NOSY BE, MADAGASCAR
THANKSGIVING DAY 2006
There's an American flag hanging over the dining room and they have red white and blue balloons hanging all over, so I guess it's a holiday. We are standing off Nosy Be (big island), Madagascar and I've elected to take the Lemur Island tour to see the black lemure sanctuary. This is done in a native boat with an outboard and benches. As we are waiting to disembark I see a lady being pushed through the door by a wheelchair. My first thought was to get into another group (you should always go with your first thought). But, I decided to see what happened. She made it down the stairway outside the ship and with the help of 4 crew men she got into the boat with her wheelchair. 40 minute ride an a wet landing and the show begins. Her husband tries to push the wheelchair through beach sand- impossible- so she walks up the beach. We are passed by the next group. There are embroidered tableclothes hanging all through this village and we look into a couple of classrooms- kids in uniform. Wheel chair works a little better on firmer ground and another group passes. Now the path turns uphill with irregular paving stones, rocks, etc. Wheelchair can't navigate and another group passes. Our native guide- a skinny young lady Robine is totally discombobulated (I don't think I've ever spelled that word before) and she's running back and forth trying to help the wheelchair out- and another group passes. At that point I went and asked the husband what part of this trip being rated wheelchair inaccessible did he not understand. I told him to park his wife as we are moving on with the guide. (we had already lost 3 to another group). So we entered the reserve and I heard the husband complain to another traveler "this trip is going to make an old man out of me." So we saw a 4 foot python draped around a boys neck who wanted a dollar a picture, a chameleon on a stick- $1, and a land crab- free. I didn't buy any photo ops and there weren't any lemurs either. Got a Sprite on the beach- included in this 48 dollar boat ride. Talked another 9 people into leaving early and took off for the boat- and guess who showed up coming down the beach- yep, the wheelchair couple. Well fortunately we were full- It was a wade out to the boat but when fully loaded we were grounded in the sand so I got off the front of the boat to reduce the weight and helped push us into deeper water- I suppose I was the most agile of the group which tells you what a geriatric group this was. Enjoyed the ride back- breeze partly dried sweat soaked shirt.
Decided to eat lunch before taking the tender to Nosy Be Town- ran into Ron and Ann after I wolfed down a burger (about the size of a silver dollar) Ron suggested we team up and take a 3 dollar taxi into town- I agreed to the plan and missed the next shuttle. Once we did get to the small pier were beseiged by hawkers, the most obnoxious being a pair of thieves with a black lemur on a rope- "Take a picture mister" followed me up hill rubbing this poor animals back on my arm and finally putting him on my shoulder hoping he would crap on my shirt. A finger poke in the sternum got them to take the lemur back. Ann and Ron were on the sunny side of the street and I waved them over to the shade and found out we were already in town and didn't need a cab. Turned out to be picturesque town with a boulevard divided by a wide tree lined park- of course, this being off the coast of Africa, it was littered and unkempt and the path lined with the ubiquitous embroidered tableclothes. The heat and humidity were really oppressive and the people were smart enough to siesta, so everything was closed except for a bar where they did sell postcards. Tried to write the cards inside but kept sweating profusely so moved outside and a breeze. Had to wait until 2:30 for the Post office to open so chatted with Ann while Ron went to scout out a cyber cafe (unsuccessfully). Two thirty and the shops start to open, not much to buy so head for PO and get stamps- $2 postage to USA. Glad I discovered the Blog.
Shower is getting to be the best part of this trip- got some nice sunset photos and down to dinner of turkey and the fixings followed by by pumpkin cheesecake. They have a female vocalist tonight- not my cup of tea- so will try TV til 10pm when "Master and Commander" will be on the big screen. Well, couldn't stay awake until 10 o'clock even though I knew I could sleep in since tomorow is a day at sea. (Must be all that salt air).
There's an American flag hanging over the dining room and they have red white and blue balloons hanging all over, so I guess it's a holiday. We are standing off Nosy Be (big island), Madagascar and I've elected to take the Lemur Island tour to see the black lemure sanctuary. This is done in a native boat with an outboard and benches. As we are waiting to disembark I see a lady being pushed through the door by a wheelchair. My first thought was to get into another group (you should always go with your first thought). But, I decided to see what happened. She made it down the stairway outside the ship and with the help of 4 crew men she got into the boat with her wheelchair. 40 minute ride an a wet landing and the show begins. Her husband tries to push the wheelchair through beach sand- impossible- so she walks up the beach. We are passed by the next group. There are embroidered tableclothes hanging all through this village and we look into a couple of classrooms- kids in uniform. Wheel chair works a little better on firmer ground and another group passes. Now the path turns uphill with irregular paving stones, rocks, etc. Wheelchair can't navigate and another group passes. Our native guide- a skinny young lady Robine is totally discombobulated (I don't think I've ever spelled that word before) and she's running back and forth trying to help the wheelchair out- and another group passes. At that point I went and asked the husband what part of this trip being rated wheelchair inaccessible did he not understand. I told him to park his wife as we are moving on with the guide. (we had already lost 3 to another group). So we entered the reserve and I heard the husband complain to another traveler "this trip is going to make an old man out of me." So we saw a 4 foot python draped around a boys neck who wanted a dollar a picture, a chameleon on a stick- $1, and a land crab- free. I didn't buy any photo ops and there weren't any lemurs either. Got a Sprite on the beach- included in this 48 dollar boat ride. Talked another 9 people into leaving early and took off for the boat- and guess who showed up coming down the beach- yep, the wheelchair couple. Well fortunately we were full- It was a wade out to the boat but when fully loaded we were grounded in the sand so I got off the front of the boat to reduce the weight and helped push us into deeper water- I suppose I was the most agile of the group which tells you what a geriatric group this was. Enjoyed the ride back- breeze partly dried sweat soaked shirt.
Decided to eat lunch before taking the tender to Nosy Be Town- ran into Ron and Ann after I wolfed down a burger (about the size of a silver dollar) Ron suggested we team up and take a 3 dollar taxi into town- I agreed to the plan and missed the next shuttle. Once we did get to the small pier were beseiged by hawkers, the most obnoxious being a pair of thieves with a black lemur on a rope- "Take a picture mister" followed me up hill rubbing this poor animals back on my arm and finally putting him on my shoulder hoping he would crap on my shirt. A finger poke in the sternum got them to take the lemur back. Ann and Ron were on the sunny side of the street and I waved them over to the shade and found out we were already in town and didn't need a cab. Turned out to be picturesque town with a boulevard divided by a wide tree lined park- of course, this being off the coast of Africa, it was littered and unkempt and the path lined with the ubiquitous embroidered tableclothes. The heat and humidity were really oppressive and the people were smart enough to siesta, so everything was closed except for a bar where they did sell postcards. Tried to write the cards inside but kept sweating profusely so moved outside and a breeze. Had to wait until 2:30 for the Post office to open so chatted with Ann while Ron went to scout out a cyber cafe (unsuccessfully). Two thirty and the shops start to open, not much to buy so head for PO and get stamps- $2 postage to USA. Glad I discovered the Blog.
Shower is getting to be the best part of this trip- got some nice sunset photos and down to dinner of turkey and the fixings followed by by pumpkin cheesecake. They have a female vocalist tonight- not my cup of tea- so will try TV til 10pm when "Master and Commander" will be on the big screen. Well, couldn't stay awake until 10 o'clock even though I knew I could sleep in since tomorow is a day at sea. (Must be all that salt air).
Labels: Nairobi to Rio 2006
posted by DT at 11:19 AM
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