My last holidays

My last holidays

Before leaving Meggi and I had a last week of travel around the big red island. They were more relaxed type holidays, cold and rain and lots of just staying in reading with a cup of warm tea.

We went to Ranu Mafana (hot water) which are hot springs in the mountains that were very popular in the colonial era. The baths were closed and it rained like crazy but the forest, the hiking....simply beautiful.

Then Manakara which is by the water. The waters are too violent to swim and they say there are sharks in the water.....pfff I went in and it was fine. We also had a day on a pirogue where we visited little fisherman's island and had fish and rice off a big leaf sitting on the floor with our guide.....perfect.

We then took a century old train to get to our next destination and it was simply magical. We drove through the misty mountains and at every stop we were introduced to some new fruit or food or plants, it felt like being in a Jules Verne adventure.

Then we moved around alittle from community to community until July 14th when I left for South Africa. I cried at the airport and waited so long before boarding the plane that they had to call my name.

In the Jo'burg airport all they kept playing was "Je ne vous oublie pas" which the girls sang all the time....also made me cry, I really have been a crying idiot but I'm better now. (just on the crying part not the idiot part)