Blogs from Ambositra, Madagascar, Africa

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Africa » Madagascar » Ambositra September 29th 2014

‘Salame!’ Or maybe ‘Bonjour’ sounds better than cured meat as a greeting. Welcome to the blog on the land of duel languages, and home to the fictitious jiving King Julian. Madagascar is a large mountainous island, 400km off the east coast of Africa is double the size of New Zealand but with a population of over 2 million When I made the choice to venture here late in 2013, amidst travel warnings, my perception was of a sun parched low lying landscape. Flying into Antananarivo, ‘Tana’ as the locals call it, refuted that impression altogether Departure day from Jo’burg on the 27th started well if a tad sleep deprived. It would have been rude not to make the most of the 5 star gym and spa facility for lack of slumber, and this time I was ... read more
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Africa » Madagascar » Ambositra October 9th 2008

09/10/2008 Tana-Johannesbourg Nous passons quattre jours à Johannesbourg en attendant le vol pour l'Inde. Nous sommes hébergés par nos amis Danny et Claire, rencontrés au début de notre voyage en Afrique du sud. Ils nous emmènent même grimper dans le « Magalisburg » sur une petite falaise sympa au frais à deux heures de voiture de Johannesbourg. 08/10/2008 Antananarivo Nicolas profite de l'abondance de nourriture pour faire une indigestion aux échalottes, ce que je ne souhaiterais même pas...à mon pire ennemi, vu l'odeur qui émane de sa bouche (entre autre) ... pendant quattre jours. Il jure de ne plus jamais manger d'oignons. Ne serait-ce que lire le mot maudit sur le menu lui donne la nausée. 07/ 10/2008 Antsirabe Qu'il est bon de revenir à la civilisation. Surtout que depuis plusieurs jours, nous ne mangions pratiquement ... read more
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Africa » Madagascar » Ambositra September 24th 2008

Thanks and love to all. it is so good to hear from each and everyone of yall, I really look foreward to messages. Today is the first day back in Fort Daupin from a week long camping trip where we did our first lemur field study project. The southern redion of Madagascar is mostmy dey desert and this place was no exception. The national park where we were at was Isofaka, home of the spiny forest (rightly named) here every tree has thorns, our water had to be broght in on ox cart, and the sun was out and blazing by 8 which by then we were already on our way to study lemur behavior, distribution, and habitat. Sifaka: the largest of the lemurs, white, and do not drink water These were the particular species that ... read more

Africa » Madagascar » Ambositra June 27th 2008

Anbositra and the highland villages 22-25 June 2008 Well, do we have some stories to tell about our 2nd week in Madagascar! Bush-taxi trips, pousse-pousses, wild weather, village chiefs, bandits and a unique national celebration made the past week one to remember. Choosing to give the pricy tourist busses the flick, we quickly got the gist of the local bus (aka taxi-brousse/bush-taxi) system and left Antananarivo in our wake, heading south on the smooth and pleasant RN7. Our first stopover was Antsirabe, a large highland town that was in colonial days a weekend destination for the upper class, and today retains only the touts, souvenir industries and pousse-pousses....thousands upon thousands of them. A bit like a backwards wheelbarrow with a seat for passengers, the pousse-pousse provides employment (in other words an alternative to unemployment) for around ... read more
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Siesta time for the pousse-pousse men

Africa » Madagascar » Ambositra April 6th 2008

This country is wild!!! I can't exactly write an extensive entry, because this French keyboard drives me up the wall, but I thought an update was necessary. The city of Maputo was fantastic. Very functional, affordable, and had many western comforts it felt that we had been without for far too long. We ate well, caught up on the sporting world (mostly negative for Vancouver fans), and went to a jam-packed nightclub to dance the night away. Our bus ride into Johanessburg was a piece of cake, because a relative of Will's was there to get us from the infamous Park Station. South Africa is a completely different world than the rest of southern Africa. Shopping malls everywhere, fast food joints, and multi-lane highways, to name just a few of the many differences. We spent three ... read more

Africa » Madagascar » Ambositra September 24th 2007

Have finally started to get a bit more organised for Mada... just over a week before I'm due to leave :S (hey, I'm a last-minute kinda gal) Got my insurance sorted (always important), booked a flight home from Paris (also kind of useful) and went shopping for today for anti-mosquito stuff and anti-sunburn stuff. God I cannot WAIT to be able to write more interesting entries than this! Just found out our placement's been moved from Moramanga to Ambositra. Check out pictures of it here - looking good! We still get our long weekend in the rainforest in Andasibe, so I'm happy. Leaving the country in 9 days and counting....... read more




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