Tulear Madagascar

Have made it to Tulear or Toliara as your globe may refer to it. A 1000km journey across some of the most amazing geography and living conditions I,ve seen; Met 5 group members:
Kandice - 21 - Toronto previous Newfoundland. On break from College, has applied to Royal Canadien Mounted police for work. Here to try to help others not fall in situation her father fell into: Newfoundland fisherman had to sell his boats due to strife in >maritime fishing industry.
Camilla - 18 - central London. character out of "to Sir With Love" Very young
Moira - 44 - Johannesburg SA here for only three weeks. on vacation trying to decide weather to continue working with her sister where there is family conflict in the sisters business.
Dan - 26 - Coventry England; Between jobs in programming. Going rto work for LandRover as service tech programmer
Mikhail - 35 - Mannheim Germany Involved in GIS and Digital Cartography. Here on a vacation to do something different rather than sit on a beach.

All have unique reasons for being here, that like me I am not sure they understand. At the beginning there was a rush for zeach to tell there story and find out why each is here. All seem to get along OK. The women are much more outspoken and assertive than the men. A bit whiny even at times. Should be an interesting six weeks;

Waiting in Tulear for two more staff members and two more volunteers. Should leave here by Monday AM. 12 hour ride in the back of a Camion right on the beach to go 150km. Will be fun to see how the personalities play out during that ride. I have been given the title of "Old Man".

The country side is similar to the American southwest. Open vistas, dry except for the thunderstorm that passes every afternoon as the heat builds. 3000meter rugged moutains.
The people burn as much vegetation as they can to increase the rain runoff for the rice paddies they have carved out of the valleys. GHrow rice, mais, casava, sweet potatoes. It is a very hard subsistance living. They live in Homemade red brick and stick homes in little family villages. A home may be 5X10 feet and 7 feet at the peak with a thatched roof. Cloth for windows and a rustic wood door. AQ bamboo fence around the outside at times;

Have seen Ring tailed Lemurs and heve gone into Isalo National park. Isalo is home to incredible sandstone erosion similar to the canyons of Arizona and New Mexico.

Food is passible not great. Have had Zebu most dinners with pomme frites or rice. Alot of coffee in AM and French Baguettes. Primarily food is remembrance of their time as a French colony.
Heat index is growing here in the South. At night it is upper 70,s in daytime 95 minimum. Sunscreen hat etc a must. No AC...but didn,t expect it tho some of my troupe did...makes me chuckle.

I miss Kathy but am having exactly the experience I had hoped for. Health and spirits great.
Having travelled more and experiences like Ken ya have prepared me for the "African" method of dointg things. Hurry up and wait. Fun to watch the frustrations of those that need structure.

Will try to download some photos, biut connection is slow and may not allow.
Cheers
Steve