Day 248, Year 5 Another Trip to Hell-ville
Date: Thursday, July 1, 2010
Weather: Same Same–Gorgeous
Location: Crater Bay, Nosy Be, NW Madagascar
What gorgeous weather we are having here. And what a difference from what we had when we were up north in Ampanasia Bay. It is officially winter here, but the daytime temperature is in the mid-80’s. It does cool down when the sun sets and by morning the temps are probably in the mid-70’s and it feels really cool. This morning I got up very early and had to shut the front hatch so I wouldn’t freeze. But you are enjoying the same kind of weather; it is just summer for you.
Constance went to the wall again today and unfortunately they have to go back again tomorrow. We are all going to get really good at this routine. Once the patch was sanded a decision was made that it needed more epoxy faring compound and another sanding before bottom paint could be applied. So today the additional epoxy was applied and tomorrow it will be sanded and hopefully the bottom paint will go on. We helped Constance get situated this morning and then we walked into the little town that is close to here. The road is hard-packed rock and dirt and very rough for driving or walking. The transport of local goods here is done by a cart pulled by a zebu and I think that is probably the best mode of transportation on these rocky roads, but we enjoyed the walk. Along the waterfront there are storage sheds for local building materials-bamboo poles, hardwood poles, palm fronds for thatching, a different palm frond for fencing, cut boards, sand, gravel of all sizes, paving stones, and even a little operation producing concrete blocks. In between all of this were thatched roof huts where people live. Once we were further from the water, the enterprise changed from building materials to small roadside shops selling a little of this and that. It seems like every hut has something out front for sale-a few lemons, some tomatoes, small bags of snacks, bananas, or squash. Then we came to the small town. The taxi drivers call it Dar es Salam but the local fresh market sign said Ambatoloaka, so we’re not exactly sure. But it is bustling little town with a nice super market and a decent fresh food outside market. So it was worth the walk to find out what is available without having to pay for a taxi. But in order to get to Hell-ville, we did need a taxi. The first one we got into had to be push-started and it would only go for a few feet and die. So we got out of that one and found another one heading our way. We went all the way into the harbor area so we could make another ATM withdrawal. Then we used our Lonely Planet map of Hell-ville to guide us through the town. Our first stop was the Catholic Church with the famous Cours de Hell sign tacked on the front. Someone has damaged the street sign so only the H and part of the e are still readable, but it still gives you a chuckle. We then walked up a street with a few neat restaurants that we will have to go back to visit as we made our way to the SuperMarche. I needed to walk the aisles one more time to write down prices so I can make comparisons with other shops and to check carefully to see what is available. We bought a few things that we know we won’t find anywhere else, so comparing prices on those things is not urgent. Mark went to buy more top-up cards for the cell phone and the computer modem while I went to the fresh food market. By the time we got a taxi, our backpacks were full, as well as huge LL Bean bag. But we made one more stop at Akhem Oliver’s Chinese store to buy a couple more cases of beer and a bottle of local rhum-must give it a try. When we got back to Crater Bay, we say that our dinghy was high and dry on the rocky beach. Yuck! Mark went to check-in with Ed and Lynne while I started carrying the bags down to the beach area. Just as I was contemplating how in the world we were going to carry our dinghy across all the rocks, two young men came by and offered to help me. With one of them on each side of the back where the heavy engine sits and me on the front, we were able to carry the dinghy into the water and then I loaded all the bags and waited for Mark to load the beer. I have to explain that a case of beer here is 20 heavy glass bottles, about 2/3 of a liter, in a plastic case 14 inches wide x 17 inches long x 12 inches high. And when I say ‘heavy’ glass, I mean ‘heavy’ glass. You don’t see broken bottles along the roadside here because I don’t think you could break these bottles!
Tomorrow is more of the same. We’ll get Constance situated on the wall and then we might take Lynne and go to Hell-ville again. It is a kicky little town and we’d love to have lunch there. Cruisers from another boat told us they had huge zebu steaks for lunch and the cost was $5 US. Sounds like something we’d like to try. Lynne is strict vegetarian, but she is even contemplating giving zebu a try.
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| 100701 Day 248a Nosy Be, Madagascar–Walk from Crater Bay to Dar es Salama |
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| 100701 Day 248b Nosy Be, Madagascar–Walk About in Hell-ville |
