Started the day in cleanliness mode with a haircut. It was getting too long especially in current temperatures which are approaching 30 everyday. During a one-to-one session with Heri yesterday I asked how does a man get his hair cut in this city of coiffeurs; where, how and how much does it cost. 3 minutes later Heri had booked me a visit from his barber at my hotel for 9.30 this morning. Job done. Renon arrived on the dot at 10.00 on his scooter. Up to my room...

An interesting day. I had arranged to meet Pal in the tourist office to take a guided tour of Haut Ville, the oldest, highest part of the town around the Queen's Palace which I have visited half a dozen times since I've been but this was different. I was one of a party of about 35 on two air-conditioned minibuses supplied with a bottle of water and two historian guides. It became obvious that this was no ordinary tour when the others referred to each other as 'Mi...

What does Tana have in common with Hollywood. This sign. Didn't know it was there until I saw it from the zoo now I seem to see it everywhere. ANTANANARIVO needs a ling ridge. OK, so it looks like they don't put up cut and paste pictues. You can still look on the net where I found it if you're desperate. You may be glad that I didn't have a camera this morning. I went to a new market where I saw skinned frogs on sale. They actually looked all right other tha...

Got details of my new class today. All beginners. 41 employees of the Ministry of Youth + 5 memers of the Board of Governors. Total 46. I've said I'll make that 4 classes at half an hour each rather than one class for an hour which would kill me. Onwards and upwards.

A very pleasant day spent in Antsimbazaza at the zoo. Pleasant because there were very few people, the weather was perfect (although I left about 1pm before it got too hot) and because it was very nicely set out around two big lakes which were home to about a dozen different types of large birds, most obviously ibis and white herons. Some of the enclosures were painfully small especially for the birds and there were surprising absences e.g. no monkeys at all and ...