Madagascar - the name probably conjures images of a wayward gang of animated animals escaped from the New York Zoo, rather than the island country itself.
Before the cruise, I was keen only to set foot (half day?) on the island to 'clock' a new country into my travel-list😉. Now, I would probably be traversing the island to catch the boat 😮...
3 Days 2 Nights from Antananaviro to Toliara
I had joined the boat's 4D3N Victoria Fall Tour, to disembark from Cape Town and embark at Port Elizabeth after the tour. Owing to a prolonged flight delay at Victoria Fall Airport, we missed the timing to board the boat at Port Elizabeth. Thus, we had to make our way from Cape Town to Toliara, the next port of call, in four days (the duration for the boat to sail from Port Elizabeth to Toliara) to rejoin the boat.
[Four days, not a problem, right?! Well, not for Toliara, Madagascar. 😐]
The forty-five of us were split into two groups. First group (31 of us, and I am one of them) was to fly to Madagascar after staying a night in Johannesburg, while the second group would fly a day later. There was no information given on the rationale of the split.
[From my quick check on the web, there are only limited domestic flights to Toliara. Maybe, the other group of 14 would be taking the flight the next day, while we were most likely be getting to Toliara by road. 😶]
We landed at Fahatongavana Airport in Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar without much clue as to what would happen next.
We were unsure if the boat had already applied for our Madagascar visa, and while queueing for immigration, Phil showed me his Madagascar visa receipt. I quickly checked my email and found the email about the Madagascar visa.
Since the visa is to be obtained on arrival, there is most likely no electronic approved visa in the immigration system. [Are we too optimistic about having already gotten an ESTA-equivalant visa? 😬😯].
I signalled to Phil that I would queue for the Visa-on-arrival application while he queued at the immigration line [to check which is the correct way to clear immigration] . A ruckus was started by some of the others, and the immigration officer pointed to the Visa-on-arrival counter.
[Some(many?) were unhappy with the situation but everything is so sudden and last minute... let's just move forth and make the best out of it to get back to the boat, can? We are in Africa, and in Madagascar] 😓😐
After obtaining the visa(us$10), we cleared immigration. Since we flew from South Africa, we were required to take three cholera pills before getting out of the immigration hall. I disliked medication, had wanted to take only one but decided to follow the instructions.
[Since the staff spoke French(?), I was not sure if it was to prevent me (or the mosquito) from getting Cholera?]😳
Coming out of immigration, a tall handsome looking Chinese tour guide, XiaoSoon (XS) greeted us [What a relief! I meant having someone waiting for us. The good-looking part is a bonus😜].
He informed us that he would get us to Toliara by road, and we would visit a national park and a local-produce factory outlet along the way if we had time.
[When the boat changed Madagascar's port of call from Ehoara to Toliara, I had done a cursory check if Toliara was near the capital, Antananarivo. However, the distance between both is about 925 km on a non-highway road and it would take more than a day...😶]
I asked XS what type of vehicles we would be travelling in. He pointed to two vans and a MPV parked outside the airport. I headed for the MPV.
YS and wife, Phil and AJ had also gathered around the MPV, and we quickly hopped into the car when the door was unlocked. There were eight of us including XS, his girlfriend and Lois in the MPV.
We drove out of the airport at about 14:40. After about an hour of driving through and out of the city, we stopped by a convenience store. I quickly bought some food for myself. [I had felt an unusual gastric-type pain and an out-of-sorts kind of hunger. I realised later that most people felt that too ... it could be the effect of the cholera pill? 😲😑]
XS has mentioned the hotel name was 'something Thermas', which made me wonder if there might have been a thermal bath (It was Sofitrans Hotel Des Thermas). [Thermal bath would have been such a bonus after the drive.... such wishful thinking 😏😳]
The landscape passed through small towns, open fields and rural area. Although the road is the main regional network of roads (RN7) connecting the country, many portions of it are in urgent need of upgrading and repairs.
As the sun gradually lowered into the horizon, the ray's shone into the back of the car (and that's also on my back too) [Heat is a trigger of my migraine].
As I shifted myself forward to avoid the sun,
I said to Phil (who's sat in front): "Don't mind if I lean forward more"
He joked "Sure, I thought you wanted to whisper '悄悄话‘
AJ joked too： "自作多情” [I am glad that the mood in the car was generally light-hearted]
The sunset was lovely and gorgeous. As the night fell, we drove in the dark and passed through a few smallish town with people gathering around dimly-lit lights. [We stopped for an open-air toilet break in the dark after driving for about six hours]
We arrived at the hotel at about 9:30pm. We had driven for about 7 hours over a distance of about 165 km. I was struck by the state of the hotel - it was a very old colonial building that had mostly stood the test of time, but had clearly seen much better days [Definitely can forget about the thermal/spa stuff 😔]. The reception area was noisy, a few (or many) were complaining (or giving loud feedback?) and questioning XS about this and that (the car, distance, amenities，back-up driver, etc?!).
