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Our Village visit went well; we traveled a good two hours over pretty smooth roads for Tanzania. Arriving it what was shopping day as everybody seemed to be out and about. We stopped by the Project Zawadi Office for an update on what was happening. In short Project Zawadi sponsors 40 children of hard luck and offers them an education and technical training; they also built the classrooms and are building dorm rooms for the children now. You can look them up on Facebook and the web. After the meeting we wondered around the village looking at the wares and different foods for sale. The most interesting in my case was a guy who had a bicycle rigged up to sharpen machetes!
Another long ride home we stopped to help another broke down vehicle only to find out we were leaking diesel fuel. David our driver and I figured it was a simple fix and in no time we were rolling again. Back at our tented camp we found out that we were not the only people there that night. We enjoyed conversing and having another go at the bow and arrow training, having not improved much I was soon back at the $3 beers and a great meal.
At a high rate of speed David our driver was turned back towards the barn (i.e. home) and had us plane side for our flight back to Kilimanjaro. Waving good bye as we rose skyward we bid David a last see ya later. Our nonstop turned out to be a one stop in Arusha which is only 45 minutes from Kilimanjaro, so we boarded again for the second shortest flight (15 minutes) we have ever taken, as flying from the main land to Nantucket only takes 7 minutes.
We again arrived in Nairobi and overnighted having the best pizza this side of the Indian Ocean back in the air the next morning we arrived Madagascar like old pros. We speed walked to the Visa line and gathered our luggage in no time, said no,no,no to the money changer guy's as we knew right where the ATM was and found our buddy Dani 20 minutes flat.
Dani had us in Antananarivo town and touring in no time. We were passing Madagascar left and right. This place is like organized chaos, somehow the place works. The homes along some of the streets look like they are out of the old west, like any moment you would run into John Wayne or Clint Eastwood, but instead you run into a mini bus full of people and a roof full of chickens. The people seem happy to see you, they wave, they gather around when you stop at a market just to listen to you speak and with Dani by our side we can ask and answer any of their questions. Come to Madagascar they need the tourist!
Well we decided to throw out our itinerary and wing it. So off to a Lemur Sanctuary, to see these goof ball animals. Funny I forgot some of them grunted like little pigs! They look like an over grown cat and I had the guide laughing when I called them a kitty. The Dancing Lemurs move through the trees like acrobats and the Ring Tails were the class clowns, I will try and upload some of their antics.
Back on the road we saw a double rainbow over Tana town and knew it would be a great visit. Tomorrow we fly north to see well the north of Madagascar. We were warned that due to recent robberies we would be escorted by an armed bodyguard? Did someone forget to mention that before we signed up? Well we had an armed Guard in Rwanda but that was for the Gorilla attacks. I think I prefer a Gorilla attack. Anyway if all travel was like visiting Palm Beach we would probably just have stayed home. Till next update Thanks for reading our Blog, Keith and Joy
- comments
Northcoasters Tip your body guard well the first day and he MAY point his gun at the bad guys. Yep we are still in the middle of the pasific. Sort of our Palm Beach. Watching for your next interesting update...
kathie and bud loe the information. keep posting
judy so cool you have existing connections everywhere... forget pitbull, keith YOU are mr worldwide!!..(sorry joy, know that will make him unbearable)
Petra Awesome - Thanks