I spent a fantastic week in London for a mini-reunion with a few friends from my Madagascar Pioneer scheme. We spent an evening reminiscing about the good times we had together a year ago. Wow, I still can't believe a year has already gone by since I last made this trip! And how strange to see everyone clean and in their 'natural' environments.
Of course, I had ample time to play the part of tourist as well as getting to experience life as a Brit. Tea in the garden, riding a double-decker bus, and eating fish and chips from a proper 'chippy'. I have to say that I am grateful for the person who decided it would be a good idea to paint "Look right", "Look left" at appropriate intervals on intersections for the foreign pedestrian. After a day of wandering the streets of central London on my own, I was mighty impressed that I only got honked at and almost became roadkill twice.
I flew from London to Johannesburg, and then on to Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar, where I have been staying for a few days. Tana is a much larger, busier, and more polluted city than Fort Dauphin. My lungs have not been happy since I've arrived. While Tana is a much different experience than the part of the island that I know and love, I'm beginning to feel like I'm back at home.
The first night I arrived in Tana, I met up with one of the other Azafady volunteers and we went across the street to a little restaurant for dinner. The waiter gave us menus and took our drink orders. When we later ordered pizzas from the menu, the waiter shook his head and informed us that they didn't have pizza. Okay, so we chose something else. The waiter shook his head again and informed us that the restaurant actually had no food at all. Oh, Madagascar.
We have spent the weekend seeing the sights of Tana, including the old palace that was built for the last queen over a century ago. Today we went to the zoo, which strangely is also the place where we needed to go in order to get our working visas extended. Tomorrow we fly to Fort Dauphin. I have heard rumours that we may get to spend a couple of weeks out in the bush with the Pioneers. Hooray!! I can't wait to have some work to do, as I tire quickly of being a tourist.
Until next time!
Of course, I had ample time to play the part of tourist as well as getting to experience life as a Brit. Tea in the garden, riding a double-decker bus, and eating fish and chips from a proper 'chippy'. I have to say that I am grateful for the person who decided it would be a good idea to paint "Look right", "Look left" at appropriate intervals on intersections for the foreign pedestrian. After a day of wandering the streets of central London on my own, I was mighty impressed that I only got honked at and almost became roadkill twice.
I flew from London to Johannesburg, and then on to Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar, where I have been staying for a few days. Tana is a much larger, busier, and more polluted city than Fort Dauphin. My lungs have not been happy since I've arrived. While Tana is a much different experience than the part of the island that I know and love, I'm beginning to feel like I'm back at home.
The first night I arrived in Tana, I met up with one of the other Azafady volunteers and we went across the street to a little restaurant for dinner. The waiter gave us menus and took our drink orders. When we later ordered pizzas from the menu, the waiter shook his head and informed us that they didn't have pizza. Okay, so we chose something else. The waiter shook his head again and informed us that the restaurant actually had no food at all. Oh, Madagascar.
We have spent the weekend seeing the sights of Tana, including the old palace that was built for the last queen over a century ago. Today we went to the zoo, which strangely is also the place where we needed to go in order to get our working visas extended. Tomorrow we fly to Fort Dauphin. I have heard rumours that we may get to spend a couple of weeks out in the bush with the Pioneers. Hooray!! I can't wait to have some work to do, as I tire quickly of being a tourist.
Until next time!