[As much as I tried to empathise with members of the group, a few were particularly noisy with loud almost incessant complaints. In trying circumstances, it is preferable to remain calm, minimising negative thoughts (and shouting) as best as possible?! 😯 Excessive noise induced serious migraines for me. I was definitely doing MYSELF a favour by being more zen 😎😌 ...but but others may have different ways to manage it]
I had told XS before arriving at the hotel that I required a single room per the Victoria Fall Tours booking, and he managed to get a single room at an additional cost of US$30 [Thank you 😊]. However, the other four who also had single room requested too. [Poor XS had to liaise with the hotel receptionist again].
Given the situation, I decided to minimise interactions with the group as I realised that my fuse was shorter than usual and I could be drawn into unwanted conflicts, like getting quite upset at trivial matters like the collection of US$30 (Sorry, Ric) and unreasonable behaviour (which I usually ignored)
[Ric and I agreed to collect the extra $30 from our own fellow countrymen. I 'snapped' at him “So troublesome!!!” (though no fault of his) when one of them did not want to pay for the extra. I had collected from Jef and had paid up accordingly. The change of mind would be extra work for XS again 😑😔]
One gal kept insisting for a single room because she had requested for it in the Victoria Fall tour booking. Losing patience, I told her off that priority was given to those who booked and paid for the single room and that 'A request for a single room is not equal to the right to a single room; we had paid for the single room supplement and you did not!!!' 😖😒😶]
After no small amount of drama, a porter showed me to my room - a dimly-lit large suite with two bedrooms, a living room and a huge bathroom furnished with (very) old colonial style decoration, (antique) furniture and fixtures . After settling in, I made my way to the dining room for dinner before going back for a wash-up, and to try to sleep at about 11+pm(?).
[In such 'setting', darkness might not induce sleep-as-usual - this was a rare occasion where I slept with a (bathroom) light still on. I was so tired that I also did not realise my phone wasn't charging]
We had to set-off at 4am the next day.
Day 2
I woke up at ~3:15 am and upon looking out of the 'window', I realised that it was a door to the (common?) corridor and not a balcony! [I was just too tired last night, anyway stuff (including me was 'intact' 😵...].
I quickly got ready to go for breakfast. At 4am, one person was unaccounted for, and on further checking we realised that she had not woken up yet 😖😩. Another (aka DM) had occupied a seat in the MPV, and refused to get out, sat there and complained non-stop in a loud shrieking voice. [All of us were extremely pissed for sure]. Fortunately, upon Phil's suggestion, Lois kindly shifted to sit beside the driver. As DM continued her grumbling and criticisms, I went up right to her and said '你很吵!' [It had to stop - Unquestionably beyond my limit of noise pollution and potential trigger of migraine]
[I learnt also that there was a messy allocation of rooms last night and seemed like XS had to give up his room? 😞]
We set off at about 5am. The road conditions were bad as the cars manoeuvred around pot holes and stretches of roads with collapsed sections. There were few cars on the road. Instead, people were out and about, by the roadside or walking along the road.
The car ride was bumpy and slow. But I was delighted by the charming landscape of lush green cultivated fields that undulated across both the flat and hilly terrain of the island. At one point, waterfalls were visible in the distant hills, and the sight was reminiscent of some of the most popular and beautiful travel hiking destinations in other countries. 😍😚
[But so far, I had not been many travellers, and we are accidental travellers... So much potential in Madagascar, yet unexploited 😐]
We stopped at a roadside hotel for a toilet break after about two hours of driving. [XS told us after the break that JUST in case - it's preferable to have toilet break in the open as we may be asked to pay a lot for the usage/ perceived damage 😧]
After the quick break, we drove through more hilly terrains and open agricultural fields.
[I wonder how is Cath (group 2) now? I found out from my casual chat with Lois that she was a retired Geography teacher. Wow! That's great as I could chat with her about the fascinating landscape and geology of the island]
Then, we drove through a small town bustling with shops and shoppers. [Where and how they stock their merchandise and where are they from? ]
[There was still interminable noise pollution by DM's chattering 😖 to XS (poor thing)]
Around late morning, there were more people walking along the road. We also encountered some cows along the road. According to XS, the cows in Madagascar are notable for having a visible hump on their back.
