from Coco Beach once again.
Saturday, 8 September 2007
Madagascar: The long journey south Part 4: Return to Tulear
Still August 2007
Sunday again so everything is a bit off! No taxi-brousse till the afternoon,
so we managed to take a taxi to the next biggest town to have a better chance
there. Not so, another 4hour wait in a dodgy Saphir mining town waiting for
the bus to leave (for 3 hours we were the only 4 out of 18 on the list!). So
close yet so far. A day in transit to add to all the others. More people
were crammed in this taxi-brousse than ever and the road blocks were
sufficiently paid off en route. We could see the sea as we were nearing
Tulear, but arrived in the dark. Tulear is out of power again. We stayed at
our second choice hotel based on electricity power and then headed straight
out for dinner at Le Jardin for pizza, hmmmmmmmmmm. The favourite restaurant‘Cortez Maltese’ does not open on Sundays (of course).
Monday: a run around day, collect snacks, organize flights, meet and greet
the new volunteers, arrange transport etc. Have dinner at ‘Cortez Maltese’
fave zebu steak with a camembert sauce, and chocolate mousse! Pousse Pousse
around town all night to find a place that will serve me pizza so I can take
it back to site for the staff in Andavadoaka.
Tuesday 14th 6am. Camion and 4x4 now all full of eager volunteers ready to
start the 12hours journey to Andavadoaka.
……………….The Holiday is Over. Back to Work……………………
Sunday again so everything is a bit off! No taxi-brousse till the afternoon,
so we managed to take a taxi to the next biggest town to have a better chance
there. Not so, another 4hour wait in a dodgy Saphir mining town waiting for
the bus to leave (for 3 hours we were the only 4 out of 18 on the list!). So
close yet so far. A day in transit to add to all the others. More people
were crammed in this taxi-brousse than ever and the road blocks were
sufficiently paid off en route. We could see the sea as we were nearing
Tulear, but arrived in the dark. Tulear is out of power again. We stayed at
our second choice hotel based on electricity power and then headed straight
out for dinner at Le Jardin for pizza, hmmmmmmmmmm. The favourite restaurant‘Cortez Maltese’ does not open on Sundays (of course).
Monday: a run around day, collect snacks, organize flights, meet and greet
the new volunteers, arrange transport etc. Have dinner at ‘Cortez Maltese’
fave zebu steak with a camembert sauce, and chocolate mousse! Pousse Pousse
around town all night to find a place that will serve me pizza so I can take
it back to site for the staff in Andavadoaka.
Tuesday 14th 6am. Camion and 4x4 now all full of eager volunteers ready to
start the 12hours journey to Andavadoaka.
……………….The Holiday is Over. Back to Work……………………
Madagascar: The long journey south Part 3: Slowly heading south
Still August 2007
So pleased to meet up with some friends. Of course until they met with us
they hadn’t had any problems whatsoever with their travel, but with us things
were not going to plan once again.
The 4x4 we had booked was not available, but neither was any other mode of
transport. Desperate to get to the Park this time we managed to persuade a
normal driver with a large-ish vehicle to take us to the park (and of course
paid over the rates for it). All the organization had nulled our 6am start
and we still couldn’t leave till 10:30am cutting the day short and
restricting the walks in the park. Very bumpy 1.5hour ride in. Managed to
persuade the less than keen walkers with us to go a little further than they
wanted, until we were all running to the highest point we could get to
before time ran out. The guide was a good sport, we saw the beautiful
waterfalls, the fantastic rock outcrops and scaled the mountain, and made it
back to base with a lot of manic running (no falling) just before nightfall.
Not quite the long circular route I had dreamed of for days, but was fun and
manageable none the less.
Chilled out with friends in the evening, sorry to be heading in different
directions the following day.
Pizza for breakfast always a good thing! Especially as the taxi-brousse
took 4 hours to leave. I filled the time with phone conversations, mainly
about work unfortunately, whilst others were playing pool with the locals,
golf balls and sticks on a warped board! A few trips around town before we
even left to find petrol, apparently everyone was waiting for the tank
filling truck to arrive! Then again to find that at the military check point
we were overloaded and had to return to drop people off and try again.
Arrived into Ranohira at night, got a great dinner at the fancy restaurant,
set-menu. Carrot soup (hmm), zebu steak (always good), banana flambé
(rubbish). But hey, two out of three not bad!
Guide and Park fee arrangements to be made all over again, and despite the
guide prices being very clearly labelled they all rip you off, in as much as
if you don’t agree to pay their rates you don’t have a guide and you can’t
enter the park! With only a day to play with, though we had hoped to do an
overnight camping trip (but were given wrong info!), we decided to just pay
up and go. Car to the Canyons, 1 hour bumpy ride, but fantastic following
the ridge all the way to the park, knowing that we would be walking the
length and more to return. Saw a few lemurs at the entrance to the canyon,
unfortunately did not have loads of time to wander around the canyon and the
river as had no way of climbing to the top from the interior. Long hard
climb to the top of the ridge, but rewarded with fantastic views of the
meadows within and then the ridge on the other side of the valley. Lots of
little baobab trees and beautiful views to be seen on the 3 hour walk to the
waterfall. More of a cascade really and enclosed within a meandering cutout,
but pretty as it was well hidden within the forest.
Now normal experience for us: the guide decided that he wanted more money for
us to see the blue and black pools, which should have been on our original
route. A bit of deliberation and we decided to just pay up and enjoy. It was
only about 10mins out and back and the waterfalls were pretty, but the walk
to the falls was stunning and definitely worth it. At this point we started
to see all the other tourists mulling around. It had been just us with nature
for the best part of the day, but we were now on the tourist loop.
Ring-tailed lemurs were seen walking up the path towards us and brown lemurs
were hanging around the camp that we passed through so definitely got the
lemur quota in, and decided that we must have been the only people to have
bad weather in Ranamafana as no one else seemed to bother about them.
Another long stretch of the walk to reach the final goal, the piscine
naturelle. Though not in the sun and being very nippy, we opted to take a
dip and freshen up. We were fully aware that there would be no water and
shower where we were staying and were very happy to wash the dust of the day
off.
So great to find a tourist bus at the end of the park ready to leave and
prepared to take us back to the village. Definitely a 5km walk at the end of
the day that we could do without, and a fantastic day was had. Another
massive zebu steak meal and some local song and dance troop for
entertainment. Sleeping well.
So pleased to meet up with some friends. Of course until they met with us
they hadn’t had any problems whatsoever with their travel, but with us things
were not going to plan once again.
The 4x4 we had booked was not available, but neither was any other mode of
transport. Desperate to get to the Park this time we managed to persuade a
normal driver with a large-ish vehicle to take us to the park (and of course
paid over the rates for it). All the organization had nulled our 6am start
and we still couldn’t leave till 10:30am cutting the day short and
restricting the walks in the park. Very bumpy 1.5hour ride in. Managed to
persuade the less than keen walkers with us to go a little further than they
wanted, until we were all running to the highest point we could get to
before time ran out. The guide was a good sport, we saw the beautiful
waterfalls, the fantastic rock outcrops and scaled the mountain, and made it
back to base with a lot of manic running (no falling) just before nightfall.
Not quite the long circular route I had dreamed of for days, but was fun and
manageable none the less.
Chilled out with friends in the evening, sorry to be heading in different
directions the following day.
Pizza for breakfast always a good thing! Especially as the taxi-brousse
took 4 hours to leave. I filled the time with phone conversations, mainly
about work unfortunately, whilst others were playing pool with the locals,
golf balls and sticks on a warped board! A few trips around town before we
even left to find petrol, apparently everyone was waiting for the tank
filling truck to arrive! Then again to find that at the military check point
we were overloaded and had to return to drop people off and try again.
Arrived into Ranohira at night, got a great dinner at the fancy restaurant,
set-menu. Carrot soup (hmm), zebu steak (always good), banana flambé
(rubbish). But hey, two out of three not bad!
Guide and Park fee arrangements to be made all over again, and despite the
guide prices being very clearly labelled they all rip you off, in as much as
if you don’t agree to pay their rates you don’t have a guide and you can’t
enter the park! With only a day to play with, though we had hoped to do an
overnight camping trip (but were given wrong info!), we decided to just pay
up and go. Car to the Canyons, 1 hour bumpy ride, but fantastic following
the ridge all the way to the park, knowing that we would be walking the
length and more to return. Saw a few lemurs at the entrance to the canyon,
unfortunately did not have loads of time to wander around the canyon and the
river as had no way of climbing to the top from the interior. Long hard
climb to the top of the ridge, but rewarded with fantastic views of the
meadows within and then the ridge on the other side of the valley. Lots of
little baobab trees and beautiful views to be seen on the 3 hour walk to the
waterfall. More of a cascade really and enclosed within a meandering cutout,
but pretty as it was well hidden within the forest.
Now normal experience for us: the guide decided that he wanted more money for
us to see the blue and black pools, which should have been on our original
route. A bit of deliberation and we decided to just pay up and enjoy. It was
only about 10mins out and back and the waterfalls were pretty, but the walk
to the falls was stunning and definitely worth it. At this point we started
to see all the other tourists mulling around. It had been just us with nature
for the best part of the day, but we were now on the tourist loop.
Ring-tailed lemurs were seen walking up the path towards us and brown lemurs
were hanging around the camp that we passed through so definitely got the
lemur quota in, and decided that we must have been the only people to have
bad weather in Ranamafana as no one else seemed to bother about them.
Another long stretch of the walk to reach the final goal, the piscine
naturelle. Though not in the sun and being very nippy, we opted to take a
dip and freshen up. We were fully aware that there would be no water and
shower where we were staying and were very happy to wash the dust of the day
off.
So great to find a tourist bus at the end of the park ready to leave and
prepared to take us back to the village. Definitely a 5km walk at the end of
the day that we could do without, and a fantastic day was had. Another
massive zebu steak meal and some local song and dance troop for
entertainment. Sleeping well.
