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February 2023

febrero 2023 - junio 2025
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Sailing to Africa, rounding the cape, & crossing the Atlantic! Leer más
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  • ViajeroFebruary 2023

    Toamasina Dancers

    13 de febrero de 2023, Madagascar

    The people of Toamasina have interacted with sailers for centuries and it was easy to see and hear the European influence in their local culture.

    Once again, our ship was met with lively dancers. We also saw dancers during our fruit buffet, and while walking through the local village.

    It was a hot and humid day full of bright colors and new to me cultures.    Leer más

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  • ViajeroFebruary 2023

    Toamasina Market

    13 de febrero de 2023, Madagascar

    Armed soldiers stood at many intersections in Toamasina, a sight that always makes me uneasy.

    The local market was big and bustling. I noticed men with t shirts labeling them as security patrolling the perimeter outside.

    When a young girl approached us with a basket of green oranges, one of the guards chased her off, while brandishing his billy club. I hadn’t planned to buy any, but I felt sorry for her nonetheless.    Leer más

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  • ViajeroFebruary 2023
    1

    Pangalanes Canal

    13 de febrero de 2023, Madagascar

    Today we docked in Madagascar’s main seaport, Toamasina, and explored the area nearby.

    “Toamasina” means “it’s salty” and there’s a funny story behind the name. Many years ago, a man who had grown up in the highlands of Madagascar visited.

    He was thirsty after his long voyage, so he took a big swig of seawater only to exclaim, “It’s salty!” Somehow the name stuck.

    Our guide for the day was a fellow named Lachaka, which means “destiny” in Malagasy.
    The first part of our tour in Toamasina was a tour down the Pangalanes Canal.

    While a man steered the boat from the stern, a third guy stood on the bow keeping an eye out for any debris that might get tangled in our outboard engine along the way. (Even so, the boat broke down a couple of times during our trip.)

    Lachaka explained that the section of the canal we were on was man made during the colonial period and that, “Many, many workers died while digging here. Conditions were very bad, like slavery.” (This is a familiar refrain for canals of the world, alas.)

    These days, locals rely on the canal for fishing and trade. For many, this waterway is their main avenue for travel.

    Lachaka taught us how to say “hello” in Malagasy. People were quick to wave and return our greetings as we floated by.

    By the way, even though people do laundry in the canal, the women holding the sheet in these photos are using it to fish.

    Other things that piqued my interest included boats with sails made from rice bags, as well as the voluptuous carving on the prow of a ship.

    And while we’d been warned to keep an eye out for crocs, I did not expect to see a pink one today!    Leer más

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  • ViajeroFebruary 2023
    1

    Chameleons in Toamasina

    13 de febrero de 2023, Madagascar

    Some of the village kids in Madagascar make money by letting tourists like me pose with chameleons.

    Another group of kids had some cute little animals in a bucket with a hat nearby for tips. Do you know what type of animal they are? I wasn’t able to find out.

    Chickens wandered all over the village and I was surprised by how long their legs are.    Leer más

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  • ViajeroFebruary 2023

    Flower Children

    13 de febrero de 2023, Madagascar

    Our guide on the west side of Madagascar mentioned that, “In your movies, the men give their women flowers for the day of love, but we would never do that here.”

    “Why not?” a Swiss woman asked. “Flowers are romantic.”

    “Maybe to you,” Philippe laughed, “but not to my people. Here, we only give flowers at funerals. If I bring flowers to my wife, she will think I wish her to die!”

    Meanwhile, on the east side of Madagascar, villagers displayed young children under woven bowers decorated with colorful blossoms. Each child had a hat nearby to collect tips.

    I tossed dollars in as many hats as possible as Lachaka whisked us through the village.    Leer más

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  • ViajeroFebruary 2023

    Village House

    13 de febrero de 2023, Indian Ocean

    As we wandered along the main path through the village, Lachaka waved our group to one side.

    “Come this way,” he said, steering us down a narrow walkway.

    “Where are we going?” people asked.

    “A woman wishes to show you her house,” he explained.

    Sure enough, a woman stood in front of a small hut. As we approached, she smiled and beckoned for us to come closer.

    I looked for a place to leave a tip, but Lachaka said, “No, no. She doesn’t want money. She only wants you to see her house.”

    Most people declined, but to me it felt rude not to take up her offer.

    A French couple stepped forward with me, and we walked inside her home. The front porch was a tire filled with sand, and playing cards were strewn about the entrance. (Everything else was so tidy that I wonder if the cards were there on purpose, but I don’t really know.)

    The interior of her home was sparse but very tidy. Bundles of flowers hung from the walls creating a lovely aroma as well as cheery decoration.

    The woman did not speak English, and I don’t know any Malagasy, but I did my best to convey my gratitude with a smile.    Leer más

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  • ViajeroFebruary 2023

    Breadfuit

    13 de febrero de 2023, Madagascar

    You may not think you know what breadfruit looks like, but if you’ve ever seen a Hawaiian shirt, you probably recognize the leaf.

    Breadfruit leaves are a popular design motif throughout the tropics. But why?

    The tree is native to the tropics, and its fruit is more savory than sweet. So like potatoes and rice, it can provide a hearty staple.

    Not only did the native peoples of Oceania spread breadfruit across the region, but during colonial times, breadfruit was used to feed slaves.

