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Day 13. From Isalo to Ifaty
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| Isalo Massive |
There's a fierce wind blowing today in Isalo and it's fresh.
We make an early walk to a natural swimmingpool. The path goes
through mountains with bizarre eroded rock formations. We pass
a hole in a mountain side, barred with stones. It's a temporary
grave. When the deceased has decomposed to bones (after 3 years)
he is taken out of the tomb and gets a second burial in the family
grave elsewhere, which takes place in a festive ceremonial. It's
a common ritual in this area. At another tomb we see a colorful
coffin stick out, in which the body of a small child must have
been once.
We reach the pool, underneath a waterfall, again in a fertile,
lush environment. We reject the offer to take a swim as the
water looks a bit greasy. Possibly because of the tourists from
the nearby camping site, who come here to bath.
Once we're back we have an early lunch and check out, and around 11 o'clock we head towards Ifaty, a small town on the south-western coast.
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| Piscine Naturelle |
We pass a town where sapphire has been found, 10 years ago.
Once, there were only just a few houses here but it rapidly
expanded to a busy town to which people from all over the world
come to try their luck. Sapphire of the finest quality costs
about 700 euro per gram. Apparently there's a lot of criminality
here too as Dyna doesn't dare to stop.
As we follow the well maintained concrete road and approach the south it's becoming hotter and dryer and Baobabs are again appearing in the landscape.
We see the ocean appearing as we reach Tulear, a nondescript
town where everything turns out to be closed today. We say goodbye
to Dyna He'll be driving back to Tana the following 2 days,
and we make him promise us to take it easy and get enough rest
underway. He's already got himself nearly killed once when he
fell a sleep behind the wheel.
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| Sunset in Ifaty |
We charter transport to Ifaty, 22 km ahead. Our Taxi is an ancient Renault 4 which, in Europe, would have been put to scrap a long, long time ago. The car creaks, groans and smokes. The doors don't close and the driver messes with electric wires to start the engine. During the bumpy ride we see trees standing in the see with only their tops coming out of the water. Looks like nature is behaving rude here, too
In one piece we arrive at the hotel; bungalows on a palm fringed
beach. We check in and have a look at the hotel next to us.
Though it has no guests it's a little more charming, friendlier
and comfortable than the neighbors, so we decide to move here
tomorrow morning. For tonight we decide to test its food. We
enjoy lobster, crab and shrimps and it tastes absolutely delicious.
Test passed cum laude. For those interested: Ifaty
Beach Club is the place to be.
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