Madagascar: The long journey south Part 2: Still in Fianarantsoa
August 2007
Day trip to another National Park didn’t happen. Arrived to find out that
the park was too far away for a day trip to start at our arrival time. The
Zebu market day had shifted to a day later. We rented bikes as the scenery
was fantastic and arrived at a small park where there are many ring-tailed
Lemurs to find that the guides were asking far too much money for a 1 hour
trot, and fed-up with being ripped off everywhere, we hopped back on the
bikes and heading back to the village (only 15km away!), back onto the
Taxi-Brousse to try again another day.
Day trip on the train heading East. 6am start. On the train, stopping
frequently to pick up passengers and goods and to make sure that everyone
on the train is fed an array of different local delicacies at each stop.
Bananas,peanut brittle, crayfish, fresh water prawns, boc boc, banana
fritters etc.
The scenery was supposed to be amazing and what we could see was nice, but
there was a rather thick covering of cloud for much of the time. The main
attraction was a large waterfall, which I missed completely as there was no
indication when we might happen across it.
Half way through the journey we passed the train coming from the other
direction,so after deliberating for a while we decided to hop off the train and return to Fianar for the scenery and having had sufficient train time, we
discovered that the return train had left. Depression set in, especially
as we found that the tourists who had had a guide with them had done exactly that.
We were now stuck on the train for a further 4 hours, and would then have a rather less than nice 10hours taxi-brousse ride overnight to return to Fianarantsoa. We were mistaken though, because apparently we were amidst the primary banana zone in Madagascar, so we stopped for at least an hour every stop (about 20 mins apart)to pick up a carriage load of bananas and drop off rice.
So instead of the full journey being the 7hours it ended up being a very long 11hours,with no great scenery and the disappearance of joyful faces of the
villagers because they were all on their way home to food and bed! At 6pm we
arrived in Manakara on the coast, although we didn’t see the coast at all and we hopped in one of the 40 aggressive pousse pousse carts on stand-by, rushed to the
taxi-brousse stand, thankfully got the last 2 seats on the bus (though they
were the split seats, half high - half low, very uncomfortable) and were on
the return.
3am Fianarantsoa, desolate and still had to pay full rate for a room, for 2.5 hours sleep before back to the taxi-brousse stand to try for Andringitra NP again!
Day trip to another National Park didn’t happen. Arrived to find out that
the park was too far away for a day trip to start at our arrival time. The
Zebu market day had shifted to a day later. We rented bikes as the scenery
was fantastic and arrived at a small park where there are many ring-tailed
Lemurs to find that the guides were asking far too much money for a 1 hour
trot, and fed-up with being ripped off everywhere, we hopped back on the
bikes and heading back to the village (only 15km away!), back onto the
Taxi-Brousse to try again another day.
Day trip on the train heading East. 6am start. On the train, stopping
frequently to pick up passengers and goods and to make sure that everyone
on the train is fed an array of different local delicacies at each stop.
Bananas,peanut brittle, crayfish, fresh water prawns, boc boc, banana
fritters etc.
The scenery was supposed to be amazing and what we could see was nice, but
there was a rather thick covering of cloud for much of the time. The main
attraction was a large waterfall, which I missed completely as there was no
indication when we might happen across it.
Half way through the journey we passed the train coming from the other
direction,so after deliberating for a while we decided to hop off the train and return to Fianar for the scenery and having had sufficient train time, we
discovered that the return train had left. Depression set in, especially
as we found that the tourists who had had a guide with them had done exactly that.
We were now stuck on the train for a further 4 hours, and would then have a rather less than nice 10hours taxi-brousse ride overnight to return to Fianarantsoa. We were mistaken though, because apparently we were amidst the primary banana zone in Madagascar, so we stopped for at least an hour every stop (about 20 mins apart)to pick up a carriage load of bananas and drop off rice.
So instead of the full journey being the 7hours it ended up being a very long 11hours,with no great scenery and the disappearance of joyful faces of the
villagers because they were all on their way home to food and bed! At 6pm we
arrived in Manakara on the coast, although we didn’t see the coast at all and we hopped in one of the 40 aggressive pousse pousse carts on stand-by, rushed to the
taxi-brousse stand, thankfully got the last 2 seats on the bus (though they
were the split seats, half high - half low, very uncomfortable) and were on
the return.
3am Fianarantsoa, desolate and still had to pay full rate for a room, for 2.5 hours sleep before back to the taxi-brousse stand to try for Andringitra NP again!
Madagascar: The long journey south Part 1: To Fianarantsoa
August 2007
Plans never really go according to ‘plan’. So after spending a lot of time
in Tana organizing our trip down the river and to Tsingy National Park, and
arriving in our departure destination we found out that really there was no
way we would be able to get back to site at the end of it all. The roads had
been washed out and had not been repaired at all. A few days on the pan and
start re-thinking all over again. Thankfully there are many parks on the RN7
route south, so we were able to make our way slowly back to Tulear instead.
Travel by Taxi-brousse can be very frustrating in Madagascar, not so much
because they squeeze 4 people onto 3 seats or that you find you are always
in the slowest van as everyone overtakes, but mainly because they take
forever to leave. It is pretty common to wait for at least a few hours
before the van is full and will leave. Then 5mins into the journey you will
stop for a toilet break as everyone has been waiting around for hours
already, and so it goes on.
To summarize in 10 days we spent 6 on transport and 4 in national parks!
Found that our first port of call: ‘artesian markets’, weren’t open because it
was Sunday, so headed on straight away after a cold beer and on to another
taxi-brousse.
Early to rise to make it to Ranamafana NP, first we found that it was
raining pretty hard, looked set in and no doubt would continue all day
(reports on how it was lovely the day before not really helping too much),
dumped our bags, picked up a guide (reasonable fees we thought), but then disappointed that the Blue Ventures discount was not going to work.
Day consisted of walking a lot through the wet, dripping forest and were fortunate enough to see a few lemur species despite the rain. Returned wet and cold to discover
that the guide was asking for an extortionate 50,000Ar rather than 15,000Ar
(£14 not £4, total shocker considering average daily wage is: £0.60),
couldn’t thumb a lift into the village to find a place to stay, so eventually
walking in the rain in the village we found a place but far too expensive. Cut
our losses and spent 3 hours on the side of the road trying to get a lift
back to the city whilst I was freezing and desperately trying to dry myself
off a little against the warm coals of the mini kebab stall.
Ready to call it all off we managed to pay over the normal rates for a taxi- brousse to take us back to Fianarantsoa and drop us off at the only place with rooms.
Very long cold wet expensive day, with the only saving grace that we were able to see a few lemurs.
Plans never really go according to ‘plan’. So after spending a lot of time
in Tana organizing our trip down the river and to Tsingy National Park, and
arriving in our departure destination we found out that really there was no
way we would be able to get back to site at the end of it all. The roads had
been washed out and had not been repaired at all. A few days on the pan and
start re-thinking all over again. Thankfully there are many parks on the RN7
route south, so we were able to make our way slowly back to Tulear instead.
Travel by Taxi-brousse can be very frustrating in Madagascar, not so much
because they squeeze 4 people onto 3 seats or that you find you are always
in the slowest van as everyone overtakes, but mainly because they take
forever to leave. It is pretty common to wait for at least a few hours
before the van is full and will leave. Then 5mins into the journey you will
stop for a toilet break as everyone has been waiting around for hours
already, and so it goes on.
To summarize in 10 days we spent 6 on transport and 4 in national parks!
Found that our first port of call: ‘artesian markets’, weren’t open because it
was Sunday, so headed on straight away after a cold beer and on to another
taxi-brousse.
Early to rise to make it to Ranamafana NP, first we found that it was
raining pretty hard, looked set in and no doubt would continue all day
(reports on how it was lovely the day before not really helping too much),
dumped our bags, picked up a guide (reasonable fees we thought), but then disappointed that the Blue Ventures discount was not going to work.
Day consisted of walking a lot through the wet, dripping forest and were fortunate enough to see a few lemur species despite the rain. Returned wet and cold to discover
that the guide was asking for an extortionate 50,000Ar rather than 15,000Ar
(£14 not £4, total shocker considering average daily wage is: £0.60),
couldn’t thumb a lift into the village to find a place to stay, so eventually
walking in the rain in the village we found a place but far too expensive. Cut
our losses and spent 3 hours on the side of the road trying to get a lift
back to the city whilst I was freezing and desperately trying to dry myself
off a little against the warm coals of the mini kebab stall.
Ready to call it all off we managed to pay over the normal rates for a taxi- brousse to take us back to Fianarantsoa and drop us off at the only place with rooms.
Very long cold wet expensive day, with the only saving grace that we were able to see a few lemurs.
Madagascar: There is a world outside the village of Andavadoaka
August 2007
I managed to get a little time off for a holiday. Was sad to leave the volunteers I had made friends with, but really welcomed the opportunity for a break. The availability of a free 4x4 ride from the village to Tulear (8hours south), was too good to miss, so by 6am I was packed and ready to leave. However, I did feel slightly that I was leaving like a thief in the night as I didn’t get to tell many people that I was off.
4x4’s are not the most comfortable ride on the coastal track and by the time 7 hours was up I was thoroughly exhausted. We usually ride in the back of a camion (a truck with canvas top) We put down some foam and though it is 12 hours and sometimes a little packed with bodies (23 is definitely too many as we found out once),including bags and lunch etc, it is a slow but steady journey and more comfortable than the 4x4 which is also really expensive (200 Euros a journey).
Having been to Tulear a few times now there are definitely favourite places to eat. And after leaving site, food is the most craved substance of all. Cortez Malteze is my favourite place for filet de Zebu (cow with hump) in a camembert sauce. Unfortunately it wasn’t open. Rubbish.
