Madagascar > Fishing boats on the beach

I can sleep in this morning, yet I am awake before seven. The rhythm of getting up early and going to bed early is starting to feel natural. I take a shower and walk to the restaurant for breakfast. Some fellow travelers go snorkeling in the sea. They take a pirogue, a local fishing boat, out onto the water. The simple sail is hoisted. The wind is still quite strong. As the pirogue heads out, it immediately gains speed thanks to the wind. The boat quickly becomes smaller and smaller on the horizon. I walk along the beach and watch the fishermen head out to sea. Some are busy hauling in their nets. I help pull a net onto the beach for a moment. It is hard work. The net contains a lot of debris and only a few fish. Curious children run over. “Bonjour, bonjour, cadeau, cadeau.” Around the corner of the beach, I come to a new bay. At a resort in this bay, I have a Coke. From the terrace of Hotel de la Plage, I look out over the sea.

Madagascar - Simple fishing boats on the beach

I stroll a bit along the beach before deciding to return to Hotel de la Plage for lunch. In the afternoon, I walk back to Hotel Belle Vue. Various fishermen are returning with their pirogues. As the boats reach the shore, the women come running to inspect the catch. The larger fish are separated from the tiny ones. Only the bigger fish can be sold; the small ones are eaten themselves. Some boats have only a few fish onboard. Life is hard. Further along, a young girl proudly shows me her father’s catch: three large barracudas. She lays the fish side by side on the sand. In the afternoon, there is another performance in the restaurant. A new group of guests has arrived, and the band performs for them. It is a different show this time. The band keeps playing even though my meal is ready. I don’t want my food to get cold, so I quickly sit down at the table.