TOAMASINA - (It's about time!) - 20th July, 2017

It's about time I introduce you to a city I don't very much like, but which I have visited at least once a year (maybe more) since we arrived in Antananarivo almost three and half years ago! The road traveled to get there is a nightmare of note. So much so that I refuse to travel the 320 kms in one day and insist on a sleep over stop, usually at Feon'ny Ala in Andasibe. It is a very winding, narrow, filled with potholes, sickening road! I do not travel without my trusty motion sickness pills. It is a dangerous road carrying heavy trucks, insane taxi drivers and other motorists who insist on playing tag with the devil as they careen around blind corners on the opposite side of the road heading straight for your car! Having said that, credit must go to most of the truck drivers. I've found them to be most helpful when we have to pass them to get a move on. They usually indicate when it's safe to overtake and are generally thoughtful. There is however always the exception. Most times I wish I could just fly to Toamasina. We travel because of Hilton's work. They have a branch in Toamasina. I am however ecstatic that I get to accompany Hilton on his work travels.

This time there was an accident on the road!

A beautiful view of the winding road.

Leaving Tana one always expects a unique experience. Not one day, nor one trip is ever the same.

On the outskirts of the city one can enjoy a quick pitstop at a take away or sit down bar!

Please note our soft drinks!

I love traveling out and about especially on a Saturday, where pleasant, happy family and social scenes revolve around the very mundane chore of doing the laundry. The Malagasy make doing the laundry like something I'm missing out on!

These rocks are perfect for drying the laundry. Many times scooters, bicycles, and cars join in the weekly wash! Food accompanies the families packaged in various containers. Teenagers, young adults more than often just hang around chatting and pass the time of day. You might even find the occasional personal body wash taking place!

Breathtaking landscapes don't whizz past quite as quickly for obvious reasons. Actually to me, when on this road, the landscapes are just by the way and my breath is taken away by the winding, twirly road and the traffic!

Our sleep over arrives about three and half hours after leaving Tana. In winter this area of Andasibe is extremely cold and the blankets on the bed are heavy. But no matter. Sleep over we will. The waiters even recognise us as regulars.

Contact details, for your next visit!

So peaceful

Happy smiles...

The darker shades of green

Still warm enough for barefeet.

I've made a mental note to myself to not forget to take photos of the art we encounter on our travels. Most times the art work is quite exceptional and I've missed many opportunities to share it with you.

Morning dawns, and it is time to tackle the longest stretch of this winding road. Motion sickness pills in my tummy after breakfast, well if one can call it breakfast! We travel with our own Five Roses teabags and this time, for our stay in Toamasina, hotel or not, we've packed in our necessary coffee supply as well!

Along the way, high up in the mountains we pass a hydro-electric plant, but first take a look at our quaint road signs:

Hydro-Electric Plant

Toamasina is the terminus of the railway line from Antananarivo, the national capital. 

Nearing the city offers its own surprises.......the beauty of the palm tree groves is alive with the beautiful shades of green and they cast a mystical rainbow of their own.

Once again, the array of trucks, taxis and people cause one to chuckle in disbelief......a friendly smile and a wave always brings a smile, no matter how precarious the ride!

The actual entry road into Toamasina is a nightmare of huge container trucks, mostly fuel trucks. The city is the chief seaport of the country, situated plus-minus 320km northeast of its capital and biggest city Antananarivo, near the centre of the eastern coast at 18 10 S, 49 32 E. How's that! Co-ordinates and all. 

Toamasina means: "like salt" or "salty". Its unofficial French name is Tamatave. Its land end kisses the warm Indian Ocean.

A hurricane destroyed the town in 1927. It was rebuilt with the modern sector centring on the palm tree-lined avenue, Poincare'.

Take a wander down this avenue with me......

The Regional offices. Toamasina is the capital of the Atsinanana region. The Betsimisaraka ("the many inseparables") is the second largest ethnic group in Madagascar. The Merina ("the elevated ones") is the largest ethnic group on the island.

The Tribunal. It speaks for itself. I do not want to enter it, under any circumstances, thank you. This building has my imagination whirling in all directions!

It was a lazy Sunday afternoon. Traffic was slow.......

The end of lunch and an ice-cream dessert. Maybe a walk on the beach, which is beautiful, although sharks and pollution often prevent swimming and water sports, yet the fisherman are out everyday in their little wooden pirogue boats. I wonder if they have encountered the sharks? Or a ride on the manually operated "big wheel".

Transport: Pousse-pousse (bicycle rickshaws), tuk-tuk (motorised rickshaws), and taxis are available throughout Toamasina to get around the city.

One pousse-pousse in for repairs, by the time we returned from our walk up the avenue it was gone. Another view of this quaint old house on our way back.

The pousse-pousse rank is also situated on the same entry road as the harbour.

The Sunday was hot and humid, but Hilton is always as cool as a cucumber!

The city has a selection of hotels and restuarants. Our wander up the avenue took place after our lunch at the Baleine Restaurant where we enjoyed a delicious buffet lunch and discovered it was the French Mother's Day!

My wind blown self, after our walk on the beach!

I'm taking you on a bit of a reverse trip on this Sunday. Why shouldn't I?

Oceans 501 restaurant and accommodation. We've stayed here at least three times. Situated right on the beach front it has a spectacular view of the sea. The restaurant itself is very popular, especially among the French. The accommodation is very basic but they always accommodated my peculiar needs. The downside, the restaurant is closed on Mondays.

