Madagascar Rope jumping without rope and a forest full of leeches
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Johan Kruseman
Updated on 12 October 2024
Updated on 12 October 2024
It all started with the train ride from Fianarantsoa to Manakara. As this steam train only goes twice a week, it’s a happening in every village it passes. The whole village runs out to greet the train, and people try and sell the goods they produced during the days in between. And every time the train sets off for its next lag, the whole village wholeheartedly waves and runs along.
Whereas most people take the full track to Manakara, I had decided to get out in a small village somewhere halfway. And once the train left me and my new village behind, the village went back to their normal routines. Children were rope jumping. And though only one girl had 20 cm of rope in one hand, it didn’t withhold the 8 kids from jumping and turning their arms as if they all had a full rope in both their hands.
That afternoon I joined a man on a hike to the adjacent hilltop, overlooking the village. This little rainforest hike turned out to be a tough one as we were non-stop attacked by leeches crawling via our feet up our legs to feed themselves. By stopping every 10 steps and removing them from my shoes I was able to not turn into a feast for these little bastards. The man of the village however walked barefooted, assumedly because shoes would be too expensive. He stopped maybe every 10 minutes and slashed the ones who had started their meal with a scythe from his legs.
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Traveled route: Antanarivo, Antsirabe, Ranomafana, Fianarantsoa, Andrambovato, Parc d'Anja, Parc National d'Andringitra, Isalo National Park, Toilara, Anakao, Ifaty, Mangily, Salary Avaratra, Ambohitsabo, Andavadoaka, Morombe, Manja, Belo sur Mer, Morondava, Allée des Baobabs, Relais du Kirindy, Belo-Tsiribihina, Tsingy de Bemaraha
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Tea with the queen of Ambalavero
The next day the man surprised me when he wore shoes for a walk to a lower lying village. His explanation was so logical, though still contrary to western views. The hike yesterday was rocky and tough so shoes would wear down where today’s hike was
Madagascar
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