[It was a long ride - many of us nodded off 😴😴 along the way]
We had another open-air toilet break and continued driving along RN7 amidst the pretty landscape of rolling hills, dotted with houses.
YS and wife has been coughing rather badly but they were still quite cheerful and chatted about their past China trips where road conditions were bad too.
[Certainly a resilient couple, and one of the friendlier ones on board the cruise too 😊]
Still, the road conditions were generally bad and continued to be bad along as we continued on. At certain parts, the speed of the vehicle slowed to less than 20km/h according to Phil (who had been monitoring the progress of the journey on Google).
Me: "How far is the next petrol station?"
Phil: "About 5km, it will probably take about 45 mins."
Me: "You kidding me?"
Phil: "No."
The weather was also cloudy with sign of rain.
[A bit worrying as XS said that certain areas are impassable during heavy downpour 😨😳 please 🙅 ⛆]
We passed another small town, and it was interesting to the look at the hive of activities around us as the car drove through the main road of the town. [I noticed this town seemed more developed than the previous one, but still not many people were using mobile phones here - my index to measure prosperity? 😯]
At around close to 2pm, we stopped at a convenience store to buy food and for a toilet break. We had yet to have lunch. [No mention of visiting the park or stopping at the factory anymore as maybe we were behind schedule because of the worse-than-expected road conditions? 😟😞😯]
Small chats to put hunger, boredom and sleepiness at bay.
A 'sort-of-get-to-know-you' type:
Me to AJ: "I have not seen you on the boat before."
AJ: "We are on Deck 14 almost nightly for happy hour. Do you drink?"
Me: "No."
.
.
AJ: "Did you update your friends on the boat?"
Me: "I updated a friend."
AJ: "Only 1?"
Me: "I'm not on the boat to make friends? 😬"
😆😆😆😆
AJ: "You 'Kotak' type?"
[What is the exact meaning of Kotak? 😶 ] Me: "Ya, maybe"
.
.
At last, at about 3:30pm, we arrived at the restaurant with our scheduled lunch reservation. The lunch was good, and there was a small shop where I got my first Madagascar souvenir, a small drinking cup 😀😊. [More snoozing 😴😴😴 after the lunch...]
We were stopped by a policeman at one of the roadside police posts. He had indirectly wanted a tip/bribe but the driver managed to talk his way out of it.
[XS said that the locals deem Chinese/Asian to be better-off (good targets), but also with more connections (not good). Thus the policeman has to be tactful as he might be adversely affected if the passenger in the car has 'connections' and lodged a complaint]
There were few tourist vans or cars in sight, and our vehicles were usually the only ones on the roads passing through the amazing and captivating landscape. Although tired and uncomfortable with the long bumpy ride, I was enjoying the one-of-a-kind experience.
[It was also a second-to-none 'bragging' rights - a cross-country road trip across Madagascar. 😗]
It started raining, and we were already behind schedule 😟. Fortunately, the rain did not turn heavy, and the roads though bad were passable.
[XS said many vans (deemed suitable to be used as tour vans) have headed to Toliara to handle the boat's upcoming land tour. The 'business' to send us to Toliara was received at the last minute, and he was 'activated' last minute too to take on the task on a weekend. That explains the girlfriend in tow? 😊 ]
As the sun set, the sky was bathed in hues of yellow and orange, gradually turned red as the sun retreated behind the hills; all the while, the vast landscape alternated between flat lands to rocky terrains. [It was truly an enchanting sight]
The incredible and astounding scenery will remain imprinted my memory for the longest time.
[I thought of the movie 'Madagascar'. 'Watch Madagascar' became the second item in my virtual 'to-do-list' for after I reached home 😉]
Fortunately the road conditions began to improve as we drove through more dimly-lit small towns.
[We were stopped again at a police post, and again managed not to pay any 'road-toll']
At about 9:30pm, we arrived at our hotel H1-Isalo. We had travelled about 524 km in about 16 hours. XS had already informed us prior to arriving about the single room supplements. He gave out the single keys, and I distributed them to the others. I put my backpack in the room and went for dinner. I heard while waiting for dinner that the rooms have insects and dirty[I went back to the room to check 😕]. The room was clean and there was a mosquito net covering the bed. 😊
I had a nice shower and hopefully a good short sleep.
The set-off time for the next day was 3am.
[Before I slept, there were knocks on my door about the number of bed I had in my room? (I couldn't hear well but I said 'There is only one bed in my room']
[There was a power blackout at about 2am? as I could not turn on the lamp at about 2:20am]
Day 3
We set-off at about 4am, with a packed breakfast.