Photos were taken early in the morning......

Uniquely decorated!

Staying at the Sunny Hotel, situated very near the airport, was an absolute treat, especially for me! At the end of two weeks it felt like I was saying cheerio to my family! Granted, it wasn't peak season, and for a good number of days we were the only guests in the hotel. The service, chats and smiles made my day and nothing was too much effort for the staff. I guess they were initially surprised with my peculiar tea requests! My own tea bags, hot water and a smidgen of milk!

Always take a scarf or two to make a place a home...

Breakfast on the island is always an adventure. So I sat back, relaxed and enjoyed the experience. The fruit was fresh and delicious.

The pastries, typically French, I enjoyed the crepes and the little slices of plain cake. It is here that I first tasted this most unusual looking fruit, which resembles our delicious lychees in South Africa. It is less juicy but I found it just as tasty.

Rambutan is a tropical tree in the family Sapindaceae. The name also refers to the edible fruit produced by this tree. The name rambutan is derived from the Malay-Indonesian languages word for rambut or "hair", a reference to the numerous hairy protuberances of the fruit. In Vietnam it is called ch^om ch^om ("messy hair")!  Ripe rambutan comes in three colours: yellow, green and red.

The single seed is glossy brown, 1-1.3 cm, with a white basal scar. Soft and containing equal portions of saturated and unsaturated fats, the seeds may be cooked and eaten. The peeled fruits can be eaten raw, or cooked and eaten: first the grape-like fleshly aril, then the nutty seed, with no waste. (per kind favour of wikipedia)

The climate on the east coast is a tropical rain forest climate.
Sep - Nov: the driest period
Feb - April wettest time of the year
It is slightly cooler in July and August 24 C and warmer in Jan - Feb 30 C.

EDUCATION:
The city is home to the University of Toamasina, which is part of Madagascar's public university system.
Lyce'e Francais de Tamatave - French International School.

COMMERCE:

The city is described as a commercial hub due to the fact that it handles much of the island's foreign trade. It also owes its importance to the existence of a coral reef which forms a spacious and fairly commodious harbour, entered by two openings.

It exports: coffee, vanilla, pepper, cloves, lychees and graphite. Importing machinery, textiles and foodstuffs. There are food-processing, metal-working and other plants in the city.

The central market in the heart of the city is one of the most popular sites in the city.

The traffic on a slow day.......

INFRASTRUCTURE:

WATER SERVICES:  JIRAMA - Malagasy Power and Water. An acronym in Malagasy:
(JI) (RA) (MA) - (Jiro sy Rano Malagasy) - manages the municipal water service. Much of the population relies on privately owned pitcher pumps on wells for water access.

The 2013 official population estimate: 274,667.

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS:

Toamasina is twinned with: Saint-Etienne in France and Le Port in Re'union.
The city of Holon in Israel used to have a street named Tamatave (rechov Tamatave), named so in the sixties when Israel had cordial relations with Madagascar. After the assassination of Rehav'am Ze'evi in the 2000's, the street was renamed after him.

RELIGION:

The majority of the population in Madagascar is steeped in superstition and taboos, which touches every aspect of daily living. The feast of the turning of the corpse (famadihana) which means to turn something over, is largely overlooked by the so-called established church. However, there is a church in just about every village and town on the island. The St Joseph cathedral is the archiepiscopal see of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toamasina.

There is much sexual exploitation that takes place on the island. Toamasina for me, carries an underlying, permeating sense of unclean-ness that I find difficult to shake when I visit this city. More so than the many other little towns I've visited. Unfortunately, here and in most other places, the exploitation of young Malagasy girls by elderly, (mostly French) men reaches overwhelming proportions. I myself have been propositioned by a young man whilst taking a walk on the beach. I find many of the locals belligerent in their attitude towards foreigners. I have personally experienced, through a young lady that I know, what happens when the "gentleman" moves on and she is left once again to fend for herself. She is ostracised by her family despite the fact that they may have benefited financially from her so-called alliance.

The city is depicted in the above photo. The greenery represents the natural beauty. Looking up and away, one avoids the harsh realities of life, the soiled, sordid side and we fail to see the people who are living within a prison of their own. Who is responsible for the bars?

SOME HISTORICAL TIDBITS:

Under French domination Toamasina was the seat of several foreign consuls, as well as of numerous French officials and was the chief port for the capital and the interior.

Communication with Europe was maintained by steamers of the Messageries Maritimes and the Havraise companies and also with Mauritius and then on to Sri Lanka by the British Union -Castle Line.

During the colonial period, owing to the character of the soil and the formerly crowded population, the town was often plagued by epidemics: The Plague was a scourge in 1898 and again in 1900. However, after draining the marshes there was an improvement.

After 1895 the local population was removed from the town and settled in a new village to the north-west.......(sound familiar?)

In days gone by exports from the city consisted of:
gold dust! (so that's where the fairy dust was hiding!)
raffia (way before the hippie movement popularised it)
hides
caoutchouc (pronounced - kou-chook) which is just plain old rubber!
live animals - :(

Imports consisted of:
farinaceous foods (farine, as in French for flour)
piece-goods
iron and steel goods

Before I bid you Veloma (pronounced velooma) bye-bye,  here are some silk paintings from the Sunny Hotel to feast your eyes and spirit upon......I will be back shortly because there is another whole episode connected to this Toamasina blog......

Veloma!