Nothing is easy to organize in Madagascar and trying to get to Tana (Antananarivo) was no exception. Flights were all booked so opted for the taxi-brousse, in this case a small mini-van loaded with everything.
Tulear is generally just a functional place for us in between expeditions. However it is not very functional at all when everything shuts down at 12midday and doesn’t re-open until 3pm and then closes again at 5pm, and nothing is ever open on a Sunday (we ended up having a snack lunch at a service station). Very few hours to spare and everything takes forever. So trying to find an internet café that was open took a while and we were getting slightly nervous that we would miss our transit to Tana. Stupid me, of course everything in Mad is ‘mora mora’ slowly and Malagasy time – late.
18hours later we were in Tana trying to organize a quick exit to Diego Suarez and sort a few bits and bobs. Travel being what it is, meant that we were still unable to book a flight for some reason and just had to turn up at the airport. We were told that there were a lot of seats until we arrived at the airport to find out that it was full and we had to pay a 1/3 again for club seats. We got a small sandwich and a glass of fruit juice for our money! It was a beautiful flight though, got to view Nosy Mangabe, and Sambava coastline, the mountains close to Diego Suarez and Petite Sugar Loaf (Nosy Lonja).
Diego Suarez was not much to write home about, it appeared that the only way to visit things were on tours. We found this out the hard way as tried Montagne D’Ambre, and found it cost us a fortune (wouldn’t have paid that much in the UK for sure) and to be fair it was a very generic forest park. So having met up with a couple of funny French girls we pooled our resources and planned a trip to National Park Ankarana via Tsingy Rouge.
Tsingy Rouge was fantastic, great views, and a nice walk up a braided river channel to the small eroded tsingy pinnacles, very fragile as made from sand.
Ankarana was almost overwhelming, walked through lively forest and across a dry river bed littered with volcanic and limestone rocks, up the limestone kharst to amazing views over the grey tsingy. We dropped down into a few caves, some large spiders and massive bats (80cm span), then walked along the top of the tsingy to return and were greeted with a visit from the crowned lemurs hanging out in trees very close to the clearing, and a large chameleon not trying to run away. Second day involved a 12km hike out to some more fields of Tsingy, a green lake, and an introduction to climbing crowned lemurs who were very photogenic and friendly. The heavens decided to open on our return so the lost river was not so lost and actually pretty wet as were we all.
Managed to hitch a lift with a 4x4 to Ankify, the port to Nosy Be, so avoided the taxi-brousse crush and horror, hopped in a speed boat to the island and arrived in time for lunch. Our residence looked sweet, but full of mosquitos, and when we were told to make sure we double-locked everything, even when we were in, it left me a little worried.
Gutted that all the live-aboard boats had already left or were full, we booked diving. Rain stopped our play the next day, so we rented a quad and toured the island. Highlight was definitely an abandoned and rusted sugar mill. Trains and everything left in situ and we could just walk around and look at all the machinery. Would be a death trap to the average child and I could see it as one of the 80’s safety ads (like don’t play on the railway lines, or fly kites near overhead power cables etc).
Got a little wet but not too bad!
Two rather generic dives the following day, some strong current but better visibility than we are used to in the south, but nothing special, so a bit disappointing. Heard about the dives for the following day and couldn’t choose between all the options. 3 sites I wanted to go to, but only enough money for two. In the end I made the wrong decision and missed the opportunity to see a manta ray by going to another fringing reef. Horrors of the dive center (no first aid kit, or even a plaster) and general grumpiness made the day a little bitter, in addition to NOT seeing the manta as was talked out of it by Bad dive center owner (obviously trying to sell his dives). Having said that, the sites were pretty and there were many hawksbill turtles and blue spotted rays to be seen.
Flight out of Nosy Be almost went a little wrong with not being able to book flights again, had to turn up and hope, though they were full, a few seats opened up. But almost got very stuck as they would not accept a credit card and had to dig around to find the money in three different currencies.
Back in cold Tana, and any tan I thought I had got has disappeared already. Hoping to head out west now, but chilling and looking at photos before getting on the road again.
I managed to get a little time off for a holiday. Was sad to leave the volunteers I had made friends with, but really welcomed the opportunity for a break. The availability of a free 4x4 ride from the village to Tulear (8hours south), was too good to miss, so by 6am I was packed and ready to leave. However, I did feel slightly that I was leaving like a thief in the night as I didn’t get to tell many people that I was off.
4x4’s are not the most comfortable ride on the coastal track and by the time 7 hours was up I was thoroughly exhausted. We usually ride in the back of a camion (a truck with canvas top) We put down some foam and though it is 12 hours and sometimes a little packed with bodies (23 is definitely too many as we found out once),including bags and lunch etc, it is a slow but steady journey and more comfortable than the 4x4 which is also really expensive (200 Euros a journey).
Having been to Tulear a few times now there are definitely favourite places to eat. And after leaving site, food is the most craved substance of all. Cortez Malteze is my favourite place for filet de Zebu (cow with hump) in a camembert sauce. Unfortunately it wasn’t open. Rubbish.
Nothing is easy to organize in Madagascar and trying to get to Tana (Antananarivo) was no exception. Flights were all booked so opted for the taxi-brousse, in this case a small mini-van loaded with everything.
Tulear is generally just a functional place for us in between expeditions. However it is not very functional at all when everything shuts down at 12midday and doesn’t re-open until 3pm and then closes again at 5pm, and nothing is ever open on a Sunday (we ended up having a snack lunch at a service station). Very few hours to spare and everything takes forever. So trying to find an internet café that was open took a while and we were getting slightly nervous that we would miss our transit to Tana. Stupid me, of course everything in Mad is ‘mora mora’ slowly and Malagasy time – late.
18hours later we were in Tana trying to organize a quick exit to Diego Suarez and sort a few bits and bobs. Travel being what it is, meant that we were still unable to book a flight for some reason and just had to turn up at the airport. We were told that there were a lot of seats until we arrived at the airport to find out that it was full and we had to pay a 1/3 again for club seats. We got a small sandwich and a glass of fruit juice for our money! It was a beautiful flight though, got to view Nosy Mangabe, and Sambava coastline, the mountains close to Diego Suarez and Petite Sugar Loaf (Nosy Lonja).
Diego Suarez was not much to write home about, it appeared that the only way to visit things were on tours. We found this out the hard way as tried Montagne D’Ambre, and found it cost us a fortune (wouldn’t have paid that much in the UK for sure) and to be fair it was a very generic forest park. So having met up with a couple of funny French girls we pooled our resources and planned a trip to National Park Ankarana via Tsingy Rouge.
Tsingy Rouge was fantastic, great views, and a nice walk up a braided river channel to the small eroded tsingy pinnacles, very fragile as made from sand.
Ankarana was almost overwhelming, walked through lively forest and across a dry river bed littered with volcanic and limestone rocks, up the limestone kharst to amazing views over the grey tsingy. We dropped down into a few caves, some large spiders and massive bats (80cm span), then walked along the top of the tsingy to return and were greeted with a visit from the crowned lemurs hanging out in trees very close to the clearing, and a large chameleon not trying to run away. Second day involved a 12km hike out to some more fields of Tsingy, a green lake, and an introduction to climbing crowned lemurs who were very photogenic and friendly. The heavens decided to open on our return so the lost river was not so lost and actually pretty wet as were we all.
Managed to hitch a lift with a 4x4 to Ankify, the port to Nosy Be, so avoided the taxi-brousse crush and horror, hopped in a speed boat to the island and arrived in time for lunch. Our residence looked sweet, but full of mosquitos, and when we were told to make sure we double-locked everything, even when we were in, it left me a little worried.
Gutted that all the live-aboard boats had already left or were full, we booked diving. Rain stopped our play the next day, so we rented a quad and toured the island. Highlight was definitely an abandoned and rusted sugar mill. Trains and everything left in situ and we could just walk around and look at all the machinery. Would be a death trap to the average child and I could see it as one of the 80’s safety ads (like don’t play on the railway lines, or fly kites near overhead power cables etc).
Got a little wet but not too bad!
Two rather generic dives the following day, some strong current but better visibility than we are used to in the south, but nothing special, so a bit disappointing. Heard about the dives for the following day and couldn’t choose between all the options. 3 sites I wanted to go to, but only enough money for two. In the end I made the wrong decision and missed the opportunity to see a manta ray by going to another fringing reef. Horrors of the dive center (no first aid kit, or even a plaster) and general grumpiness made the day a little bitter, in addition to NOT seeing the manta as was talked out of it by Bad dive center owner (obviously trying to sell his dives). Having said that, the sites were pretty and there were many hawksbill turtles and blue spotted rays to be seen.
Flight out of Nosy Be almost went a little wrong with not being able to book flights again, had to turn up and hope, though they were full, a few seats opened up. But almost got very stuck as they would not accept a credit card and had to dig around to find the money in three different currencies.
Back in cold Tana, and any tan I thought I had got has disappeared already. Hoping to head out west now, but chilling and looking at photos before getting on the road again.
Tuesday, 15 May 2007
Madagascar: Stormy Stormy Night!
24 April 2007
Beautiful sunset and a fantastic electrical storm in the distance.
The night sky filled with millions of stars, can see the plough and
the milky way. Early to bed, no electricity anyway. Sound asleep.
Sudden rush of wind through the hut, shutters clattering, chilling wind and
rain from every angle. Too cold to sleep, but so wet and windy
outside. Arise and attempt to find flip-flops not yet taken away by
the wind, bring in all the were dry, but are now wet belongings. Close
shutters against the wind. Find the sleeping bag and huddle down for
the night. Storm passes over head, can see the lightning move from
the south window past the west facing door to the north window.
Ahhh! nearly gone now. The wind dies down, the rain thins out. The
night is quiet all over again and has brought a refreshingly cool
morning. Oh! And now the mosquitoes!
Beautiful sunset and a fantastic electrical storm in the distance.
