The Road Less Traveled?

So I just returned from site visit yesterday. What a trip. I can't remember if I wrote about my counterpart or not, I think I may have emailed that. Anyway, I met him on Monday in Mantasoa; we didn't really talk during lunch. I learned his name, Francois, and that he is a Physics teacher at the CEG (middle school). Dinner wasn't any better and by break time the next day, one of the other counterparts encouraged him to talk to me. Evidently, he was nervous because he doesn't speak English. I tried to speak in Malagasy to him, but his answers were short. Long story short, meeting him wasn't the greatest. So what should we do since we've hardly ever spoken and can barely communicate? How about get in a vehicle together and sit really close and ride several hours to get to our destination. So that's what we did.

Wednesday we were supposed to leave Tana at 8 a.m. We didn't get to the taxi brousse station until five after. We did leave by 8:20 p.m. though. That's good for Malagasy time. Have I mentioned that my concept of the date and time are quite blurry now? Yes, they are. The drive to Moramanga offerred some nice views. Very curvy, but paved. We arrived in Moramanga around 10:40 a.m. Let's just say my first impression of Moramanga was not a good one (nor was my second on the return trip, but it was slightly better). It's a filthy town and to top it off, it was raining, so there was mud all over the place. We bought our tickets for the taxi brousse to my town, and I left one of my bags on the top of the taxi brousse in the rain. Thankfully, nothing was stolen, but I didn't have anything highly valuable in it. Rice, anana soup (just boiled water with greens), and something that was supposed to be beef but didn't taste that great. Ranomapango of course (burnt rice water, but I actually love this stuff. Wait til I make it for you when I get home). We left for my site around 12:30 p.m. I don't know why I ever began counting how many people they were trying to cram in the taxi brousse before we even left, because the number just continued to increasing, although I was sure that it wasn't possible to fit another body in the vehicle. A Land Rover. Yes, that is what kind of vehicle took me to my site. Only kind of taxi brousse that will make it. The road is bad: ratsy lalana. Where was I? Oh yes, the number of bodies in the Land Rover: 23 to be exact--19 adults, 4 children (to defend the kids, they did better than any American child every would have done on a 4 1/2 hours car ride with little to occupy them but a broken balloon or the muddy road ahead).

I didn't mind the ride so much. Thank goodness I don't get car sick. We never went that fast, but it was a bumpy ride and like I said, 23 people. About 40 minutes before we reached my site, my counterpart had the driver stop so I could see the WATERFALL! Yes, it was a great sight, but where was my camera? On top of the rover in my second bag that was thrown up there when they had to cram body number 21 into the vehicle. We followed a river all the way from Moramanga to my site. Great sights. I will be living pretty much in the rain forest for the next two years, so please, come visit.

We arrived around 5:45 p.m. I could see that the center of town was dry, cement and looked quite nice even as it was getting dark. My counterpart kindly carried my bags and disposed of me at the "hotel". Slap-board walls through which I could see the light in the next room. Community kabone and ladosy outside of course. I should have taken my po. My counterpart did kindly arrange for the lady that showed me to my room to bring me dinner. Rice of course, anana soup again, and meat that tasted like meat (it was actually really good). Oh, I was kindly visited by a young man who rode in the taxi brousse before my dinner arrived. He could speak enough English in order to ask if he could come to my room after I finished my dinner. I not-so-kindly told him goodbye and locked my door. He came knocking around 9:30 p.m. but I pretended to be sleeping. Unfortunately, I could hear him next door with his friends late into the night talking about the vazaha. Not a good nights sleep. Noisy, 1 inch foam matress, new town, not to mention that kabone was disgusting. I was happy when morning came.

My counterpart arrived at 8:30 a.m. Thursday to begin showing me around and introducing me to everyone (as if they don't already know who I am...I'm the vazaha, duh). When he said my friend was here, I thought he meant the creepy guy from the night before. I was pleasantly surprised. My site partner, an Environment volunteer came to welcome me. He told me that he had been waiting for me the night before but never found out that the taxi brousse arrived (I'm still not sure how he didn't hear from everyone else. It's a small town). Anyway, he and a friend had a place ready for me to stay at in the community center--a community center! So the next two nights I slept there. Felt much safer, but slept just as bad.

