Lakes and customs in the villages around Antsirabe

Day plan: Breakfast. Drive to a volcanic lake and hike there. Then drive to another lake and have lunch. Oldest Protestant church in the country and royal tomb. Thermal springs and bath in one of the basins. Return to Antsirabe.

Facts of the day: At a funeral celebration, rum is poured on the deceased and drunk. Many people are invited and an envelope with money is handed over. A certain fig tree is planted at an important (royal) grave because the leaves rustle when stepped on, so no one can sneak up.

This morning I got up early and sat on the terrace with my book. At first it was still quite cool, but after a short time the sun rose and I enjoyed the early morning hours. For breakfast, we had a delicious omelette, baguette, and papaya. So basically a French breakfast with a Malagasy touch. After breakfast, Manantsoa picked us up and we set off to a volcanic lake with crystal blue water. On the way, we stopped at a Malagasy family that makes popcorn. We were allowed to watch, which was very exciting. They put the corn in a cast iron pot and turn it over the fire. It is airtight and when the popcorn is ready, the pot, which is under pressure, is opened and there is a loud bang. Then all the beautiful popcorn comes out. We immediately tried some and also took some with us, it was very tasty. And it was so nice to see the whole family sitting together and eagerly waiting for it to pop and laughing while covering their ears. After the popcorn was done, we also bought some and ate it on the way. It was very tasty and somehow much better than sugared or salted popcorn. In the next village, we drove steadily uphill and had a great view over the fields and the village. There lies the volcanic lake with its beautiful blue color. We got a local guide and started walking towards the lake. On the way, we were accompanied by about 20 women and girls who wanted to sell us turtles with a colorful stone. I could hardly put one foot in front of the other, but the women were very nice and even laughed at their own jokes: "Don't forget me!