The night sky filled with millions of stars, can see the plough and
the milky way. Early to bed, no electricity anyway. Sound asleep.
Sudden rush of wind through the hut, shutters clattering, chilling wind and
rain from every angle. Too cold to sleep, but so wet and windy
outside. Arise and attempt to find flip-flops not yet taken away by
the wind, bring in all the were dry, but are now wet belongings. Close
shutters against the wind. Find the sleeping bag and huddle down for
the night. Storm passes over head, can see the lightning move from
the south window past the west facing door to the north window.
Ahhh! nearly gone now. The wind dies down, the rain thins out. The
night is quiet all over again and has brought a refreshingly cool
morning. Oh! And now the mosquitoes!
Madagascar: Not all Work Work Work!
22nd April 2007
Not all Work Work Work - though sometimes it does feel like that!
We do get days off. Every 6th day is a no-dive day and a day off in
general. It normally starts the day before with compulsory Boat
Maintenance, which in itself is pretty fun and easy.
Get in the water with mask and brush and scrub all the green/brown off the bottom of the boat. In the boat, remove the wood slats, remove the excess
water and scrub clean the base. On land scrub all the green off the
wood slats then float back to the boat. The hard part is motivating
people to undertake this mammoth task which takes all of 30 mins if
everyone helps out.
Party Night is next on the agenda, the one night in the week when
more than one beer can be consumed. This is most often a dress-up
event and the more bizarre the better, with a new theme chosen each
week. It truly is amazing what people can turn out with the very
limited resources we have here. But each week brings something new
and occasionally a little disturbing. Food is often a little more
special and we have a few awards to give out: Soa Bei and Tie Bei,
and the repercussions of each. More of the party atmosphere generally
ensues until the party is moved to the village to an epi-bar of
choice. Lots of dancing, Malagasy style, with a few of the favourite
fazaha (foreigners) tracks on a loop. Quick nips out to the loo
(beach, behind your pirogue of choice). The evening wears on.
This particular party night saw few of the staff out on the town as
we were planning a staff dive the next day for day off.You cant drink
and dive! Some reconnaissance dives for the new MPA sites.
A 4am-alarm call, dark dark dark, kit ready, boats prepared. Hello
and goodbye to the volunteers not yet gone to bed from the night
before! Off at 5:30am and arrive at the dive site in the Baie des
Assassins as 6:30am. Quite a large swell and some decent waves out,
pretty nippy as well. Five to dive and one to boat marshall (safety
and security are everything here). 27degrees, my how things are
getting chilly. Found the site that we had marked out on a previous
visit and listed coral species, fish and overall topography. A deep
site, 27m and a lot of pretty tabular corals and reef fish at the end
of the dive, whilst the beginning was more large pelagics and schools.
Out of the water and time to collect breakfast in the nearby fishing
village, Antsepoke. A shark and turtle data collection village, so we
got to see photos taken for the project, which included family shots
and a parade through the village, and not so many sharks or turtles
(small reprimand on battery power and the lack of after video clips
of loved ones!). Hmmm Delicious! Bok Bok (bit like a semi-dense doughnut hole)
and tea.
Second dive to a similar site. More soft coral, big groupers, unicorn
fish, nudi-branch etc. Nice diving, but still 4am is an eeeeeeeeeeeearly start!
Had to pop to another village to collect shark and turtle data, to
Laguna Blu to talk to the dive instructors there (possible working
relationship), and then off to lunch at Manga Lodge resort (where we
met all the volunteers who had walked over from Coco Beach). Moody
French patron, but beautiful chocolate sauce desert.
De-kit back at Coco Beach, staff meeting (next day planning),
volunteer meeting, dinner. No power again so early to bed after all
satellite phones and GPS are in the right hands for the 6am dive the
next day.
DAY OFF!
Not all Work Work Work - though sometimes it does feel like that!
We do get days off. Every 6th day is a no-dive day and a day off in
general. It normally starts the day before with compulsory Boat
Maintenance, which in itself is pretty fun and easy.
Get in the water with mask and brush and scrub all the green/brown off the bottom of the boat. In the boat, remove the wood slats, remove the excess
water and scrub clean the base. On land scrub all the green off the
wood slats then float back to the boat. The hard part is motivating
people to undertake this mammoth task which takes all of 30 mins if
everyone helps out.
Party Night is next on the agenda, the one night in the week when
more than one beer can be consumed. This is most often a dress-up
event and the more bizarre the better, with a new theme chosen each
week. It truly is amazing what people can turn out with the very
limited resources we have here. But each week brings something new
and occasionally a little disturbing. Food is often a little more
special and we have a few awards to give out: Soa Bei and Tie Bei,
and the repercussions of each. More of the party atmosphere generally
ensues until the party is moved to the village to an epi-bar of
choice. Lots of dancing, Malagasy style, with a few of the favourite
fazaha (foreigners) tracks on a loop. Quick nips out to the loo
(beach, behind your pirogue of choice). The evening wears on.
This particular party night saw few of the staff out on the town as
we were planning a staff dive the next day for day off.You cant drink
and dive! Some reconnaissance dives for the new MPA sites.
A 4am-alarm call, dark dark dark, kit ready, boats prepared. Hello
and goodbye to the volunteers not yet gone to bed from the night
before! Off at 5:30am and arrive at the dive site in the Baie des
Assassins as 6:30am. Quite a large swell and some decent waves out,
pretty nippy as well. Five to dive and one to boat marshall (safety
and security are everything here). 27degrees, my how things are
getting chilly. Found the site that we had marked out on a previous
visit and listed coral species, fish and overall topography. A deep
site, 27m and a lot of pretty tabular corals and reef fish at the end
of the dive, whilst the beginning was more large pelagics and schools.
Out of the water and time to collect breakfast in the nearby fishing
village, Antsepoke. A shark and turtle data collection village, so we
got to see photos taken for the project, which included family shots
and a parade through the village, and not so many sharks or turtles
(small reprimand on battery power and the lack of after video clips
of loved ones!). Hmmm Delicious! Bok Bok (bit like a semi-dense doughnut hole)
and tea.
Second dive to a similar site. More soft coral, big groupers, unicorn
fish, nudi-branch etc. Nice diving, but still 4am is an eeeeeeeeeeeearly start!
Had to pop to another village to collect shark and turtle data, to
Laguna Blu to talk to the dive instructors there (possible working
relationship), and then off to lunch at Manga Lodge resort (where we
met all the volunteers who had walked over from Coco Beach). Moody
French patron, but beautiful chocolate sauce desert.
De-kit back at Coco Beach, staff meeting (next day planning),
volunteer meeting, dinner. No power again so early to bed after all
satellite phones and GPS are in the right hands for the 6am dive the
next day.
DAY OFF!
Madagascar: Multiple Evacuations!
10th April 2007
We wanted to call in the chopper, but it was busy!
A day in the life of expedition manager in Andavadoaka, with Blue
Ventures.
Morning arrives, I get a message from the medic that the patient is
improving and that he should be fine to continue with us on site. A
car is going north to Morombe, but the patient will be OK on site and
looks to make a full recovery. A massive relief as we do not want to
have to evacuate anyone when they have only just arrived.
BUT by 4pm the patient's condition has changed from stable and improving
to a medical emergency and we start the medivac procedure. How do we
get the patient out? There are lots of options but nothing is fast in
Madagascar and everything involves a lot of talk and planning. We use
the 3.5 Euros/min satellite phone to call the doctor in England for a
second and expert opinion and contact all medical facilities in
Tulear to find out whether we can have the patient fixed there.
Bingo, there are facilities with opthalmic divisions, but will they be good
enough to cure an eye ulcer? The night is drawing in and it
is getting late. Ideas of a 4x4 coming to pick up the patient are put
to bed, and an ever-worrying volunteer decides that if the insurance
company agrees the chopper is the way to go. The fastest means of
transport out of here. Even at 6.5K dollars that the volunteer was
prepared to pay for his sight. Of course that would be the case if all
the choppers were not being used in the north to help out with the
evacuation from the Cyclone up there.
I have to find an alternative. I call MAF pilots and am informed that
my best option will be to get the patient to Morombe (where the 4x4
went earlier, rubbish!) as a flight to Tulear from there will be
leaving at 10am the next morning. Late at night a lot of favours
needed to be asked. The rain was coming down and wind picking up.
(I failed to mention earlier that we were having a really bad bout of
bad weather,with what appeared to be the tail end of a cyclone. Transport
anywhere was an issue.)
I tried the catholic mission to see if their 4x4 or quad bike could
make the journey. Unfortunately the 4x4 was with the father
currently out of the village, and quad was not happening. Next port of
call was to ask Mr. Coco if he could drive us to Manga Lodge, a
French resort south of us, to ask them for use of their 4x4. However,
they had a baby with them and did not want their vehicle out of their
sight (understandable, but it wasn't going to help us). Asked Mr.
Coco if he would be prepared to drive to Morombe, as he was supposed
to be doing the journey in an extra day or two, though to be fair
with the bad weather destroying the road I was not convinced that the
car/ 4x4 would make it.
I also requested for one of the blue ventures local boat drivers to be
up at 5am so that I could make a decision
then (weather dependent) as to the mode of transport that the evacuee
would have. And after giving the patient a full briefing about all
that would happen, his medical options and who to talk to, it was
time for was bed for me, only to get up a few hours later to find
that neither boat nor car driver were up or ready to go.
Mr. Coco refused to go, so it was down to my speed boats to take said
patient all the way to Tulear, to meet some of our staff already
there, and be put in a 4x4 (arranged after he had left from Coco
Beach), to take him to the airport (a strip, not aware of the plane
that would be landing there at 10 00hours). My drivers returned at
1:30pm and my role in the evacuation was complete, apart from the
maternal worry about my volunteer getting his eye fixed somewhere in
Madagascar.
