Two days later, I'm in Madagascar!

 I am tucked in my little Madagascar bed eating airport Pringles, but I thought I should check in.

Arriving in Vancouver

Let's start at the beginning.  So many days ago (two?) I got up at 2:45 am to get ready to leave for the airport at 3:45am for my 6 am flight to Vancouver.  My saintly friend Valerie M. drove me.  You may remember that I booked a super early flight in case ANYthing went wrong and I had the ferry as a back up.  Well nothing went wrong so I had a several hour layover in Vancouver. I bought some Pringles and read my book.

By the time I bought my Pringles, 
I was the only bag left on the carosal.

Flight to Paris was equally uneventful.  The food was mediocre at best.  I was already scrambled for what day and time it was.  It was dark but it was daytime according to my internal clock.  I watched three movies and four 45 minute tv episodes, French with subtitles to keep me awake.

I had about two hours in Paris to get to M gates in Terminal 2E.  And the 2E train was not working so they has buses running.  No problem, I made it just as people were starting to line up to board.  I was looking for blue passports and quick dry pants to see if I could find another tour person.  Barely any and no one near me to talk to.  

When I got on the plane and to my seat, my seat mate was a Canadian, also heading to a tour but with a different company.  That was the extent of our initial conversation because I fell asleep before we even left the ground.  It was a long flight, over ten hours.  This time it was bright daylight outside but my internal clock was saying it is time to sleep.  So, I slept some, read my book some and chatted with Karen some. She is also solo traveling.  We had a lot in common but her trips involve rafting and biking and mountain climbing.  So, really nothing in common at all!  haha.  

Anyway, near the end of the flight I asked where she is staying in Antananarivo. The Belvedere!  Did she order an airport transfer?  Well, yes she did.  And that's how I scammed a free ride to the hotel.  I gave the guy a huge tip so not actually free, but technically free.  Whichever, it's a win for me!

Multilevel line ups to visa and border control.  I've got my passport sticker and stamp so I am good to go. 

Before we left the airport, I exchanged 400 euros.  I have a brick of cash now.  I don't even know what I got, she didn't give me a receipt.

my room is really dark, or I don't know how 
to use my camera, or both.

30 minute ride to the hotel.  Lots of clusters of men standing around the streets at 11:30 at night. No women I could see.  So, no walking around at night.  

It was hard to see what the hotel looked like in the dark but it seems to have lots of open to the outside areas.  My room is nice.  There is a second bed up on a loft. I'm going to have to take pictures in the day with better light. Or after I figure out my camera.  Or both.

This should be fun.  I am trying my water purifier for my water tonight.  So, we should know by tomorrow how well it works.  Fingers crossed! 

It starts as bacteria and turns it into nuclear waste

This is a terrible post but I am publishing anyway because I am too tired to care.  Good night all.  

Another new hotel. Sheesh!

August 9

Ok, I know Madagascar is a poor country and I am pretty much ready to go with the flow once I'm there but that isn't going to stop me from griping about trying to plan before I get there. 

It turns out the 'the Madagascar plan' has some Nazi history so no 
 Google image for that. No swastikas on my blog is a loose rule I have. 
 Instead you get this children's online geography course on Madagascar

Last post I mentioned that my hotel on Nosy Bohara sent a message that they had a family event in September and can't host me.  

I realized afterwards, that I was booked in October.  But I can't be bothered to email and clarify (in French) so I just found a different hotel (more expensive but hopefully better?).

Then yesterday I was checking my bookings and I noticed that my hotel in Antananarivo, in which I am booked three times, was asking me to upgrade my room (three times) to include a private bathroom for $12 a night.  Umm, the literal name of my room is "Twin room with Private Bathroom"!  I checked and here is the amenities now.  Note the CROSSED OUT toilet and shower!  Nope.  

I made this giant so you can see the crossing out.  

Again, I'm not invested enough to ask questions.  So, I went in and found another new hotel for my three stays in Antananarivo.  This time the hotel that the tour starts in has rooms but I found a different place nearby that had a suite (with a toilet, I'm 90% sure!) and included breakfast for not much more.  But again, they are getting more money out of me.  I will remind myself that dropping money there is not a bad thing, they need it more than me.  But expect more grumbling if this happens again.  

I am now booked at Sole Hotel.  It looks somewhat utilitarian.  Don't fall in love, we may lose this one too. 

the 'suite' 

The view of the outside is less than comforting.  

It ain't the Ritz... 

August 14. 

I got an email from my new hotel asking if I want a transfer from the airport for $22.  That's probably a good deal.  I'll have to think about that one.  The only other time I booked an airport transfer (Ecuador), it didn't show up.  

Once I land in Antananarivo, I have to go through immigration and get my visa which I hear can take some time (or not, who knows anything anymore...).  Maybe I should just grab a cab when I get through.  It will be late though.  Still mulling this one over. 

Non-hotel related topic.  I called my favourite money exchange place.  No, they and no one else will have Malagasy Ariary (MGA).  I will have to take USD or Euros and convert there. I don't love the double hit on exchange but it is what it is.  

Other than that, I haven't done much research/planning. I haven't even had a chance to read more of my Lonely Planet.  So, let's pull the plug on this post and start fresh later.  

A lemur:  This is an Aye-Aye. It is hard to find/see so it's a big 'get'.  But it looks to me like the stuff nightmares are made of so I will be fine if I don't 'get' an Aye-Aye, thank you very much 🕇🧄🧛

bye-bye aye-aye