So the adventure finally started.

We were to meet with the rest of our group outside of Cafe Nero at Heathrow Terminal 4…trouble was we had only met a couple of them before and so like a blind date we were looking for anyone who looked like a trekker scanning for over-sized rucksacks, poles or a whiff of Kendall mint cake. Gradually we found all 19 of our group, all reassuringly normal and the bonding started. In keeping with the first date theme there was plenty of excitable small talk…how much training did you do? how did you fundraise? Did you travel far? The big relief was how friendly and funny everyone seemed. This was going to be fun!

We left Heathrow for our 8 and a half hour flight to Nairobi followed by a lovely 6 hours 20 mins wait at Nairobi airport and finally a 3 hour 20 min hop to Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar. It was early afternoon when we arrived and so the sun was shining but what struck us most was how orange and red everything was. The soil, the rivers..even the light had an orangey tinge.

We met our guides Zo and Fano. Zo was kind and gentle, teaching us a few Malagasy words and the important motto of Madagascar ‘mora, mora’ or slowly, slowly. Nothing happens in a rush here. Fano had a very different energy, with his Mr T mohican, constant humour and energy.

As we began our long, slow drive out of the centre to our first night’s hotel the land of orange became even more apparent. The sunset made everything look like a painting.

We drove through the busy city and the huge differences to the UK were everywhere. Madagascar is the 4th poorest country in the world and the poverty and conditions were stark. The roads were jammed with cars and bikes sharing the road with rickshaws, carts and zebus (the local hump backed cattle). The roads were lined with people, many carry on strange items on their heads from water to piles of laundry..and on one occasion a whole stack of hay!

When we arrived at Antsirabe our first stop we were pretty exhausted….but we were soon to be introduced to the groups’ near constant companion on the trip – THB, or Three Horses Beer. The local lager.

The next day saw more driving as we snaked further south. Passing many paddy fields (rice is the main crop here and often eaten 2-3 times a day). The landscape has terraces cut into hillsides to manage drainage. Women and children worked in the fields and men worked with zebu to plough the land.

We had a long day of driving ahead but the conversations and jokes were flowing. [Spoiler warning: considering what we were going to experience together and the bonds created it seems strange that we were still relative strangers at this point]

The toilet stops were often and random, pulling on to the side of the road. At this stage we were being discrete and polite, trying to hide away our wipes and nappy sacks as we tried to find a bush far away from others on their own hunt for a private toilet spot. It would only be a few days before constant toilet talk and going in groups became the norm. Toilet stops were usually interrupted by the sudden appearance from nowhere of groups of children wanting to say hello or have their photo taken.

We stopped for lunch at Ambositra (after lots of had sanitizer of course). There was a definite theme starting with the meals… some meat, usually zebu alongside rice..and chips…and occasionally spaghetti. They do like their carbs here..or maybe the locals took one look at us and thought we would all need fuel for the trek ahead! The meal was accompanied by some traditional dancing.

Ambositra has many artisan craft shops making and selling intricate carvings and marqueterie. Marqueterie involves pictures made of wood, made by cutting detailed pieces out of different coloured wood and slotting them together to create elaborate scenes of local life, animals or maps. We watched a demonstration of this and Nik was given a wooden heart we watched being carved as a memento. The speed and artistry is even more impressive when you realise that the tools usedare all hand made too out of the wire from old tires and other items that are no longer used. A real feat of recycling.

 

The marqueterie artwork is then used on many different objects from framed images to boxes (some with hidden compartments). The French influence in the country was also apparent by the amount of marqueterie made of Asterix and Tintin book covers…including many covers of the non existent Tintin in Madagascar. Though not sure what title ‘Coke en Stock’ is? Don’t think Spielberg will be adapting that one.

The bus trip continued to Ranomafana National park where we were due to go on a night time nature walk…and meet some of the other locals of Madagascar!