At lunch just moments after one evacuation has been finalised and out
of my logistical range, the daughter of a French lady working in the
village brought in her daughter with a head injury. The paramedic on
site treated the wound, but by the evening the request came to borrow
much of our fuel for another medical evacuation to Tulear, but this
time with the catholic mission speed boat. We found out a couple of
days later that this speedboat broke down on the way to Tulear and
took 2 days to get there!
And then.....local staff member Thomas had excruciating tooth ache
and needed to go to Tulear! Thankfully I found a 4x4 that was going
that way and managed to pack him off to get fixed.Now, 2 weeks later,
he has only just arrived back on-site as there is no power in Tulear,
there are student riots, and no transport!
Just another long day!
Our patient was very fortunate to be treated by a Malagasy educated
in Cambridge. He made it back to site on a fish truck, and a week
later was able to go in the water, undertake the PADI dive rescue
course and dive once again in Vezu (the tribe of fishermen on the
south-west coast) waters.
The sun is shining once again and all is well in 'remote' paradise
We wanted to call in the chopper, but it was busy!
A day in the life of expedition manager in Andavadoaka, with Blue
Ventures.
Morning arrives, I get a message from the medic that the patient is
improving and that he should be fine to continue with us on site. A
car is going north to Morombe, but the patient will be OK on site and
looks to make a full recovery. A massive relief as we do not want to
have to evacuate anyone when they have only just arrived.
BUT by 4pm the patient's condition has changed from stable and improving
to a medical emergency and we start the medivac procedure. How do we
get the patient out? There are lots of options but nothing is fast in
Madagascar and everything involves a lot of talk and planning. We use
the 3.5 Euros/min satellite phone to call the doctor in England for a
second and expert opinion and contact all medical facilities in
Tulear to find out whether we can have the patient fixed there.
Bingo, there are facilities with opthalmic divisions, but will they be good
enough to cure an eye ulcer? The night is drawing in and it
is getting late. Ideas of a 4x4 coming to pick up the patient are put
to bed, and an ever-worrying volunteer decides that if the insurance
company agrees the chopper is the way to go. The fastest means of
transport out of here. Even at 6.5K dollars that the volunteer was
prepared to pay for his sight. Of course that would be the case if all
the choppers were not being used in the north to help out with the
evacuation from the Cyclone up there.
I have to find an alternative. I call MAF pilots and am informed that
my best option will be to get the patient to Morombe (where the 4x4
went earlier, rubbish!) as a flight to Tulear from there will be
leaving at 10am the next morning. Late at night a lot of favours
needed to be asked. The rain was coming down and wind picking up.
(I failed to mention earlier that we were having a really bad bout of
bad weather,with what appeared to be the tail end of a cyclone. Transport
anywhere was an issue.)
I tried the catholic mission to see if their 4x4 or quad bike could
make the journey. Unfortunately the 4x4 was with the father
currently out of the village, and quad was not happening. Next port of
call was to ask Mr. Coco if he could drive us to Manga Lodge, a
French resort south of us, to ask them for use of their 4x4. However,
they had a baby with them and did not want their vehicle out of their
sight (understandable, but it wasn't going to help us). Asked Mr.
Coco if he would be prepared to drive to Morombe, as he was supposed
to be doing the journey in an extra day or two, though to be fair
with the bad weather destroying the road I was not convinced that the
car/ 4x4 would make it.
I also requested for one of the blue ventures local boat drivers to be
up at 5am so that I could make a decision
then (weather dependent) as to the mode of transport that the evacuee
would have. And after giving the patient a full briefing about all
that would happen, his medical options and who to talk to, it was
time for was bed for me, only to get up a few hours later to find
that neither boat nor car driver were up or ready to go.
Mr. Coco refused to go, so it was down to my speed boats to take said
patient all the way to Tulear, to meet some of our staff already
there, and be put in a 4x4 (arranged after he had left from Coco
Beach), to take him to the airport (a strip, not aware of the plane
that would be landing there at 10 00hours). My drivers returned at
1:30pm and my role in the evacuation was complete, apart from the
maternal worry about my volunteer getting his eye fixed somewhere in
Madagascar.
At lunch just moments after one evacuation has been finalised and out
of my logistical range, the daughter of a French lady working in the
village brought in her daughter with a head injury. The paramedic on
site treated the wound, but by the evening the request came to borrow
much of our fuel for another medical evacuation to Tulear, but this
time with the catholic mission speed boat. We found out a couple of
days later that this speedboat broke down on the way to Tulear and
took 2 days to get there!
And then.....local staff member Thomas had excruciating tooth ache
and needed to go to Tulear! Thankfully I found a 4x4 that was going
that way and managed to pack him off to get fixed.Now, 2 weeks later,
he has only just arrived back on-site as there is no power in Tulear,
there are student riots, and no transport!
Just another long day!
Our patient was very fortunate to be treated by a Malagasy educated
in Cambridge. He made it back to site on a fish truck, and a week
later was able to go in the water, undertake the PADI dive rescue
course and dive once again in Vezu (the tribe of fishermen on the
south-west coast) waters.
The sun is shining once again and all is well in 'remote' paradise
Madagascar: No Power and No Volunteers
4th April 2007
We have a generator at Coco Beach and it isn't the most reliable
piece of kit. I was warned that it was a little ill a few weeks in
advance and that we would only have power in 3 hour instalments whilst the oil was changed for each session. Then it went
down, in a fluctuating current kind of way, with the lights
flickering and becoming brighter then flickering in a downward spiral
until there was no more.
Sporadic electricity lasted 2 days before the generator died. This
was as the last group of volunteers (vols) were leaving and we were
going into interphase (time in-between expeditions to get everything
sorted on-site). No electricity for the entire interphase time as a
new generator (rust bucket) arrived from the capital Tana (with the
patron) and surprisingly (!) didn't work. Had to go north to Morombe
to be fixed and eventually return. A trek every evening to the other
side of the village ensued to find a generator that was working
enough for us to power up computers to get a little work done.
Always limited communication here in Andavadoaka. We expected the new
volunteers to arrive on-site the evening 2nd. Expected a days delay,
so were not surprised to hear over the BLU radio system that the 3rd
was the actual arrival day. Staff on-site sat out on the veranda
eating Kapiki (peanuts), drinking beer and waiting expectantly.
Dinner arrived and was devoured and we eventually called it a night.
5am a little knock at my door. Oh! They have arrived through the
night! Nope only 2, who had spent 6 hours in a Zebu cart (cow pulled
cart) to get to Andavadoaka to inform us that the truck bringing the
volunteers here had broken down about 2.5 hours drive away.
5am then was time for my day to start:
Wake up local staff Thomas, send him off to
Laguna Blu (Italian resort down the coast) so see whether their
camion (truck) could go and pick up all our weary travellers.
Wake up Vola (another local staff member and researcher) to find out
whether the 4x4 used by some visiting scientists at her residence
(Chez Antoine - the generator source) could be used in the rescue
mission. Contacted all 4x4 owners in the village and at Coco Beach.
There were enough 4x4s to pick up everyone and their bags, but the
excuses arrived, 'I donít have a spare wheel', 'I canít go!' and 'No,
it is not possible' (a grotty old French tourist).
Borrowed a 4x4 and driver to arrange the Laguna Blu camion to go and
collect, however on arrival they explained that the vehicle was not
really travel worthy for such a distance and they feared it too would
break down. A wasted journey, again!
My backup plan was then in action: Contact the catholic mission to
see whether we could use their 4x4 to collect the volunteers luggage
and then send our two speed boats (vedettes) to collect all the
volunteers and staff left stranded in the Baie des Assassins. Drivers
at the ready (we had to borrow a boat from WCS as one of ours had
been beached before the drivers/captains left), staff in place and
water and bread to be taken to sustain the troops. All out at 10:30am.
1300 Sat- phone call from Bic with the vols., the boats are stuck at
the wrong village, the tide is low and they could not collect the
bread and water (which incidentally went missing permanently). No
chance to send any more resources out there, so instructed them to
wait for the tide to become more favourable and return at 16:30 with
the boats.
First boat, our fast Tson Tso, arrived at 18:00, second boat arrived,
passengers a little more bedraggled, everyone seemed in pretty good
spirits, had been well looked after, had had a nice evening camping
out on the beach and a very tasty turkey dinner! Excited to finally
be here, have a wash and start the adventure all over again
This will be a good expedition!!
Of course still no power until 2 days later, but we have volunteers now.
We have a generator at Coco Beach and it isn't the most reliable
piece of kit. I was warned that it was a little ill a few weeks in
advance and that we would only have power in 3 hour instalments whilst the oil was changed for each session. Then it went
down, in a fluctuating current kind of way, with the lights
flickering and becoming brighter then flickering in a downward spiral
until there was no more.
Sporadic electricity lasted 2 days before the generator died. This
was as the last group of volunteers (vols) were leaving and we were
going into interphase (time in-between expeditions to get everything
sorted on-site). No electricity for the entire interphase time as a
new generator (rust bucket) arrived from the capital Tana (with the
patron) and surprisingly (!) didn't work. Had to go north to Morombe
to be fixed and eventually return. A trek every evening to the other
side of the village ensued to find a generator that was working
enough for us to power up computers to get a little work done.
Always limited communication here in Andavadoaka. We expected the new
volunteers to arrive on-site the evening 2nd. Expected a days delay,
so were not surprised to hear over the BLU radio system that the 3rd
was the actual arrival day. Staff on-site sat out on the veranda
eating Kapiki (peanuts), drinking beer and waiting expectantly.
Dinner arrived and was devoured and we eventually called it a night.
5am a little knock at my door. Oh! They have arrived through the
night! Nope only 2, who had spent 6 hours in a Zebu cart (cow pulled
cart) to get to Andavadoaka to inform us that the truck bringing the
volunteers here had broken down about 2.5 hours drive away.
