We are in the very nice town of Anstirabe. It is a mountain city at about 3h south of the capital Antananarivo. Here it’s summer, but the temperature is a lot lower than in Toliara. We arrived here on our attempt to go to Tana to receive our long awaited guests. As most of you know, they had to postpone their trip, and we stopped in Antsirabe (also to get some medical controls). We got welcomed by rain (it is the season now) and chilli temperature…especially for us, used to the torrid south. Against us, the fact that we came not well equipped for this fresh welcome, and could only go around with sandals and shorts. But the sun shines in most of the mornings, and with no interruption for the last two days, showing all the beauty of this city, founded by Norwegians (!).
Yes, because Antsirabe has very little of the dusty south, with low buildings. Here the houses remind the British cottages; they are built in red bricks with dark wooden floors, and have balconies and flourishing gardens. We often walk around with wide open eyes, dreaming of living in one of those. Here it is also possible to find a lot of vegetables and fruits, fresh and tasty, not to mention all the different home made cheeses, garnished with flowered spices…
But (there is a but), lately living in Antsirabe seems a bit harder. Tourists are lacking, due to the current political instability, and vendors are getting desperate. Some of them spot you from distance and offers 10 even 20 necklaces for 2 or 3 euro. We can see they need cash, and they are afraid things will get worst… we buy from some, but we can’t buy from all of them. When we go for a walk, we feel obliged to take street with fewer vendors not to get surrounded. It is sad to see, and as them we fear it might get worst.
We hope people will soon be able to enjoy again this beautiful town of Madagascar.
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