Bon journee,
Since I last checked in I have erupted into travel with a 9 hour cramped bus to Fianarantsoa (The shortest city name in Madagascar is 6 letters) then a trip to the National Park Ranomofana for the weekend.
The system of transport, unless you have your own car here is mainly by hippie buses called Taxi-Brousses. They are cramped, four rows with 20 people per bus usually, and the top of the bus wavers along the road with the typical supply of people's bags, food and live animals. The stations where you might find one are mudpits teeming with hordes of teenagers and poor old men looking to make a buck by carrying your bags, escorting you past the hordes of their compatriots etc.
Negotiations with these lackeys are short and they quickly lose their footing on their steep asking price. But if you are quick and refuse to succumb to their ratty ways, you can handle your own stuff with a firm resolution and a whole lot of "No's."
I took a trip down from Tana through the winding hills of the inner plateaus of Madagascar, on the major road, a two-laner. And it is at times altogether frightening, moving at high speeds, taking sharp turns and avoiding packs of cows and pushcarts. But you get use to it quick.
After a night in Fianarantsoa, I took another 3 hour ride out to the national park, where I saw lemurs, chameleons and mongooses by deep rainforest walks with my guide Solo, or my friend at an Household Solar company, Fredric. I've got lots of good pictures I'll put up soon. All is well, but I must be off to catch my forest train to the coast where I will see some sweet tidal energy projects and talk to some local government leaders about possibly working on a project to put in a wind turbine or two. Until then...
Tom Brady, Quarterback, Rice Fields,
Steven
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