Travel blog: Arrival in Paradise

Sara LeHoullier is going exploring both on and off the beaten path on the world’s fourth-largest island for three months. She shares her experiences in Madagascar with travelbite.co.uk in her tenth blog entry:

I’m having a hard time concentrating on blog posts here in paradise, partly because of the stunning scenery and my constant desire to go swimming (I’m going to wear my bathing suite forever!), and partly because of this crazy lemur.

We were just sitting here on our porch, a few short strides from the clear blue sea, doing some work (and you thought this was vacation), and this huge lemur just lumbered up to us, started trying to drink our coffee, then climbed onto Nico’s lap, grabbing with its little human hands.

He then proceeded into our bungalow to try and climb the bookshelf to see what was on top. I had to pick it up to get it out (which is more difficult than it sounds), and it wrapped around my arm like it was a tree branch. Our little puppy friend (we named him Samwise Gamgee – fine, we’re dorks) that lives here at the Ylang Village came to our rescue, and the lemur was off to stalk someone else’s coffee.

OK, so it’s not exactly legal to keep lemurs as pets. But this one is so cute and funny and fearless. We named him Norman Steve Dangerfield. It seems like he’s having a good time scaring the pants off the tourists and lounging around in the empty beds, propped up on pillows like a little hairy emperor (he even has a white beard!).

Our trip yesterday was the stuff of bad dreams. We woke up at 04:15 (after I had thrown up the night before for no apparent reason except having eaten too much pizza… what’s that about!). We packed up our things in minutes, and were out the door into the drizzly rain.

Crazy Taxi

A few blocks later, we arrived at the taxibrousse station for Soanierana Ivongo, the place to get the boats to Sainte Marie. They had told us to get there at 05:00, and in true vazaha fashion, we did as we were told. Now, I lived here for a long time, and am aware that nothing ever leaves on time, yet I stubbornly insist on not being tardy, and therefore look like an idiot constantly.

No one else was in the car yet, and the rain was increasing by the minute. Finally, we left the station, with just the two of us in tow.

We drove around town for at least an hour before becoming so full that I’m not sure how the people in back could breathe. The next three hours were spent at either breakneck speed or in stopping mode to pick up more people (how did they fit?!) or let people off, or deliver a letter, or buy some rice, or whatever.

It was not fun, especially since I got the seat right next to the driver, which was entirely un-cushioned and perhaps made of a plank of wood. Also, every time the chauffer (driver) shifted or put on the emergency brake (which was a lot because of the stopping), he would have to move my leg aside. My whole butt was asleep after the first 15 minutes.

Soanierana Ivongo

We pulled into Soanierana Ivongo around 10:00, and sauntered over to the boats, hoping to wheedle our way into the resident price, which is 5,000 AR. They didn’t believe my story about living in Tamatave and waiting for my resident papers. We ended up paying 60,000 AR per person, and I was livid.

Of course, I shouldn’t have been angry – they were just doing their job and I was trying to lie. I’m a very bad liar, and Nico isn’t convincing as a resident, as he speaks neither French nor Malagasy.

The Gasikara was an OK boat; the ride was about 90 minutes of ups and downs, but at least the seats were cushioned. After we ate a not-so-good lunch and found the first bathroom we had seen in seven hours (we also witnessed a goose getting run-over by a taxibrousse – its goose friends got really upset and started walking all over the body, nudging it with their beaks, and honking inconsolably – it was one of the saddest things I’ve ever seen), we boarded yet another taxibrousse to take us to the southern tip of Sainte Marie, so we could go to Ile aux Nattes, a small blob of an island only reachable by canoe.

This taxibrousse was quite possibly the worst automobile I have ever seen in my life.

It had to be push-started and its top speed was about 15 miles per hour; add that to the road in disrepair for most of the way, and you get a very cranky Sara. At the end of that road, we were approached by about five canoe rowers, chose the one that was most persistent, and paid our 2,000 AR/person to be rowed about 500 feet, in water shallow enough to walk through (but obviously not with all our baggage).

Ile Aux Nattes

Finally, we set our tired feet on Ile Aux Nattes. Disregarding all recommendations, we took off on our own around the west side of the island. I had been here before, but couldn’t remember the name of the hotel. Flip-flopping through the sand, getting more sunburnt by the second, we finally happened upon the Ylang Village, which is where I stayed with my friends in 2007.

It was still standing, and offered a pretty good rate for a great little bungalow with its own shower and toilet (score!) and breakfast included.

And here we sit, content and relaxed, and already starting to forget yesterday’s misadventure. It’s all worth it when you finally get here – this place is really a gem. For dinner last night we went down to the Hotel Sambatra (formerly Chez Regine) and had some delicious huge prawns and steak. Things are a little more expensive here, but that’s to be expected, I suppose, as everything comes from the mainland.

We have three delightful days ahead of us, and I’m going to make the most of them.

Sara LeHoullier

Sara LeHoullier also blogs regularly on her Spotlight Madagascar website. Her Madagascar travel guide, published by Other Places Publishing will be released in 2010.