Of course there were ladies on the beach selling their wares with ample time to purchase.
 |
| colorful fabrics for sale on the beach |
.jpg) |
| beautiful sandy beaches |
 |
| can be used as wraps or table covers |
About 3 hours of our 5 hour excursion were spent driving. Looking out the bus windows gave us ample opportunity to observe how the locals live. Our guide told us that the average income is $50 per month. However, most everyone we saw sitting down (like the previous day) was using a cell phone, even young teens. It’s a mystery to me how they can afford these, given their overall income level and standard of living. The houses were varied – many made of bamboo, the nicer ones having tin roofs, the others having roofs made from palm leaves. The front “doors” were a piece of cloth hanging across an opening. The “rich” people have homes made of concrete blocks or a stucco looking material. Occasionally we would see nicer stucco-like structures which I assume were homes as well.
.jpg) |
| tin and thatched roof - side by side |
.jpg) |
| metal roof, fabric "door," wood siding |
.jpg) |
| bamboo walls, palm branch roofs |
.jpg)
 |
| bamboo with palm thatch (L), stucco with metal roof (R) |
Many have poor overall living conditions and low wages (according to our guide, the average income is $50 per month, yet most everyone you see has a cell phone. I don't understand how so many can afford them.
.jpg) |
| laundry is spread out to dry, often on roof tops or bushes |
All of the photos above were taken from the bus window (obviously many had to be deleted). It's not easy to get a decent photo from the window of a moving vehicle unless the bus has to slow for a really big pot hole. The narrow streets were clogged with cars, trucks, oxen-pulled carts, pedestrians and tuk tuks. Speaking of tuk tuks, they were everywhere!
 |
| seems to be the best way to go - though many can't afford ($4K each) |
This is getting too long, and I haven't even posted the market photos yet. Believe me, there are many more where these came from. I guess you've noticed by now that I love to take photos and I have a very heavy shutter finger. But I really want to give you a glimpse of what we're getting to see and experience. Stay tuned for one more Madagascar post.
Bharberts: I use Madagascar peppercorns. I also use vanilla beans from there. Is it really humid there? I hope you can tell us about the spice markets and have photos. A friend from HP days says Madagascar has really changed during her lifetime. She has one remaining grandparent there. Do the people have electricity in their homes? How do they charge their phones?
ReplyDeleteVery cool! Can you taste a difference? As you know, vanilla bean pods are somewhat expensive, so perhaps I got a bargain! I'm excited because our excursion tomorrow is "spices and coral" so that should be interesting! I forgot what our guide said about electricity (perhaps Ronnie remembers). I think some do/some don't but I do think they have water indoors (although he said some have outdoor bathrooms and he also pointed out a public bathroom). Good question about phone charging!
ReplyDeleteI can smell the difference for sure. I think the pepper is a great addition to fish and egg dishes especially. Believe it or not, I like Mexican vanilla better, and that is a bad thing for a baker to say according to the good channel! Glad you are having fun!!!
DeleteBlack pepper almost always makes me sneeze, so I would never be able to give it the "sniff test." lol Yes, some people (like yourself) really like Mexican vanilla. I'm never sure what those little "floatie" things are in the bottom. lol Someone who saw me buy the vanilla beans said that if you buy a bottle of vodka (?) and leave the vanilla beans in it for a certain length of time, it turns into vanilla. I'm guessing that would be vanilla "flavoring" - not "extract."
ReplyDelete