We left Tana to spend the weekend in Nosy Be, one of the hundreds of little tropical paradises you will find all over Madagascar. Nosy Be is an island off the northwestern coast, a short 1-hour flight away from bustling Antananarivo. We stayed at "Auberge Orangea" basically a few bungalows right on the beach. This is a very typical accomodation for tourists in the area, as pretty much the entire shore is owned by one of these small independent family operations, the owners of which are mostly foreign. Amenities are really basic, but prices are almost european (5Euro breakfast, the equivalent of a 3-course meal in Tana). We were just happy to get out of the Tana-scent (a delicate mix of gasoline and diesel fumes with powerful sewage accents) for a couple of days.
After swimming in the Mozambique channel, Alvin and I went for an exploratory walk in the area. Alvin wanted to blend in with the locals, so he decided to go barefoot neglecting the fact that he did not benefit from the thousands of years of genetic selection and grueling practice that keeps a smile on the face of local schoolgirls when they walk around barefoot on viciously sharp gravel roads heated by the scorching sun to the point you can fry an egg on them. Anyway, this was an opportunity to try ourselves at some local handicraft: download craft tutorial here (this one is worth it). I had a good laugh (notice I was the one wearing Tevas) and we also made some furry friends along the way. Good times...
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