March 12, 2019
This morning we woke up very early at 4:30 a.m. to finish packing and prepare for our long journey from Antsirabe to Morondava, Madagascar. Once we cleaned out our rooms, we strapped our gear to the top of our bus calso called a taxi-brussel and set off at 5 a.m. As we drove, we watched the city of Antsirable wake up. Lights of most homes were on and people lined the streets walking to work or setting up their booths on the street. When driving we passed many beautiful and unique landscapes, including forests and savannahs. We even watched the sun rise over the lush rice paddies. Watching the scenery was breathtaking, but it was also a reminder that lush and wild nature is rapidly being destroyed for everyday life across the country here in Madagascar.
The drive lasted a total of 12 hours and 32 minutes despite the fact that we only traveled 258 total miles. One of the many reasons the journey takes so long is because the road conditions here are very poor. But the government lacks resources to repair the pot holes or erosion of land surrounding the roads, which makes the roads slope downwards. Near the end of our long drive, we spotted our first baobab tree, and more of them gradually dotted the horizon in the distance.
When we finally reached Morondava, we were all relieved to say the least. After dropping our bags at our hotel, we ventured to dinner and sampled seafood and rice that is a staple food in this village. Seeing the beautiful nature surrounding this village makes us more and more excited to explore this beautiful area for five days. Nobody can wait to meet our homestay families tomorrow and we continue to practice Malagasy phrases so we can communicate and bond easily.
Even though we miss home, we are learning and experiencing so many amazing things everyday, which will make it very hard to leave.
See more photos from Madagascar ECS here.
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