Transport through Madagascar

Well, that poem acutally sounded better to me after a few beers.

Soon after the last post we flew back to Tana to head to Western Madagascar. From airport we took the local transport, a minibus or minivan that is generally packed to capacity with people, rice, corn or fish spilling out, to the southern taxi brousse (minibus) station. This was a hectic station with lots of transports going in all directions, food vendors, taxis, taxi brousse organizers, cheaters, and robbers. Got to be careful, especially as a tourist that sticks out. We hopped on the bus and headed South to Antsirabe. Let me explain a little about the transport here . . .

No matter what we think, it takes a day to travel 4 hours or 100 kilometers. From out little local hotel near the airport we thought that we would get into Antsirabe in a matter of hours, our book did say it was a 4 hour ride. So after breakfast we, got onto a local transport to the center of Tana 30 min., then got onto a "direct" bus to Antsirabe, of course they don't leave unless they are full so we wait for 2.5 hours. okay finally, we have enough people, enough as in we are all crammed. but we are off, alright. 2 minutes later we stop because the driver wants some smokes. Alright, no matter, whatever he needs to stay attentive. Then we are off, 5 minutes later we stop at a police check point. Then another, and another, then we stop qnd pick up some more people. No problem, get everyone on. But what is the hold up? Oh, we are also putting on 3 50kilo sacks of rice and a basket of chickens. 30 minutes from the station we have gone 5 Klicks.

Blasting Malagasy music, chewing on some leaves, the driver weaves around pot holes, zebu carts and everyone else using the main highway, one lane dirt road. We stare out the window and let the air hit our face, it is about 95 in the shade. but the scenery passes the time away quickly. After constant stopping to drop people off and pick people up, we make a stop in a small town to eat some food and run to the toilet. I immediatly run out of the taxi brousse and find myself some street vendors. Fried chicken, avacadoes, fruit, somosas, coffee, eggs, and a few items to go. Eventually the 4 hour direct bus gets to Antsirabe in 5 hours, just before dusk. The taxi brousse station is about 4 miles from the camping area so we start to walk, arriving at our new spot just in time for dinner, having started just after breakfast.

Travel in Madagascar is slow, but is part of the experience.