My counterpart introduced me to so many people and of course, I've forgotten almost all of their names: the Gendarme (mitovy tovy [kind of the same] as police), Chef CISCO (something to do with running the schools), the several teachers, the mayor, yada yada yada. I shall meet them all again in 3 weeks and still it will take me 3 months to remember all of their names. I hung out with my site partner during the afternoon. We started cooking dinner before 1:30 p.m. It takes a while when you cook everything from scratch. Good stuff though. Tomato, potato, onion, garlic, some green stuff from his garden (he told me all of the names, but there are about 7 types of trees and 32 other things he'g growing. I can only really remember carrots and tomatoes). Put it over rice and it's delicious. I ate lots of bananas in those few days too. A girl's got to survive somehow and I didn't exactly have a stove. We watched a movie (ha ha) after dinner. Crazy. I come to Madagascar and watch a movie after dinner. Hilarious.

Friday morning I went with my site partner (I'm not using his name because I didn't ask him if it was okay. O.K.?) to his counterpart's house. Nice walk past another waterfall, down a muddy road, and up a mountain practically. I helped them prepare the soil to plant trees. They had dug holes and we burnt brush in them in order to put more nutrients in the soil. Got dirty, sweat a little; it felt good to do something. And the view wasn't bad either. We could see the river up there. Gorgeous.

More rice and veggie soup for lunch AND mananasy = pineapple. Love it! I never really cared for it in the states, but this stuff is so juicy and it was picked from the yard a.k.a. mountain side right before we ate it.

Oh, I saw my house and the CEG/lycee (high school) Thursday too. My house is one room, well kind of two. Maybe 12' x 12' in the main room and then there is a little walk way to the indoor ladosy (shower). Sweet. Less room for me to have to worry about insects and rodents and geckos. Yes, there are geckos, but they are quick little suckers. My yard is fenced in with a bamboo fence and there are vanilla trees/plants in the yard. I live on the grounds of the E.P.P. (elementary school). The Chef CISCO's office is connected to my house. I think it will be quite safe there:) The CEG/lycee where I will be teaching is a 1 K walk. Not too bad, until it rains a lot. My counterpart said if it rains three days in a row, school is cancelled for a few days because the road is impassable. I didn't get to go inside the buildings, but they look decent. 45-50 students in each class. Much better than the 70-90 students per class I've heard about.

What else? Did I already mention that there are 2-3 rivers (still need to varify this; I heard both numbers) that converge into one? Yes, water all around there. A beautiful sight. Dad, the fishing is best from September-December, also the best time for weather because it doesn't really rain then. I learned the hard way that one must always carry either an umbrella or rain coat at all times because of the impending rain. I think the weather is more drastic than Michigan. It rained several times in one day, never for the same length, never either sprinkle or pour. Crazy. But it wasn't ever cold there. Chilly at night, but not cold. It was sunny and hot on Friday. The bad news: no cell phone reception. I have reception in my banking town 4 1/2 hours away and the Internet, but I'll only be able to go there once a month (maybe twice). There is a post office. I'll let you know if I change my address.

So much but this entry is so long. Did you like the pictures? I hope so because remember, the Internet is quite slow here. I need to go; people are lining up for the Internet. I ate a hamburger last night and french fries last night and today. I like Tana for that reason. Keep the letters coming, please. They make me smile and I'll write back. We go back to Alarobia on Tuesday to for 10 more days with our host families. Then it's back to Mantasoa for a week before we swear in on August 22. I should have a few more chances to use the Internet before I go to my site on the 23rd.

Yes, so I'm ending this now. Even though my house is small, I'll find room for you if you want to come visit. Remember, rainforest which equals lemurs. And lots of good hiking nearby. Or we can go to Ile St. Marie (the island off the island) and stay in a fancy hotel. Your choice of course.

Love you all,

~Kinsey