A Shoutout from Gold Bond Nation

I've just returned from Port Berge, my future home for two years. The current temperature there runs about 90 degrees in the shade. Known as the Black Hole (because of its inaccessibility), Port Berge looks to be a great place for me. The town is part of a communal region that is about 10,000 people strong. I believe that I will have ample opportunities to work on health related projects that will help promote healthy lifestyles. While being in a hot black hole does not sound like something too enticing, I truly believe that this will be a great home for me. The people who live there are extremely nice and welcoming, and my house is nice. Some nice amenities include: 3 separate rooms (bedroom, living room, and kitchen), couch and chair set, large bed, gas stove, refrigerator and the piece de resistance, an enclosed courtyard. Electricity is on a schedule that runs from 6PM-2AM every other day and 9PM-2AM on the off day. A couple of electric fans help me fall asleep at night, and a hot, saturating sweat helps wake me up in the mornings. I think its reasonable to assume that I will be damp for most of my stay in Port Berge. In case you were unaware, I sweat a lil’ bit.

On my visit, I was lucky to get to meet and stay with the volunteer I will be replacing, Michelle. She has been very successful in her stay here and will be a hard act to follow. In Peace Corps Madagascar lingo, she is super-mahay (very knowledgeable and productive). She has established good relationships in PB, and I am lucky to have a solid foundation of people who will help ease me into my new life. Needless to say, I’m excited about my future life in Port Berge.

If there are any adventurers out there I invite (more of a dare) you to come find me in Port Berge. The journey here is straight out of National Geographic. First, you fly from Antananarivo to Mahajunga, and then you get on a bush plane that flies into Antsohihy. This plane is a double prop that holds approximately 10-15 people. The plane has seen better days and the only seats are bench-like seats. I was waiting for a parachute to be dropped in my lap. The ride was fun, a lot better than any roller coaster at Worlds of Fun, with the possible exception of the Zambezi Zinger. Upon arrival to Antsohihy, I met Michelle, as well as the two other female volunteers working in my region, Emily and Lauren. We all went out for to dinner, where I had poisson (fish) in a coconut sauce over rice and a refreshing beverage of Malagasy Rum mixed with Citrus Fanta. We stayed in an interesting hotel and then departed for our respective sites the next morning. The taxi-brousse ride took around 5 hours in a brousse that was packed with around 30 people. I would imagine that “max capacity” is around 15. At times, there were at least 5 people hanging off the side and back of the car for 30 km stretches at a time. After many stops and one stop to cool off the radiator, we arrived in the dusty town of Port Berge. It’s an experience that I highly recommend.

(These are my own opinions, not those of Peace Corps/Madagascar)