[It seemed there was messy allocation of rooms again, and four people had to share a room 😧]
The road condition seemed better and there were more cars and people walking along the road. [The pancake from the breakfast pack was tasty 😋]
As and when we passed by children along the road, they would most likely run beside the car (as a game?), laughing, shouting hello and asking for money.
[Whenever these happened, I was a bit worried that they might fall down or knock against the car 😟]
At about 9am, we stopped by the road. [Also our last outdoor toilet break 😬]. Those going to the airport were put together in one car, while the rest of us headed for the port. After about another hour, we arrived at Toliara. We had travelled 235km in about 5.5 hours.
The staff has designated an area for our arrival. Job done - XS and the girlfriend waved goodbye [Thank you so much for your patience].
The boat's staff collected our passports, and then led us to the tender boat which would get us back to the main boat.
I was glad to be back at my cozy cabin onboard the boat. There was a welcome card and an assortment of fruits on the table upon my arrivals, and cute towel-animals on my bed to welcome me too. 😊😍
I had travelled ~924km (according to Google) over 3 days (29+ hours)! [Phil had said that we probably travelled much longer because of the terrain]
Things that caught my attention
Houses
[Someone said the houses do not have windows or glass windows because they are expensive to install?]
Roads
The roads are in need of repair and upgrades. At times, as the car navigated through the underdeveloped roads, I was worried that it might get stuck. [Please - no mishap. I want to get back to the boat!!!]. Also, I did not see any Speed Limit sign, probably the road conditions are good deterrence for speeding? 😏
The rickshaws
The rickshaws are either hand-pulled or cycle-type. They seem popular and common.
The people and the walking
There are often people walking by the roadsides. Some of them are bare-footed, and the women would be carrying their stuff on their head or in the hand-woven basket.
[I wonder where they are walking to, and the distance they covered]
Thoughts
My heartfelt thanks to fellow travellers' chats and jokes as we traversed through the at-times back-breaking journey to our destination, and the boat's effort to get us back to the boat.
Although there were hiccups along the way, and communication could have been better, I would prefer to believe that the boat's liaison staff put in the best effort to get us back to the boat. [As one passenger exclaimed to R (the boat's staff) that she thought she might not see him again; I told him that I have no doubt that I would see him again, and be back on the boat 😉]
There were heated arguments about paying the extra cost for the road-trip in Madagascar. Many wanted a waiver. As I preferred a closure before I disembark from the boat, I paid up the extra cost (50% being waived). [Also, I may like to join another cruise in the future, a blacklist of non-payment is not ideal?]
While Phil and AJ were negotiating initially for waiver/reduction, I told them that I hope it would not degenerate to a screaming match (similar to prior Victoria Falls discussions).
[They said no worries, there's no chance for it as whatever they said would be via the translator to the Japanese staff handling the matter. (With the delayed response, and via the translator, it is almost impossible to get impatient or shout?) 😆😆😆😊]
I emphasized with the more elderly members who were caught in these unexpected trying circumstances [Though I really had hope that 'loud talking' could have been minimised]
'Buy One get One Free' (Pay for Victoria Falls and and Get a free Madagascar trip) was my usual response about the experience.[Maybe some were expecting an angry-and-sob harrowing experience story?! … oh, not free as I needed to pay for 50% of the cost. Hopefully I can claim all cost from the travel insurance. 😯 ]
I like LK response when a few asked - 'My friend knows how to enjoy herself' 😆
Comm and Info to complete the narrative:
----- End of 3 Days 2 Nights narratives 😊-----
Toliara (day 4)
Port of Tulear 5 Mar - 6 Mar 16:30
I signed up for the 'Baobab Forest Tour at Reniala Reserve' optional land tour. It was raining unlike the previous day tour under the sweltering heat. The tour guide met us at the gate, and brought us through the park.
There are many different shape of Baobab trees, and they were indeed different from the other trees.
Some of the trees can have diameters of about 8 metres, and to a height of 10m.
We also see the lemurs within their compound.
After the Reniala Reserver tour, we proceeded to the craft market.
Coincidently, XS, his girlfriend and the driver were also visiting the market. I was very happy to see them again. We went back to the boat after the tour.
Departure
The captain has made announcement that we should not throw things over the boat. I realised that many small boats were sailing near to the entrance of the boat. At first sight, I assumed that they were trying to sell products. However, on closer look, they were 'begging'/asking for things. The crews handed clothings, etc to them. After all the passengers have boarded the boat, the gangway was closed. Gradually, they rowed back to the port.
As the boat sailed off from Madagascar; with its unique biodiversity, vast fertile land and touristic potential, I hope Madagascar can break away from being among the poorest countries in the world.
Boat's Information Sheets
Indian Ocean, Port Louis - Mauritius, Penang - Malaysia and Singapore