    Locals often tell me how tasty it is, but I’ve yet to eat any. I saw breadfruit chips (like potato chips) for sale in the Seychelles, but I didn’t have any money on me at the time. One of these days!    Leer más

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  • ViajeroFebruary 2023

    Blessings from the Chief

    13 de febrero de 2023, Madagascar

    The downpour continued as our boat pulled ashore so Lachaka suggested wearing life jackets in lieu or raincoats.

    A small crowd of locals met us as we disembarked. If they thought we looked silly in our life jackets, I couldn’t tell. Some were hawking goods, but most seemed to be there out of curiosity.

    Before we could interact, Lachaka directed us to a forested path that offered shelter from the rain. Between that and the life jacket, I was pretty cozy. It was so hot and humid that none of us felt chilled.

    After carefully wandering up a slick hill, we were ushered into a hut. (It reminded me a lot of our backyard tiki hut, actually.)

    Inside, two men sat at a table. Lachaka explained that the man in the hat was the village chief and part of his job was greeting all visitors.

    The chief spoke to us in Malagasy and I did not understand a word. According to Lachaka’s interpretation, however, not only did he welcome us to his village and extend blessings to us and our families back home, but he even offered blessings to our deceased ancestors, as well.

    After these words, the chief blessed us by dipping a tree branch in water and flicking water droplets on us.

    Lachaka told us that the hat on the table was there in case we wanted to leave a tip, and many of us did so.

    As I mentioned before, Madagascar has 18 different ethnic groups. Lachaka and the members of this village are part of the Betsimisaraka people.

    Betsimisaraka means “the many inseparables,” and mainly live on the eastern side of Madagascar.

    As coastal peoples, they have interacted with Europeans for a long time, and integrated many things into their own culture.

    As we wandered the village, we saw people pounding rice (to de hull it), and cooking meals over small charcoal fires.

    I don’t usually carry any money ashore, but a little voice told me to take a bunch of ones this morning. I’m glad I did, because so many people in the village had hats out for tips.

    I noticed a well for the village that was donated by Muslims and it reminded me of our other guide’s “Hakuna Matata” remark about how the people of Madagascar are comfortable cherry-picking from any religion that appeals to them.

    Our visit ended with a fruit buffet and live song and dance. Everything was delicious, but my favorites were the mango and the little bananas.    Leer más

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  • ViajeroFebruary 2023

    Voice of the Sea

    11 de febrero de 2023, Madagascar

    Larry and I were chosen to take part in the ship’s Voice of the Sea competition. Larry auditioned with Elton John’s “Candle in the Wind,” while I sang Sarah Brightman’s “Think of Me.”

    For the show, Larry performed “My Way,” since it’s such a crowd pleaser and he does it well.

    The ships had a very small list of songs to choose from and I couldn’t find anything for a soprano in the English choices. On a whim, I chose the German song, “99 Luftballons.”

    I could have sung it in English, but I’ve met a lot of nice Germans on the ship, and no one else was singing a tune in their language.

    I figured German people might get a kick out of it, and it would be a fun challenge, to boot. My German friend, Tom, helped me with pronunciation.

    I learned a lot!

    Our server, Edgar, kept the wine flowing during dinner on the night of the show and even sent us out the door with a couple glasses to go!

    We weren’t able to watch the show, alas, because they kept us backstage where we could only see it on a black and white monitor.

    Singing with a live band is so much fun! Larry and I had a great time. We even made it to the final 3.

    In the end, a woman from Holland won. She sang Cohen’s “Hallelujah.” It was well deserved. Her voice is beautiful.

    I really hope they will offer regular karaoke on the ship. This was fun, but I much prefer singing when it’s not a competition. It’s a wonderful way to meet fellow music lovers.    Leer más

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  • ViajeroFebruary 2023

    Hellville Market

    11 de febrero de 2023, Madagascar

    According to Philippe, the difference between a town and a village in Madagascar is that a town has electricity and a village does not.

    We ended our tour of Nosy Be with a visit to the the town of Hellville.

    I noticed charcoal for sale in various places. Philippe says most people rely on it to cook food. “Our villages have no TV, of course, so that’s why we have so many children,” Philippe joked.

    “Before, every family in Madagascar wanted 14 children. That was the wish. But now, our government tells us that’s too many. So now we try to only have a few, maybe five or six. Not so many as before.”

    Philippe went on to explain that, “We have many problems here, but religion is not one of them.”

    Philippe told us that since the 18 tribes of Madagascar already have such a wide variety of different beliefs, “So no one cares if you have a different religion. People can worship what they like. We even have ‘Muslics’ here. These are people who observe Ramadan, celebrate Christmas, and whatever else they want.”

    As we contemplated his words, he added, “Everything’s ok here, you know? It’s Hakuna Matata, baby!”

    It was an entertaining ride to the Hellville Market. The spice section of the market smelled lovely. Larry and I bought some vanilla from the woman in the first photo.

    Madagascar is also known for its pepper corns. I love pepper, but wasn’t sure why they put them in old plastic water bottles.

    As I walked over to a basket of muddy crabs, I thought I saw a cat zip by out of my peripheral vision. I even felt a little whisper of air. According to Larry, however, it was a great big rat!    Leer más

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