Antananarivo

I landed safely yesterday and  was  picked up by a Dodwell Trust rep Tina. The airport was teeming with porters  trying to take my luggage to the car to earn an easy coin but since I hadn't yet got any money, I didn't  want them to bother as I simply couldn't pay them!

Tina told me in the car that the local rice farmers have a taboo about growing green onions. They say              the onions bring hail storms and ruin their rice crops, although opinions are changing  and more modern thinking farmers don't think this. Taboos are common in Madagascar and they are often localised with tradtions changing from village to village.

I stayed in the  flats below the Dodwell office last night, there was music until about 8pm, with the Presbyterian church next door, the songs never seemed to endm instead going seamlessly from one tune to the next. After they retired for the day, Dolly Parton followed, which made me happy!

I will be moving tomorrow by taxi brousse to Ambatolampy, 2 hours south of Tana. I'm not sure there is internet there so it may be a while until I get back on here. I can be contacted on +261346889664. Please text, I'd love to hear from you!