Day 56 Highlands

Our day started today with a trip to a volcanic lake. We were picked up by a tuktuk in front of our hotel. While we visited the lake, our driver wanted to take care of the car, so that it would work again when we returned and we could continue our journey.

We drove for a good hour by tuktuk over rough terrain and through several villages.

So we got little glimpses into the lives of the locals.

When we arrived at the lake, a horde of children greeted us who wanted to sell us stones very persistently. After all the formalities were settled with the local guide, we set off to the lake with the group of children. Only shortly before reaching the lake, the children gave up for the moment and sat down on the side of the road.

At the lake, our guide told us that this body of water is a kind of sacred place for the local population. They are not allowed to swim in the lake if they have eaten pork and have not washed afterwards. After eating pork, they must shower first before they are allowed to go swimming. Otherwise, it will bring bad luck.

While we were wandering around the lake, our guide told us about life in the highlands.

They do not trust the police at all because they are corrupt. So they prefer self-justice. They have been experiencing robberies lately, where zebus (local breed of cattle used for farming and everything) have been stolen. The robberies were carried out by armed men and the only ones who have access to weapons in the country are the army and the police. Even if they catch a thief, he will be released after a few days because he can buy his way out. The mostly poor population of the highlands, however, is put in prison for minor offenses.

We then went back to the hotel by tuktuk, where our guide should have been waiting for us with the repaired car. But he was nowhere to be seen. So we had our breakfast and waited for him. After 3 hours of waiting, we decided to explore the local town of Antsirabe. Berni still needed batteries for his headlamp. The town was also bustling with activity, which was interesting to observe.

When we came out of a shop, our guide was waiting for us outside. The car was fixed, he just needed to quickly go to the bank and the gas station, and then we can continue heading west. And so we did, and we were back on the road. The car seemed to be fine, there were no squeaks or any other noises.

We spent the night in Niandrivazo. Tomorrow, our river journey will start from here. When we were having dinner at 8 o'clock, the power suddenly went out in the whole village. So we enjoyed the rest of the meal by candlelight. It was interesting that nobody got upset about the situation. It should be so relaxed for us too.

When we wanted to retreat to our room, the hotel manager invited us to his table. He offered us rum with cola and we talked for 2 hours in French, as he and his friends didn't speak English. Our conversation ended with him offering us a joint. We politely declined, so he smoked it with his friend alone. He told us that marijuana is actually illegal, but if they get caught, he pays the police officer some money and the matter is settled. His friend is in the army and he is an ex-soldier, which is why both of them owned a gun, which they also showed us. They were not afraid of being caught.

So in one day, we experienced both sides of the highland population. It was very fascinating that both sides were telling the same story but had completely different perspectives.