5am then was time for my day to start:
Wake up local staff Thomas, send him off to
Laguna Blu (Italian resort down the coast) so see whether their
camion (truck) could go and pick up all our weary travellers.
Wake up Vola (another local staff member and researcher) to find out
whether the 4x4 used by some visiting scientists at her residence
(Chez Antoine - the generator source) could be used in the rescue
mission. Contacted all 4x4 owners in the village and at Coco Beach.
There were enough 4x4s to pick up everyone and their bags, but the
excuses arrived, 'I donít have a spare wheel', 'I canít go!' and 'No,
it is not possible' (a grotty old French tourist).
Borrowed a 4x4 and driver to arrange the Laguna Blu camion to go and
collect, however on arrival they explained that the vehicle was not
really travel worthy for such a distance and they feared it too would
break down. A wasted journey, again!
My backup plan was then in action: Contact the catholic mission to
see whether we could use their 4x4 to collect the volunteers luggage
and then send our two speed boats (vedettes) to collect all the
volunteers and staff left stranded in the Baie des Assassins. Drivers
at the ready (we had to borrow a boat from WCS as one of ours had
been beached before the drivers/captains left), staff in place and
water and bread to be taken to sustain the troops. All out at 10:30am.
1300 Sat- phone call from Bic with the vols., the boats are stuck at
the wrong village, the tide is low and they could not collect the
bread and water (which incidentally went missing permanently). No
chance to send any more resources out there, so instructed them to
wait for the tide to become more favourable and return at 16:30 with
the boats.
First boat, our fast Tson Tso, arrived at 18:00, second boat arrived,
passengers a little more bedraggled, everyone seemed in pretty good
spirits, had been well looked after, had had a nice evening camping
out on the beach and a very tasty turkey dinner! Excited to finally
be here, have a wash and start the adventure all over again
This will be a good expedition!!
Of course still no power until 2 days later, but we have volunteers now.
Madagascar: Who is Who with Blue Ventures in Andavadoaka
April 2007
International Staff
Jenny (me) - Expedition Manager
Garth Cripps - Project co-ordinator, works on the research proposals
and takes volunteers on trips to the new Marine Protected Area (MPA) sites
Pierre Maison - Dive Manager (soon to leave site unfortunately)
Ida Vincent - Field scientist, Swedish but lived in Australia
forever. Background in marine biology.
Sophie Benbow - Field scientist. Used to work in the London BV
office. Background marine mammals.
Malagasy Research Staff
Vola - Masters from Florida University, arrived at BV on an
expedition scholarship. Works on loads of projects inc. Shark and
turtle data collection, sea cucumber farming, womens group, Marine
Protected Areas (MPA), translation.
Daniel - Long standing 3 years research on Octopus reproductive
systems, currently finishing masters. General good guy and the local
ladies seem to love him.
Gildas - Trained as a law student, arrived at BV in Andavadoaka on a
short-term contract and now runs the socio-economic projects and
surveys in all the MPA villages, organises meetings about the future
eco-lodge.
Local Malagasy Staff
Bic - trained up research assistant, dive master. Knows all the
sites, has been with BV from the beginning. Works on the MPA, fish
monitoring projects and mapping of the Baobabs. Can fix most dive
equipment, trained electrician, runs Club Alo Alo, the marine
education program in the village.
All around good guy.
Thomas - assistant on the shark and turtle project, dive master in
training. Drives the boats, helps out on all dive courses. He used to
be a shark fisherman, but now teaches people how to sail a pirogue in
his spare time.
James - Boat driver, used to fill tanks. Is starting his Dive Rescue
course soon. Helps the dive manager fix equipment. Is great on the
guitar and helps Bic run Club Alo Alo. Needs help learning English.
Angelo - Runs the compressor to fill tanks, learning how to drive the
boats, works on the sea cucumbers, collects water samples (to be sent
back to London for analysis). Our newest member of staff, great fun,
learning English fast.
Marcellin - Boat driver, just finished his advanced PADI course.
Fila - guards the eco-lodge land
Zafi - guards Coco Beach and all our dive equipment. Makes great
necklaces
15 Blue Ventures staff in Andavadoaka, Madagascar. An array of skills
and research projects.
International Staff
Jenny (me) - Expedition Manager
Garth Cripps - Project co-ordinator, works on the research proposals
and takes volunteers on trips to the new Marine Protected Area (MPA) sites
Pierre Maison - Dive Manager (soon to leave site unfortunately)
Ida Vincent - Field scientist, Swedish but lived in Australia
forever. Background in marine biology.
Sophie Benbow - Field scientist. Used to work in the London BV
office. Background marine mammals.
Malagasy Research Staff
Vola - Masters from Florida University, arrived at BV on an
expedition scholarship. Works on loads of projects inc. Shark and
turtle data collection, sea cucumber farming, womens group, Marine
Protected Areas (MPA), translation.
Daniel - Long standing 3 years research on Octopus reproductive
systems, currently finishing masters. General good guy and the local
ladies seem to love him.
Gildas - Trained as a law student, arrived at BV in Andavadoaka on a
short-term contract and now runs the socio-economic projects and
surveys in all the MPA villages, organises meetings about the future
eco-lodge.
Local Malagasy Staff
Bic - trained up research assistant, dive master. Knows all the
sites, has been with BV from the beginning. Works on the MPA, fish
monitoring projects and mapping of the Baobabs. Can fix most dive
equipment, trained electrician, runs Club Alo Alo, the marine
education program in the village.
All around good guy.
Thomas - assistant on the shark and turtle project, dive master in
training. Drives the boats, helps out on all dive courses. He used to
be a shark fisherman, but now teaches people how to sail a pirogue in
his spare time.
James - Boat driver, used to fill tanks. Is starting his Dive Rescue
course soon. Helps the dive manager fix equipment. Is great on the
guitar and helps Bic run Club Alo Alo. Needs help learning English.
Angelo - Runs the compressor to fill tanks, learning how to drive the
boats, works on the sea cucumbers, collects water samples (to be sent
back to London for analysis). Our newest member of staff, great fun,
learning English fast.
Marcellin - Boat driver, just finished his advanced PADI course.
Fila - guards the eco-lodge land
Zafi - guards Coco Beach and all our dive equipment. Makes great
necklaces
15 Blue Ventures staff in Andavadoaka, Madagascar. An array of skills
and research projects.
Saturday, 31 March 2007
Pirogue Race
..........And they're off. A blazing hot afternoon in March, the wind is
good and the waves are...... well, wavy. Four Vezo per Pirogue all working
hard to keep the boat moving faster, faster, faster. Jumping, pushing,
standing, pulling, ropes out, ropes in. What a commotion!
But soon everything is running smoothly, you can hear the sails taking every breath of wind that is on offer. You watch as 20 pirogues sail seemingly effortlessly
out to sea. Willing the pirogue on ever faster, this is a RACE.
Here comes the half-way point, the loop around Nosy Fasy Island. Some boats are
grounded, some are swept further out and caught in cross-winds. Its time to
hop out and drag the boat around the sandy island, duck as the sail swings
around, pull on the ropes, change the angle, hop back in and sail like the
wind back to Andavadoaka.
Fast and fun, safe and exhilarating and I was only a passenger! Fantastic experience, the vezo at their best, this is what they do and they do it so so well with real gusto and charisma.
It was a really good day though, very busy but a great day.
good and the waves are...... well, wavy. Four Vezo per Pirogue all working
hard to keep the boat moving faster, faster, faster. Jumping, pushing,
standing, pulling, ropes out, ropes in. What a commotion!
But soon everything is running smoothly, you can hear the sails taking every breath of wind that is on offer. You watch as 20 pirogues sail seemingly effortlessly
out to sea. Willing the pirogue on ever faster, this is a RACE.
Here comes the half-way point, the loop around Nosy Fasy Island. Some boats are
grounded, some are swept further out and caught in cross-winds. Its time to
hop out and drag the boat around the sandy island, duck as the sail swings
around, pull on the ropes, change the angle, hop back in and sail like the
wind back to Andavadoaka.
Fast and fun, safe and exhilarating and I was only a passenger! Fantastic experience, the vezo at their best, this is what they do and they do it so so well with real gusto and charisma.
It was a really good day though, very busy but a great day.
Monday, 12 February 2007
Marine Protected Areas and their fisherman
One of the groundbreaking projects going on at Blue Ventures (BV) in
Andavadoaka is related to the Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). Basically the villages choose their best fishing reefs and put them in the MPA, which means that they have agreed not to fish there anymore. This will hopefully allow fish stocks to replenish and increase, and then overflow from these sites so that the fishing in the area will become more sustainable for the growing and future population.
What is unusual is the gusto with which the fishermen and villagers have taken to the project, even though they are giving up their best fishing sites. They have seen from previous (BV) projects in the area, ie ‘Octopus no-take zones’ that these initiatives really can work and that their catch can increase by initially NOT fishing at critical times.
Setting up the MPA involves lots of visits to all the villages, meeting with all the Nahudas (chiefs)and snorkeling the proposed sites. We then need to dive the sites, assess their worth, map and stake transects so that science studies (both benthic and fish) can be undertaken.
I spent a day on a motorized pirogue (a hollowed out tree fishing boat, with an outrigger to keep it from falling over, and a small motor) visiting the villages, organising meetings, sites etc. We braved the waves on the way to Nosy Ve
(‘Nosy’ means island in Malagasy), although I'm not sure why all the boys get to be at the back and the girls had to sit up front and get battered by the waves,
very refreshing though on such a warm day!
Really interesting to see the fishermen get so animated and involved with the project, drawing maps, describing the depth of a site (a fisherman’s metre is his arm span), what fish they might catch there etc. The ambience was also helped by a storm which was passing overhead so that there was a strong wind and rain and we were in the most secure little school room on the island, with chalk and a blackboard, outside the most fantastic dark looming clouds, bright sea and spectacular rainbow! We spent the night on a neighbouring island. Hoping to sleep out
on a sail on the beach after our fish and rice dinner with a lovely campfire.
