First, I would like to introduce the Traveller's Palm:
At first, I thought this was called the 'Topless Palm', because it doesn't have a top in the same way as a regular Palm. I was wrong, but I feel like maybe that is a cooler name... Anyway, the reason the Traveller's Palm is called such is because potable water gathers where the leaves meet, so in the olden days, if you found one of these trees, you were guaranteed a drink. This tree is emblematic of Madagascar, almost as much so as the baobab, which is why it warrants a special mention.
Next up is something I saw on the trekking in Isalo. I basically just missed it at the time, and now I don't want to alter the post in case the order gets messed up.
This is a Betsileo coffin. Note I say coffin, and not grave, because this coffin has no remains inside. The Betsileo hole up their dead in small caves (near my finger, above), and cover the entrance with a drystone wall to keep animals etc out. After a few years, they exhume the remains, and take them to a bigger, family cave/tomb, higher up in the mountains, where they will remain indefinitely. I think they do this so that the corpse dries out prior to being placed in the family tomb, so nothing on the new corpse will disturb the old ones.
The whole thing is a little macabre I know, but this is more or less the only human Madagascan history I have found! There is a reason for this though; I asked Mamy. Basically, there were NO indigenous humans in Madagascar. There were a few Africans, Indians, South East Asians, and Norweigans (yeah, Norweigans apparently), who found the place earlier, but not enough to form a native population with their own culture. Basically everyone is descended from the French colonists.
Finally, since there was outrage that I never mentioned yesterday's lunch: I had crustade de la mer, which was bread covered in calamari, shrimp, and fish, with a sauce, and sautéed potatoes, followed by crepe chocolat. All very nice, the food here at this hotel is brilliant!
Okay, now for yesterday evening/today!
After lazing for a while, it was time for tea. I intended on only having one course this time, but the starter of meille fueille (spelling?) aka sliced potato and chicken in a curryish sauce sounded too good to pass up, and indeed was amazing! The main, which was spaghetti fruits de mer, was essentially the same as my main at lunch. Still nice, but a bit disappointing in the variety stakes.
Bed was after that. I tried to stay up a bit later since breakfast was open till 10, but I failed, and went to sleep at 10:30. Correspondingly, I couldn't sleep past 8:30, so got up for breakfast.
It was essentially the same as many other places in Madagascar; bread, jam/honey, choice of egg, and fruit, but since I've eaten a lot of that stuff lately I know that this was high class stuff! The coffee especially had real milk (ie not condensed), so was great. I am going to murder some cereal back in England though!
Whilst breakfasting I saw a metallic looking blue/green hummingbird, and a black with white polka dots swallow tailled butterfly. Lovely!
Fiona turned up just as Meryl, Nick, and I finished eating, and told us the fishing boats would be coming in to the nearby village shortly, and did we fancy a walk? We all decided to, not having any other big plans.
The sun was hot, and so we took our time walking. Along the beach lots of shells and corals wash up, some of them pristine thanks to the gentleness of waves inside the lagoon. A lot of the shells are like mirrors on the inside, and what I at first though was bits of driftwood are actually bits of HUGE mollusc shell (I'd guess a whole one might be a foot long).
Half way there, we found a puffer fish washed ashore. It must've done so quite recently, given how pristine it looked, but alas when we chucked it back in the sea it proved to be dead. A shame. We also saw a white crow catch one of the little crabs, and have about as hard a time with it as I had with crayfish in Ranomafana!
At the fishing village, the boats (called pirogues) were indeed just coming in when we arrived. They aren't the most robust of constructions, made entirely from bolsa wood apparently, and the sails are a colourful patchwork of old sacks sewn together. This doesn't really matter in a lagoon though, it is calm enough that you could go out on a couple of logs tied together and be fine.
There wasn't much to do after the boats were in, unless you count being hassled by kids. I don't though, and neither did anyone else, so we left back to the hotel.
At this point it was getting on time for lunch, so i went to the blackboard (where they put up what is available at any give mealtime), and chose brochettes de zebu. Why? Well that was the only thing that wasn't fish or salad in the starter and main sections! It was probably the best brochettes I've had, with a lovely sauce on the side, though not the best zebu I've had.
I lazed around for much of the afternoon, only taking a walk up the beach in the other direction for 45 minutes (round trip). There was oddly little that way. No crabs. No shells (though I think this is because the tide was coming in), just a few rocks, 2 dogs, a man herding some goats, and some plant things growing straight through the beach. I returned coincidentally at the same time as sunset.
Tomorrow we fly back to Tana, and prepare to depart, so really this has been my last day of holiday type stuff. It hasn't been bad!
I think it's good have a restful last day. I have enjoyed reading your blog Chris and it has given me an insight into Madagasca.
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