Value: 10 euro cents

We spend most of the morning arranging flight tickets, which we purchase with impressive piles of bills. Dealing with money is tricky because most bills have two different amounts. 2.000 is 10.000, but 50.000 is actually 25.000 while 100.000 is 50.000. Confusing to say the least. The locals also seem to have difficulties with the notes because our money is recounted at least 5 times.

Madagascar is known for its gems, crystals and minerals and Antsirabe is the epicenter of trade. Rose quarts may be something special in our country but here the people use it as gravel for their gardens. We visit a precious stone factory where we get a welcome present; a madagascar-shaped ashtray and a green tear-shaped stone. We can search in a huge pile of rubble full of rough precious stones of Topaz, Agate, Celeste and Pyrite. As a fossil enthusiast i can score in the shop; there are beautiful ammonites and splendid bright Amber with insect inclusion. All of this for a fraction of the price a collector would pay in Europe.

Men playing "Fanorona", a board game

We hit the road to our next stop: Miandrivazo. Rija shows us several tombs along the road. It's fady (taboo) to point with your finger to the tombs so instead you need to hold your hand up into the direction of the object. There are also tall standing rocks, one for every person that ever went missing and was never found. Pointing those out with your index finger is not fady, by the way.

We pass a village called Mandoto, where Rija and Dyna the driver want to have lunch. They take seat in a small Hotely and invite us to their table. We thank politely for their offer and instead we take the opportunity to have a look around in Mandoto.

There's a market where it's very crowded. Besides food, the most popular items to sell seem to be oil cans made from recycled tomato pure tins and balls made from cow crap. Baguettes are being sold and men are playing Jeux de Boules on the center square. A striking example of the french influences. The sight of "fresh" fish and meat, hanging on hooks in the burning sun, surrounded with swarms of flies confirm that we probably made the right decision not to join the lunch.

The Mandoto girl

I see a eight or nine year old girl with a strong asian appearance. She wears a blue cloth in which she carries a small baby on her back. When I want to take her picture her mother interrupts: before she gives her permission she insists that we have to send her the pictures afterwards. (*). She writes her address on a paper and we promise her we'll send the photos. In the meantime we are observed by a silent crowd of at least 40 people.

Meanwhile, the temperature has risen at least 10 degrees. We continue our journey and see an endless landscape with green hills and mountains and every now and then some red colored villages. In one of those villages we make a stop to stretch our legs. According to Rija, the village is inhabited by people seeking for gold in a nearby mine. Looks like it ain' t the most profitable business (at least not to them) considering the poverty of this town, compared to what we've seen before. Nevertheless, the kids are having lots of fun. They shout to us 'Vazaha' (gringo, something every tourist will hear) and pose willingly in front of the camera.

After another hour of driving we arrive in Miandrivazo. The story goes that king Radama I sent out his men once looking for his lover, while the king waited for them in this village. That's why it's called Miandrivazo which is Malagash for "waiting for girlfriend". Her name was Rasalimo and that's the name of the bungalows we move into.

Miandrivazo serves mainly as a starting point for the Tsiribihina river tour, which we'll do tomorrow, so there ain' t much to do here. We take the opportunity to enjoy some cold beers while we still can, because after today we'll be camping in the bush for two nights.

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