But the rain stopped play and we had to drag the sail into a small hut
with 6 of us packed like sardines, but hey we were dry! I awoke to the sound of
noisy mosquitoes in the morning,4am, and had to relinquish the sail, as the
fish were ready to bite.
I made a baby cry mainly because I am a scary white person. Its not the first time I have got this reaction, but the parents think it is pretty funny. I also tried to find the best and most scenic lavatory, but on a small flat island with not really any vegetation this can be quite a hard task, so a slight rocky outcrop at one end of the island just out of view from the village was a lovely spot for ermmmmmmm, enjoying the crystal clear water at 6am!
We had rice pancakes for breakfast before attending more village meetings before we were out to GPS the potential MPA sites. As the depth sounder failed, we had to send
down a manual one, namely our local staff member ‘BIC’ who with the aid of a dive computer would collect the depth of the reef after free-diving for us. Apparently there were some good reefs but by the time I jumped in we had drifted back over to the deep blue areas. I did manage to see a few notable fish and some good coral though, and I avoided all the jellyfish, winner! Very pleased to get out of the sun, though I still feel as though I am rocking on the boat. Really exhausting for a couple of hours work, but oh so rewarding.
Andavadoaka is related to the Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). Basically the villages choose their best fishing reefs and put them in the MPA, which means that they have agreed not to fish there anymore. This will hopefully allow fish stocks to replenish and increase, and then overflow from these sites so that the fishing in the area will become more sustainable for the growing and future population.
What is unusual is the gusto with which the fishermen and villagers have taken to the project, even though they are giving up their best fishing sites. They have seen from previous (BV) projects in the area, ie ‘Octopus no-take zones’ that these initiatives really can work and that their catch can increase by initially NOT fishing at critical times.
Setting up the MPA involves lots of visits to all the villages, meeting with all the Nahudas (chiefs)and snorkeling the proposed sites. We then need to dive the sites, assess their worth, map and stake transects so that science studies (both benthic and fish) can be undertaken.
I spent a day on a motorized pirogue (a hollowed out tree fishing boat, with an outrigger to keep it from falling over, and a small motor) visiting the villages, organising meetings, sites etc. We braved the waves on the way to Nosy Ve
(‘Nosy’ means island in Malagasy), although I'm not sure why all the boys get to be at the back and the girls had to sit up front and get battered by the waves,
very refreshing though on such a warm day!
Really interesting to see the fishermen get so animated and involved with the project, drawing maps, describing the depth of a site (a fisherman’s metre is his arm span), what fish they might catch there etc. The ambience was also helped by a storm which was passing overhead so that there was a strong wind and rain and we were in the most secure little school room on the island, with chalk and a blackboard, outside the most fantastic dark looming clouds, bright sea and spectacular rainbow! We spent the night on a neighbouring island. Hoping to sleep out
on a sail on the beach after our fish and rice dinner with a lovely campfire.
But the rain stopped play and we had to drag the sail into a small hut
with 6 of us packed like sardines, but hey we were dry! I awoke to the sound of
noisy mosquitoes in the morning,4am, and had to relinquish the sail, as the
fish were ready to bite.
I made a baby cry mainly because I am a scary white person. Its not the first time I have got this reaction, but the parents think it is pretty funny. I also tried to find the best and most scenic lavatory, but on a small flat island with not really any vegetation this can be quite a hard task, so a slight rocky outcrop at one end of the island just out of view from the village was a lovely spot for ermmmmmmm, enjoying the crystal clear water at 6am!
We had rice pancakes for breakfast before attending more village meetings before we were out to GPS the potential MPA sites. As the depth sounder failed, we had to send
down a manual one, namely our local staff member ‘BIC’ who with the aid of a dive computer would collect the depth of the reef after free-diving for us. Apparently there were some good reefs but by the time I jumped in we had drifted back over to the deep blue areas. I did manage to see a few notable fish and some good coral though, and I avoided all the jellyfish, winner! Very pleased to get out of the sun, though I still feel as though I am rocking on the boat. Really exhausting for a couple of hours work, but oh so rewarding.
Monday, 5 February 2007
The Baobab Forest with a few friends
We decided to take a walk to the Baobab forest. The trees are absolutely fascinating. They have huge trunks which store water and are leafless for nine months of the year. As the zebu carts really are quite uncomfortable to ride in and these forests aren't really very far away it seemed a good idea to walk and our plan was to play 'distressed bird' calls and watch the birds come in to defend their distressed but very digital friend.
Baobabs are always very charismatic and it was a nice long walk into the forest until one of my walking sandals broke! Well, it had got me there at least, but then I was a bit stuck. Thankfully a drawstring belt came to my rescue and I was able
to hobble about on the really sharp limestone. There were lots of butterflies, a few
birds (very upset!) and a couple of snakes which were definitely the highlight. Of
course they really aren't that different from the ones that we occasionally see
around site, but it is just great to see them (a large male and a mini female) and even being black and white they are still well camouflaged. They weren't really phased by our presence at all, or the fact that I was trying to get my camera as close into their face as possible (to try and get it into focus.)
However, if this had been a Boa (a 3m long one has been seen in the spiny forest before) I would be reacting in a completely different manner, but little harmless snakes are different. Thankfully there are no venomous ones here.
My previous comment about the Zebu carts being very uncomfortable now had a new significance as with a broken shoe I had to take one back to the village. To be fair these were the healthiest Zebus I have seen since being here, with nice shiny coats and big round bellies. But the ride was still uncomfortable, almost even more so as we were sitting on the edge of the cart and we literally galloped down a rocky
broken path. So much so that Clio (who was with me in the cart) was quite another shade of pale as every now and again she would nearly fall out backwards. It was actually a bit scary, so at the end we tried to sit inside the cart. But then we were afraid that the whole thing might just topple over! However, on the bright side although we were going so fast we thought that we might beat the others back and be able to go for a swim! But they actually walked in a direct path and only took 5 more mins than us even though we were going at full pelt on the windy road.
But hey, it was just another little adventure.
Baobabs are always very charismatic and it was a nice long walk into the forest until one of my walking sandals broke! Well, it had got me there at least, but then I was a bit stuck. Thankfully a drawstring belt came to my rescue and I was able
to hobble about on the really sharp limestone. There were lots of butterflies, a few
birds (very upset!) and a couple of snakes which were definitely the highlight. Of
course they really aren't that different from the ones that we occasionally see
around site, but it is just great to see them (a large male and a mini female) and even being black and white they are still well camouflaged. They weren't really phased by our presence at all, or the fact that I was trying to get my camera as close into their face as possible (to try and get it into focus.)
However, if this had been a Boa (a 3m long one has been seen in the spiny forest before) I would be reacting in a completely different manner, but little harmless snakes are different. Thankfully there are no venomous ones here.
My previous comment about the Zebu carts being very uncomfortable now had a new significance as with a broken shoe I had to take one back to the village. To be fair these were the healthiest Zebus I have seen since being here, with nice shiny coats and big round bellies. But the ride was still uncomfortable, almost even more so as we were sitting on the edge of the cart and we literally galloped down a rocky
broken path. So much so that Clio (who was with me in the cart) was quite another shade of pale as every now and again she would nearly fall out backwards. It was actually a bit scary, so at the end we tried to sit inside the cart. But then we were afraid that the whole thing might just topple over! However, on the bright side although we were going so fast we thought that we might beat the others back and be able to go for a swim! But they actually walked in a direct path and only took 5 more mins than us even though we were going at full pelt on the windy road.
But hey, it was just another little adventure.
The Flamingoes Goes
January 25th 2007
The rain came down and down and down. So there really was not much diving to be done. But this meant that the inland lakes were hopefully filling up. A few of us took a quick walk into the village to wake up one of our local staff members, Thomas, and ask him to show us to the lakes. Of course he was more than happy to oblige (all our local staff are fantastic). We walked and walked and passed lake after lake, getting hotter and hotter, the umbrellas went up, but still nothing! Please, not a long walk in the 35 degree heat of the day to see a couple of Zebuis (the local cows with a hump) in the newly greened grass.
'One last lake!' came the call and then suddenly we walked into a flock of flamingoes. Hoorah! Of course they were pretty far away in the lake but as these are only occasional lakes, and are really just depressions in the ground, we could just roll up our shorts and wade through the mud and slime to get a closer look. It was pretty slippy but we made it to the next clump of grass with cameras intact. It didn't look as if we could get any closer, so we decided not to go much further as there was not much added benefit and we were able to watch from there as the pink mass of birds moved around. A few others trudged on and thankfully they disturbed the birds so that they flocked and flew and flew all around and swirled and then landed. A truly amazing and wild sight.
The flamingoes are only found here in Madagascar at this precise time of year, and we went on a walk to find them and we were successful and located them on the lake.
Of course when we returned to site those who had not gone to find them saw a small flock of flamingoes fly by. But that isn't quite the same. We had made the effort and we were rewarded by seeing them in their natural habitat on the lake. Excellent!
The rain came down and down and down. So there really was not much diving to be done. But this meant that the inland lakes were hopefully filling up. A few of us took a quick walk into the village to wake up one of our local staff members, Thomas, and ask him to show us to the lakes. Of course he was more than happy to oblige (all our local staff are fantastic). We walked and walked and passed lake after lake, getting hotter and hotter, the umbrellas went up, but still nothing! Please, not a long walk in the 35 degree heat of the day to see a couple of Zebuis (the local cows with a hump) in the newly greened grass.
'One last lake!' came the call and then suddenly we walked into a flock of flamingoes. Hoorah! Of course they were pretty far away in the lake but as these are only occasional lakes, and are really just depressions in the ground, we could just roll up our shorts and wade through the mud and slime to get a closer look. It was pretty slippy but we made it to the next clump of grass with cameras intact. It didn't look as if we could get any closer, so we decided not to go much further as there was not much added benefit and we were able to watch from there as the pink mass of birds moved around. A few others trudged on and thankfully they disturbed the birds so that they flocked and flew and flew all around and swirled and then landed. A truly amazing and wild sight.
