The trek starts somewhere to the east of a village called Ambohidranandriana. We take off up a rough track to get there, in a rather old 4x4 filled with all our gear and provisions for four days. We bump and slide our way into the hills. After an hour or two, we suddenly turn left onto the merest hint of a footpath and over the horizon an isolated farmhouse appears. My mother-in-law's house, says our guide Marcel, she will cook lunch. There is no one in sight but within minutes we attract a crowd, including mother-in-law and lots of curious children. Zebu is the local cow or ox and zebu steak, a local delicacy, is for lunch, medium-rare. Not to our taste really. The caramelised bananas, however, are wonderful. Soon we are ready to set off.
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