Going Gasy

Oh baby, Kenny just got done enjoying the finest vacation of his life. I tried to sleep the night of March 9, however it felt like Christmas as I was getting ready to go to the capitol city of Tana for a little vacay with some very important people. I got on the small plane and flew into Mahajanga, a city on the western coast, where I encountered a 7 hour lay over. Sitting in the airport for 7 hours did not sound very enjoyable, so I decided to go walk around the city. I met a guy named Jean Chrys who spent the whole afternoon walking around with me. We walked along the beach front and he provided much information about different places in Mahajanga. It was an interesting afternoon spent speaking only in Gasy and seeing a really cool city. When I eventually returned to the airport, I helped an American lady, an embassy employee, who was struggling to get her overweight luggage on the plane because of the language barrier. I talked with the airport workers and helped her resolve some issues with the Malagasy currency. I then had a friend for the plane ride to Tana and we discussed many interesting topics ranging from politics to using eggs to keep hamburger meat together. Upon arrival in Tana, I saw my beautiful girlfriend, Abby, and we commenced catching up on our lives since we hadn’t seen each other in 3 months. We went out and casually awaited the arrival of my family, Stephen Dix, and Dan Heekin. It was great to see Abby and we fell right back to where we were before parting in December.

Upon the arrival of my friends and family, we all decided to go out for a little catching up. They arrived at the hotel around 2 AM but the time difference made it possible for them to go out with a full head of steam. We found a lively cafe and spent the night laughing and describing our various lives. It was absolutely fantastic to see everybody. We ended up staying out until 6 AM and watched the sun rise over Antananarivo—absolutely beautiful!

We spent another day in Tana and then we embarked on a little road trip. We hired a driver to take us from Tana to Tamatave on the east coast. It was a breathtakingly gorgeous drive with many dramatic changes of scenery and people. The landscape ranged from hilly, mountainous plateau to lush tropical rainforest. On the way to Tamatave we stopped in Andasibe for a night. We stayed in some fabulous bungalows on the edge of the rainforest and woke up early to the distinctive sound of Indri (a type of lemur) calls. We enjoyed an early morning hike in the rainforest where we saw our first lemurs (very cool), chameleons, frogs and birds.

We then made our way through the unbelievable landscape to Tamatave where we met up with some fellow PCV friends who live there. It was great to see Danny, Margot, and Anne and hear about their ups and downs. They showed us around the very colorful port city of Tamatave and then we all went out for a very Gasy meal. My family and friends enjoyed their first Hena sy Ravitoto. It was great fun sharing stories and experiences and catching up with friends.

Next, we drove north to catch the ferry to Ile St. Marie. We saw some unbelievable views of the coast and the Indian Ocean. We caught the ferry and made our way to paradise. The whole group stayed at Baboo Village which is located on an island that can only be reached by pirogue (canoe). The water was bluer than blue and the bungalows were right on the beach. It was the real deal. We were staying at paradise defined. I enjoyed drinking some punch au coco and getting in some beach time. Baboo Village may very well be one of the most pleasant, relaxing places I’ve ever been. We spent two great days at Baboo Village on Ile Aux Nattes and then flew back to Tana.

In Tana we did some sightseeing and a lot of good dining. There are some remarkably good restaurants in Tana. In the next two days we walked around Rue de L’Independance and Haute Ville. We also went to an artisans' market where many knick knacks were purchased and then visited Akany Avoko, a orphanage and girls' home that is doing some great things for troubled and abandoned youth. We all enjoyed our time there and bought some crafts and stuff to help support the kids. A heart warming experience.

Our last meal together was a very fine one. Afterwards, my family and two friends departed for the airport which left Abby and I to reminisce about the good times of the past week. It was so good to see everyone and go on a much needed vacation. Abby and I then spent one last day together and it couldn’t have been more enjoyable, as the weather in Tana was perfect. A great vacay with great people! It will be a little difficult to return to site after such a great experience, but in a few days I will be back in the routine of life in Port Berge.

Thanks to all of you who have stayed in touch, I really appreciated it. Expect a response from me at some point.

If you have not seen the movie Anchorman, I'm sorry. There are several quotes on this blog from that very funny movie. Also, if you find yourself taking offense to said blog then you should do at least one of two things, either stop reading it and/or consider taking yourself less seriously.

You stay classy world,

Logan

These are my own opinions and not those of Peace Corps Madagascar.