Nosy Boraha/Ile Saint Marie

(I'm starting this in the Madagascar airport)

 As discussed ad nauseam in my last post, I was delayed but finally made it to St Marie the next day.  I hadn't booked an airport transfer, I hadn't even let my hotel know what time I was arriving but they had a car waiting for me.  I liked them already!  

We drove to the hotel.  The roads are even worse here but the main road that runs up the middle of the island isn't too too terrible.  Massive potholes but my standards have lowered considerably since arriving in Madagascar.

The hotel lobby, lovely.  Rova, the person I had been emailing with, lovely.  They showed me to my room.  Beyond lovely!!!

I mentioned in a planning post that I had requested the bungalow at the very end of the pier.  There are six bungalows over the water.  As usual, I didn't read the description closely.  Bathrooms were at the bottom of the pier, on land. I can live with that.  Private toilet, private shower.  For some reason, in different locked rooms so you have to go into the toilet, then lock up, then open up the shower room to wash your hands, then lock up.  But small complaints to be sure when faced with this view

I didn't really get settled until after 2 pm so I just hung out on my deck and around the hotel grounds that first day.   I told Rova I wanted to go to town (there is a town) and to the Pirates cemetery and to the east coast.  She said that was all doable in one day.  Day two, I wanted to go to Ile aux Nattes.  I just looked that up, it means island with mats.

The pier.  That bungalow on the right is the one I was in 
for my last night, courtesy of Air Madagascar.

They have all of their tree species labeled.
this one amused me.

The dining room.

I watched this group fishing while enjoying a beer.

A friend joined me for my beer.  

Sun's starting to set!

Dinners and breakfasts are included with my room and are quite fancy. I won't share the pictures but the meals made the whole thing quite affordable.  Ended day one, on my deck, watching an amazing sunset.

I slept well with the water lapping on the rocks below my bed.  I woke up the next morning to the light patter of rain on the woven roof.  Fortunately, not enough to ruin my plans.  I had a tuktuk ordered to pick me up at 9 am (showed up at 9:20) to take me to town.  I had to buy a pass and book a guide to go to the pirate cemetery. First I walked around a bit.  It was Sunday so a lot was closed.  

Tavern of the Pirates!  Really just a dive I later discovered

Street market running one street up from the main drag

Gift shop dog

Finally, the rain slowed a bit so I made my way to the tourist office to procure my pass and guide.  They give you a gold doubloon in a canvas pouch.  Cool.  umm, not cool, the guide takes it away five minutes later.  Why even get my hopes up? 

First stop is the old Catholic Church.  I would look up a bit of history (first church on Sainte Marie?) but you don't care.  Best part, the old cemetery behind! Two creepy old cemeteries in one day!  Be still my beating heart!  

(Now I'm in Nairobi with a four hour layover.  The wifi here is terrible!)

Next stop, a cement pier of sorts where Ajay (my guide) and I would be picked up in a dug out canoe to go to Ile aux Forbans.  This means Island with Rogues!  Love it! 

The island isn't the main event but I guess it adds to the day.  Up a hill and then up a tower with many stairs to a beautiful 360 view of the harbour.

Freakin' stairs!

(I am abandoning this post in Nairobi - nothing is uploading! Maybe see you in Paris, or Vancouver, or home?)

(I'm in Paris for a short layover.  First duty free - cheese and champagne - then blog! Good Wifi!!)

After the island, we canoed (perogue?) over to the Pirate's Cemetery!  Finally!  

It wasn't very big and I didn't get to spend as much time as I would have liked but it was pretty awesome.  We were the only people there just until we were leaving. Here's way too many pictures.

Then we had to leave.  We took a walk through a village in the mangroves around the harbour.  Lots of spices grow here.  It is clove harvesting season.  They cut them and dry them out in the open so the whole island smells of lovely clove.  I have some pictures later I think. 

This is from the village later that day.  
The light ones are fresh.  The darker ones are different 
stages of drying. The green is something else altogether

Pictures from the walk

Ya know, just an old cannon is the village path

I don't know what this is but when Ajay shook it into my hand
it was full of water that tasted like honey!

A football game, ducks included!

(First call for boarding!)  