The flamingoes are only found here in Madagascar at this precise time of year, and we went on a walk to find them and we were successful and located them on the lake.
Of course when we returned to site those who had not gone to find them saw a small flock of flamingoes fly by. But that isn't quite the same. We had made the effort and we were rewarded by seeing them in their natural habitat on the lake. Excellent!
Sunday, 14 January 2007
When the Rains Come!
When it rains it really does rain!
Well, to be fair, it is Cyclone season. Not sure whether it is because the buildings are pretty flimsy and not at all water tight. Or whether the rain and the force of the winds make it sound really that much worse than in the UK. But the combination of large noisy crashing waves, white caps where there shouldn't be, and horizontal rain makes for a very interesting evening for sure. Your mind does play tricks on you at night. Are things really that more intense and loud, or is it just the stillness of trying to get to sleep. Anyway, we had our first proper side of a cyclone.
To me it seemed really bad weather, to the locals it was nothing! Of course I have been saying for ages that we are still really dry here, but after the first of, no doubt, a series of inundations and the worst to come, we now have lots of little green shoots coming up through the sand trying to make the football pitch all green. Of course the goats soon nibble anything they can find, but in this circle of life that will eventually end up on our dinner plate! The fact that the goats also eat the used paper out of the bins in the toilet will not get more of a mention than that! Enough said, I think!
Shutters were all banging and walls leaking, but thankfully only 36 hours of the wet weather before it subsided and we hope with better visibility to start the first diving of this expedition tomorrow. In the aftermath, all the wood has swollen, the doors aren't locking and the decking has all been pulled up. But hey, the sun is shining, there is a slight breeze, and most importantly we have electricity back on again, and fewer electric shocks now things have dried out a little.
A great day to be in Coco Beach.
Well, to be fair, it is Cyclone season. Not sure whether it is because the buildings are pretty flimsy and not at all water tight. Or whether the rain and the force of the winds make it sound really that much worse than in the UK. But the combination of large noisy crashing waves, white caps where there shouldn't be, and horizontal rain makes for a very interesting evening for sure. Your mind does play tricks on you at night. Are things really that more intense and loud, or is it just the stillness of trying to get to sleep. Anyway, we had our first proper side of a cyclone.
To me it seemed really bad weather, to the locals it was nothing! Of course I have been saying for ages that we are still really dry here, but after the first of, no doubt, a series of inundations and the worst to come, we now have lots of little green shoots coming up through the sand trying to make the football pitch all green. Of course the goats soon nibble anything they can find, but in this circle of life that will eventually end up on our dinner plate! The fact that the goats also eat the used paper out of the bins in the toilet will not get more of a mention than that! Enough said, I think!
Shutters were all banging and walls leaking, but thankfully only 36 hours of the wet weather before it subsided and we hope with better visibility to start the first diving of this expedition tomorrow. In the aftermath, all the wood has swollen, the doors aren't locking and the decking has all been pulled up. But hey, the sun is shining, there is a slight breeze, and most importantly we have electricity back on again, and fewer electric shocks now things have dried out a little.
A great day to be in Coco Beach.
Saturday, 13 January 2007
Christmas in Andavadoaka
What a whirl wind of a non-holiday.
On 20th December all the volunteers left the site and took with them the majority of the staff who were having a well earned break. But that left a few of us on site to pick up all the pieces and sort out 3 years worth of accumulated junk. In addition to having to sort out a lot of stuff, we were fumbling everything and were super-inefficient as the staff who had gone had also taken with them a lot of their accumulated knowledge and expertise!
Who planned a 5am dive for the first day??
Well, lets just say that the mind was willing, the body wasn't totally capable. Getting up in the dark and having to dig out a fleece to keep warm and find all my dive gear with a feeble torch was a sleepy and very inefficient process. Not mentally prepared to find out that there didn't seem to be a fuel key anywhere around and all the key protectors had left site. Breaking the door down started to look like a distinct possibility until the discovery of another keyholder but that was to a second lock (which revealed the lock to which we did have a key). Bingo.
I also had to go on the death march a couple more times to retrieve the satellite phones, then to collect another GPS to get the correct points for our sites. All this was undertaken wearing a full 5mm wetsuit in the now 28degree sunny weather over ultra reflective white white sand. Slightly uncomfortable!
But so worth it! The dives were fantastic.
A double dive: Andravamaike: Sea Mount at 25m. A myriad of large schools of large fish(unicorn fish, snappers), a 1.5m potato grouper who just hung around, a couple of large barracudas, a massive mackerel which dwarfed the shark that was apparently in the distance (we all got distracted). Slight current but that just enabled us to drift through all the schools. Fantastic, unfortunately as it was a deep dive we were restricted to 20minutes.
FAD Fish Aggregating Device: This dive was to check out whether there really were many large fish, pelagic predators hanging around the device set at the surface of 300m (in the deep blue). Some talk of sharks, deep, deep water in the open blue and near where the shark fishermen cast their nets had me slightly nervous, but hey, I have neoprene and lots of bubbles. This was the reason for the full length 5mm suit, no flesh showing means I look nothing like a tasty fishy!
A good dive just to hang out in the open ocean, see the FAD, see lots of little juvenile golden trevally etc, but no big fish. At least none that I saw! Apparently there was a 2.5m shark cruising just above and around us, but I managed to miss the whole thing. I got that there was some alert (shouting through the regulator) but didn't see a sausage. Needless to say the snorkeler above was well out of the water!
Was pretty pleased with myself having taken my first lot of good underwater photos, sure some of them will be badly out of focus, but the charismatic grouper was dead still for the perfect shot. Of course there is a reason for me to congratulate myself in that previously Alasdair the Boss/coral freak, extracted all the photos from the camera and proceeded to delete all the fish pictures as they weren't of interest to him 'Why? Because there were no coral pictures!' Yep, that was the only copy and pretty much it. So I was upset.
OK that was just one morning. The rest of Christmas was taken up with doing chores mainly and the odd dive. Most of the staff left on site had cut feet and weren't able to get into the water so diving was off!
An odd Christmas time really, too much to do, not enough time. Really quite a whirlwind. The day we did take off to visit the fancy Italian hotel, it rained and rained, and it was a long walk there (1hr20mins), but we managed to get a lift in a truck on the way back. The food, though nice, just happened to be pretty much the same as we had for our evening meal, rubbish!
Ah well! back to real work and time to relax! Sorry, is this paradise or something.
On 20th December all the volunteers left the site and took with them the majority of the staff who were having a well earned break. But that left a few of us on site to pick up all the pieces and sort out 3 years worth of accumulated junk. In addition to having to sort out a lot of stuff, we were fumbling everything and were super-inefficient as the staff who had gone had also taken with them a lot of their accumulated knowledge and expertise!
Who planned a 5am dive for the first day??
Well, lets just say that the mind was willing, the body wasn't totally capable. Getting up in the dark and having to dig out a fleece to keep warm and find all my dive gear with a feeble torch was a sleepy and very inefficient process. Not mentally prepared to find out that there didn't seem to be a fuel key anywhere around and all the key protectors had left site. Breaking the door down started to look like a distinct possibility until the discovery of another keyholder but that was to a second lock (which revealed the lock to which we did have a key). Bingo.
I also had to go on the death march a couple more times to retrieve the satellite phones, then to collect another GPS to get the correct points for our sites. All this was undertaken wearing a full 5mm wetsuit in the now 28degree sunny weather over ultra reflective white white sand. Slightly uncomfortable!
But so worth it! The dives were fantastic.
A double dive: Andravamaike: Sea Mount at 25m. A myriad of large schools of large fish(unicorn fish, snappers), a 1.5m potato grouper who just hung around, a couple of large barracudas, a massive mackerel which dwarfed the shark that was apparently in the distance (we all got distracted). Slight current but that just enabled us to drift through all the schools. Fantastic, unfortunately as it was a deep dive we were restricted to 20minutes.
FAD Fish Aggregating Device: This dive was to check out whether there really were many large fish, pelagic predators hanging around the device set at the surface of 300m (in the deep blue). Some talk of sharks, deep, deep water in the open blue and near where the shark fishermen cast their nets had me slightly nervous, but hey, I have neoprene and lots of bubbles. This was the reason for the full length 5mm suit, no flesh showing means I look nothing like a tasty fishy!
A good dive just to hang out in the open ocean, see the FAD, see lots of little juvenile golden trevally etc, but no big fish. At least none that I saw! Apparently there was a 2.5m shark cruising just above and around us, but I managed to miss the whole thing. I got that there was some alert (shouting through the regulator) but didn't see a sausage. Needless to say the snorkeler above was well out of the water!
Was pretty pleased with myself having taken my first lot of good underwater photos, sure some of them will be badly out of focus, but the charismatic grouper was dead still for the perfect shot. Of course there is a reason for me to congratulate myself in that previously Alasdair the Boss/coral freak, extracted all the photos from the camera and proceeded to delete all the fish pictures as they weren't of interest to him 'Why? Because there were no coral pictures!' Yep, that was the only copy and pretty much it. So I was upset.
OK that was just one morning. The rest of Christmas was taken up with doing chores mainly and the odd dive. Most of the staff left on site had cut feet and weren't able to get into the water so diving was off!
An odd Christmas time really, too much to do, not enough time. Really quite a whirlwind. The day we did take off to visit the fancy Italian hotel, it rained and rained, and it was a long walk there (1hr20mins), but we managed to get a lift in a truck on the way back. The food, though nice, just happened to be pretty much the same as we had for our evening meal, rubbish!
Ah well! back to real work and time to relax! Sorry, is this paradise or something.
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