Madagascar > Wandering through Antananarivo

I walk out of the hotel and up the long staircase to Place de l’Indépendance. It’s busy under the trees on the square. From here, I can see the lower-lying center of Antananarivo and the bustling Analakely market—a jumble of umbrellas. I try to combine the walking route from the Lonely Planet with the route from the hotel, but I quickly lose my way and decide to simply follow the path uphill. Along the way, children regularly ask for money. I also see people literally sleeping in the gutter. The gap between rich and poor is even more extreme here than elsewhere in Madagascar. I find it hard to pass the children, but at the same time, I can’t give anything to just one child, as dozens of others would immediately surround me. Passing a Protestant church and the Andohalo Cathedral, I reach the Ethnological Museum. The museum is housed in the former French consulate. The colonial building looks neglected on the outside. I estimate the collection inside isn’t much better and decide to skip the museum. A little further, at the very top of the highest hill in Antananarivo, lies the Rova of Antananarivo palace. The royal building, dating from 1625, was severely damaged by a fire in 1995. Renovation is still ongoing. At the entrance, boys offer themselves as guides. I’m not interested and walk around the palace on my own. From the balustrade, I have a magnificent view over the lower city. I can see the city center and Lac Anosy. A hazy smog hangs over the city. At a local café, I order a cola. You can’t really go wrong with a cola bottle.

Madagascar - The former French consulate is now a museum

I have to pay 700 Ariary (about 20 euro cents). I look at the vendor in disbelief. Shouldn’t it be more? She shows me the amount on the calculator. Over the past three weeks, I’ve been paying two, three, and sometimes even four thousand for a cola. I wander back through the streets to the lower part of Antananarivo. Old cars are everywhere, operating as taxis—numerous Renault 4s and Citroën 2CVs. All the vehicles appear reasonably maintained. These old cars are easy to keep running without complex computer parts. I’ve never seen so many Renault 4s together before. Eventually, I reach the Analakely market. The market itself consists of covered stalls, but many street stalls surround it. There’s something for sale everywhere. I’m surprised that everyone seems to be selling the same things side by side. From the market, I reach Independence Avenue, a wide road with greenery in the center. Halfway along is the city hall. At the end lies the old train station, a characteristic building now used as a luxury shopping center. In the garden next to the station is a restaurant. I decide to have lunch there. In the afternoon, I walk along the boulevard to Place de l’Indépendance and then via the presidential palace to Lake Anosy. In the middle of the lake stands a monument commemorating the French victims of World War I.

Madagascar - Children looking out over the capital of Madagascar

The walk back to the hotel is quite a climb. I take a shower and prepare for the return flight. My trip is almost over, and at the same time, it starts to rain heavily outside. I realize that, throughout the trip, I haven’t really been bothered by rain—at most a few splashes during the nights. During the last group dinner, it’s still raining. Directly above me, the ceiling leaks, so I move to a different spot just in case. During the meal, I thank Zoe for his excellent guidance and give him an envelope with a gift inside. At half-past nine, the bus is ready for the last ride to the airport. After hours of rain, the streets are quite wet. Now it’s just drizzling. At the airport, I say a final goodbye to Zoe and check in for the flight to Paris. The flight doesn’t depart until two o’clock in the morning. Fortunately, boarding begins well in advance. I soon see why. As I walk toward the plane, my passport and ticket are checked again. Immediately afterward, my carry-on is inspected at a small table in the middle of the terminal. Because it’s dark, everything is checked using a flashlight. Finally, just before the stairs, I’m scanned from head to toe once more. Luckily, I’m fairly close to the front of the line and can board the plane quickly. Through the window, I watch the line outside grow rapidly.