Madagascar > Resting by the pool

After breakfast, I get back into the 4x4 truck for the bumpy ride back to the village. The road seems to shake less than on the way there, probably because I wasn’t feeling very well then. After about an hour, I see the village reappear. Children come running as if I’m the first tourist of the year. Even the children outside the school wave enthusiastically. Because the school has too little space, the children also have lessons in the small church.

Madagascar - Up a steep slope to the top of the chameleon

Meanwhile, expansion work is underway. Faly and Tahiny are already ready with the bus. The luggage is quickly transferred from the truck to the roof. The bumps are not over yet. In the bus, I drive another twenty kilometers along the dirt road until reaching the main RN7 route. From there, I continue southward. The landscape changes quickly—from rock formations to rolling hills and then a flat plateau. Everything looks dry and parched. Nature here is longing for the rainy season. The wind is strong today. Around one o’clock, it’s time for lunch. In the shade along the roadside, I eat my sandwich with omelet. Then I continue on to Isalo National Park. At the edge of the park lies my accommodation for the next two nights. In the afternoon, I take a dip in the pool and then settle on one of the loungers—a quiet, relaxing afternoon. At the beginning of the evening, Toussant, a local guide, comes to give an explanation about the walks planned for tomorrow in Isalo National Park. Although he is an experienced guide, he struggles to explain the different hikes clearly. He gets caught up in the details of the first and longest walk, leading to many questions. For me, the information is clear enough. I decide to do the long hike, which starts at seven o’clock. I return around four o’clock in the afternoon. In between, I take several walks through Isalo National Park. Because I start early, I also go to bed early.

Madagascar - The calm swimming pool of Hotel de Isalo