I left that area in a tuk tuk to go to the east side of the island, since I was essentially half way already (or not, again, I have no idea where I was).

I thought the main road was bad.  The road to the other side was abysmal!

Rova from the Lakana has told me I could go to a hotel called Boraha village (?) and have lunch.  So, an expensive, very bumpy tuk tuk ride later, I arrived at 2:04.  Restaurant is closed.  No problem.  A rummy drink will do.  And can I have it on your lovely pier?  I sure can! 

(apparently, the first call for boarding was the only call for boarding - I'm in Vancouver now!)

Back to the east side of the island and Bora Paradise (?).  The water is a a greener, more tropical colour over on this side.  

The pier with seating waaaaay at the end.

There were some steps into the water from the pier.  How could I say now, I had the place to myself and the water was so enticing!  I went for a swim. Well, the water was only waist deep forever so I went for a 'wade'.  Then I lay on those chaise things to dry off.  That was a couple of hours at least.  Then I went back up to the hotel and asked for a tuk tuk to take me back.  When I finally got back to the Lakana, the Boraha Resort (?) had called them that I was there and lost!  Rova assured them that I had come on purpose.  

And that was day one.  Oh, I discovered that the Lakana has four Madagascar tortises on the grounds!  How was this not part of the welcome package!  And they love eating hibiscus.  Not sure if you noticed in the pictures but there are hibiscus flowers all over this hotel!  Feeding time! (I tried to upload a video but a) I'm not sure they even work and b) YVR wifi is not great - maybe when I get home).  

The next day I booked a tuk tuk to take me to Ile aux Nattes, which is a small island just off the southern tip of Nosy Boraha.  It is very close but deep water so a canoe is required.  

There is a lovely path that circles the island so I just walked that for a couple of hours.  

Have I mentioned how many chickens there are here 
(and ducks and geese, and the occasional turkey)

The path is often away from the water. And I still had a couple of hours before my return tuk tuk was scheduled so I took a canoe trip around the island to see it from the water side!  Money and time well spent.  

I mean, seriously, look at that water!

Back to the hotel for a rest, dinner and to pack for my flight back to Antananarivo the next day.  

But wait, I was flying with Air Madagascar so of course my flight was cancelled!  There were three women booked on that flight who had to charter a plane back in order to catch their flight home that night.  I guess they didn't read the million online travel sites that say 'never depend on Air Madagascar's schedule'.  I on the other hand, had scheduled a full 48 hours between Nosy Boraha and flying home. 

Anyway, my flight was supposed to go at 1 pm.  The night before I got an email that it was delayed to 4:30 so that gave me the morning plus to do something else.  I didn't have time for the big stuff like a whale watching trip or a drive to the north of the island so I just went back into town.  Last time I was there it was Sunday so not much was open.  Now it was Tuesday and everything was open but there isn't much anyway, open or not.  

I went back to the street market and spent more time there. I bought some curtains, as one does while in Nosy Boraha, Madagascar.  They aren't even made there but they were used and cheap and I liked them. They'll either go in the living room or the guest room.

My curtain ladies (curtains not shown)

Then I stopped in the Pirate's Tavern. I had promised my friend Andrea that I would sit at a bar and have a drink at some point in my trip.  This slow day was ideal for such an activity.  

A Cuba Libre (it seemed like a place not to get too fancy)

When I got back to the hotel, they let me know my flight was cancelled (I never did get an email) and that the airline would find me a place to stay.  I asked if I could just stay there.  Rova said they were completely full.  But upon a bit of sad face, she did mention that she had a very small room with a very small bed I could take.  Yes please!!  As it turned out, it was a different bungalow over the water, exactly the same size, just with two single beds.  I assume I got the room of two people who were stuck in Tana, living my experience from three days prior.  And this time the airline was paying.  I am sorry I missed two days of doing stuff waiting for cancelled flights but I did get two nights hotel for free so silver linings and all that.  

I am about to board the bus to the ferry so I will finish up with a couple of last thoughts.  Madagascar:  Beautiful, frustrating, super friendly, challeging.  The poverty isn't as bad as I thought it would be but the environmental degradation is heartbreaking.  

Plus, LEMURS!!