Travel blog: A day around Antananarivo
Made from recycled cans! (photo: Sara LeHoullier)
Tuesday, 01, Dec 2009 02:05
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 18th blog entry:
I spent my Saturday in bed, with the curtains drawn (after I summoned up enough energy to close them). The revenge of the fancy restaurant is food poisoning. Maybe it was the 'lobster bisque'? Or maybe the milkshake? I've had much better luck with Malagasy food. I'm off the vazaha food for now.
I couldn't get down the stairs to get more water until around 16:30. Until then, I watched almost an entire season of Deadwood and part of Any Given Sunday (yes, it's a football movie). When I got to the hotel owner's office, I told her I had been sick and she offered to make me some soup for dinner (which is not on the menu). I gratefully accepted. It was the nicest thing - it was like having my mother here to take care of me.
I bit the bullet yesterday and took a guided tour around this nation's great capital. Though I lived here for two years and was in Tana for a great many weeks during 2008, I hadn't seen the sights, beyond those that you can walk to comfortably.
I searched around the internet last week for a Malagasy tour operator, and found one that looked very promising - Cactus Tours. Manda, the head honcho, got back to me within 24 hours, and we arranged everything through phone and email.
Vola and my driver picked me up at my hotel at 08:00. We drove off through the beautiful red-and-green rural landscapes around Tana. Winding through the rice paddies that have turned into brick-manufacturing sites, Vola explained that the population of Tana had exploded so rapidly that a lot of the arable land had been taken over by people spreading from the centre, and the lowlands had been mainly inhabited by poorer people.
In the hills, we passed a grouping of small houses where the homeless of Tana had been relocated a couple of years ago; it's now a community managed by a religious organisation. The homeless, who now have homes, are taught various income-generating skills like weaving and carving. And when they have enough money to be independent they can move out on their own. It's an interesting concept, and one that I would like to look into more.
We arrived at our first destination, a small town about 50 kilometers away from the centre of Tana. If you're ever walking around here and see the cars, planes and bicycles made of recycled cans, this is where they come from.
In a dark stone house, with woven mats on the floor, a group of Malagasy craftsmen explained how they make these intricate objects; they showed me the tools and methods, and were very happy to explain it all in Malagasy. All of the parts are recycled, down to the windows, which come from recycled heavy plastic sheets from hospitals (they looked sort of like X-rays with the black scraped off).
Clara, one of the women in charge, came running in about halfway through the demonstration. She had been at church (I felt like I was being very rude, coming on a Sunday). Dressed in her Sunday best, she got down on the floor, took a sheet of aluminum, and proceeded to make two perfectly-formed wheels, holding the tool between her toes. It seemed like all of the people in the small town had come to gather around the foreigner speaking Malagasy, and I did my best to not feel embarrassed with all the staring.
Clara's perfect wheel (photo: Sara LeHoullier)
After all that, I felt compelled to buy some souvenirs, and was surprised when I heard how much they were charging. They were too cheap! I had seen these cars in stores, listed for 4,500 Ariary, and they were selling them for 1,000 Ariary. I told Vola on the way out that they should be charging more, and maybe get a website. Another project!
We then went to Lemurs' Park, a privately run place where several species of lemur run free. It was a slow, flat walk - something I appreciated greatly in my post-food poisoning condition. The guide was very knowledgeable about everything in and out of the park - he teaches natural science at a couple of local high schools. I haven't yet been to the zoo in Tana but it was nice to see the lemurs running around instead of in cages.
Our road took us back through Tana and up to one of the 'Sacred Hills', Ambohimanga, where the first Kings and Queens of Madagascar lived and held court. As we drove up and up, I could imagine them riding up to the top of this huge hill in a litter lugged by slaves. How long that must have taken before roads!
Vola showed me all around the sacred places and stones, in and around the fort, which is now a UNESCO World Heritage site.
There was the huge rock where they sacrificed the cows and spread the blood all over, and the special small rocks where people made smaller sacrifices while asking for things like healthy babies or curses on enemies. I saw the Queen's bed, what was probably the first wallpaper in Madagascar (how did it survive all these years?!), and a lot of Malagasy families having picnics. There were even some judo masters making a film!
The last stop was the old city, the hill that houses the Rova, or Queen's Palace, which was burned down years ago and is now being rebuilt (very slowly). We went inside the Prime Minister's old mansion, which is now a museum, and Vola showed me how interested the early monarchs were in art and culture. It was a great day - I'm so glad I had a chance to explore this area before I leave with such a knowledgeable guide.
As they were dropping me off at my hotel, we realised that a concert was happening across the street, which had blocked the road. It was Ny Ainga, the only Malagasy country band. I was less than pleased, because I knew that all I wanted to do was sleep, and that it would be very, very loud (also I hate Ny Ainga's music).
At around 17:00 Noro knocked to invite me to Sunday dinner with her and her family. I happily accepted, as I was just contemplating going out in the pouring rain for some mediocre-but-close food. They are the most wonderful people, welcoming and funny and sweet. No wonder this hotel always has such a diverse mix of interesting and friendly travellers!
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.