The alarm clock wakes both of us up. A little groggy and still quite exhausted, we get ready for our onward journey. This beautiful hotel was just a stopover to our beautiful water hotel on the small island of Sainte Marie, where we will be spending the first week.
Antananarivo
11:00 am
With packed bags, we head back to the airport. Today, we are going to see the hustle and bustle of the outskirts of Antananarivo, known as Tana for short. Small stalls line the road, and the traffic is pure chaos compared to European standards.
If you think Italians drive chaotically, no, the dear southerners are extremely structured drivers in comparison.
The extreme poverty in this country is immediately visible. It is unbelievable, run-down houses, people trying to earn their food by selling pictures on the street, children whose hunger is already visible through a car window. I have never seen anything like this even in Indonesia. I feel bad and at the same time grateful for everything I have.
The imbalance in this world is always shocking and in moments like these, it becomes even more tangible to me.
After a ten-minute drive, we reach the airport. In the daylight, it actually looks smaller than it did when we arrived at night. Here, we also get our long-awaited coffee. The selection is modest, as there is only one 'kiosk', but it serves its purpose.
After the coffee, even dead aunts would have come back to life. Boarding starts a whopping 20 minutes early, and so we take off to the beautiful island of Sainte-Marie a whole 25 minutes ahead of schedule. Even from the air, it is evident that Madagascar is not particularly well developed in terms of infrastructure.
Madagascar
1:45 pm
We are approaching a former pirate island, and even in the air, it is clear to us that we are landing in paradise. The airport is even tinier than the one in Tana, but surprisingly, it is much more modern.
2:30 pm
The hotel's pick-up picks us up with a newly married British couple. The roads are better than expected and are lined with small wooden huts where the locals live. After 5 minutes, we reach our hotel.
What can I say, it's like paradise. We are warmly welcomed with a coconut drink. Our water bungalow lives up to everything that was promised.
Bonjour little bungalow
3:45 pm
After unpacking and admiring our little separate bathroom on land, we set off for the nearest supermarket. The tuk-tuk driver takes us to the town of Ambodifototra, which is 7 km away.
Ambodifototra
Well, calling it a town might be a bit of an exaggeration, but you can tell it's the biggest thing on this island. Stocked up with water and snacks, we find ourselves in the middle of a wedding procession on the way back.
Honking is not just a thing in Germany! Here, it feels like everyone on the island is driving around to celebrate the newly married couple.
5:00 pm
Off to the sea. There's a small staircase leading into the water right from our jetty. It's simply breathtaking!
With our beers in hand and a view of the sea, we slowly realize that we get to spend a week in this beautiful place. Another moment when I am grateful for the opportunities I have. The sunset is beautiful and captivates us until dinner.
7:30 pm
We sit on the small terrace - just 5 meters from the sea, enjoying the 3-course meal and are already impressed with our half-board.
Well-fed, we look out into the wonderful distance from the jetty and philosophize about life.
Since the past 48 hours are still weighing on us, we decide to go to bed at 10:30 pm. In bed, I laugh at the thick blanket that is lying next to the thin sheet. As if we need something like that here.
3:00 am
The beer is making itself known, and I am freezing. So Franzi and I simultaneously wobble over the jetty to our toilet on land. While I am waiting, I hear rustling in the trees and actually get a bit scared when a man appears. But upon closer inspection, I realize that it must be the night watchman. Franzi and I walk back to our water bungalow together and go back to sleep.
