We had previously stopped at Antsiranana, Madagascar and decided to do another nature tour. This is a tender port, where we used the ship’s life boats.

Our guide was Bredo and our driver was Civan.

In the urban areas of Madagascar, the tuk-tuk is the most common mode of transportation. It is also known as an auto rickshaw. Jim laughed that there was a tuk-tuk “jam” at the gas station.

It is a 2 hour drive to the Tsingy Rouge and in an opposite direction than the national park we visited on the 1st cruise, so we got a different of the countryside. The rural part of the country is very poor with most citizens not having electricity or running water. Yellow water jugs are a common sight, as each household must make a daily trip to a community well.

When electrical wire is available, it is placed on skinny, hand-cut poles.

Laundry is washed in the streams and rivers and then “hung” to dry. We learned that dowries are still paid to the bride’s family.

Most farming is still done with the assistance of farm animals

With rice being the main staple of most meals, there were many farmers growing rice.

Every type of mode of transportation is used to get the farming produce to the local markets.

The markets are a gathering place in each community, not just to sell their goods and produce, but to see their neighbors.

There were also a variety of businesses in random locations along the road

Farmers frow mangoes, and then make salsa to sell in roadside stands. It is made with lots of onions and salt for preservation. They pack the salsa in soda bottles and it can last a year without refrigeration.

The children were our favorite part of the drive…they are so happy to have you wave at them

The Tsingy Rouge area is only accessible by 4×4. There were tours that were not associated with the ship, and those drivers were trying to stay on a schedule and were driving like maniacs. The roads in Madagascar are not well-maintained, so it made a dangerous situation for everyone. Our driver handled it like a pro.

The country does do some road maintenance. The road side drainage ditches/trenches are dug by hand. They do use some equipment, but most work is completed with lots of manual labor.

We knew we were getting close, when the dirt turned a reddish color, the sign helped too…lol

The Tsingy Rouge is a protected area so there is a check point to enter

We stopped at an over-look… in the distance you could see the Indian Ocean

During the English occupation, Eucalyptus trees were brought in from Australia, for forestation efforts. After independence was granted and the French left Madagascar, the forests were clear-cut to build huts in the countryside. This led to an erosion problem and the creation of the Tsingy Rouge. Other trees have been burned to create charcoal which is used for cooking, since most homes do not have electricity. We could see the effects of the de-forestation and the attempts to preserve the land.

There are still native people who live in the area. Cindy made friends with one of the children and gave him a dollar.

In Malagasy, tsingy means “where one can not walk barefoot. In French, rouge means red. The formations were carved out of a single gorge, they are chimney-like formations created from erosion.

There are stairs to access the small canyon to see the formations up-close.

The sandstone formations were not discovered until the 1950s when landslides caused by erosion, exposed them.

We brought along our travel mascots…Spuddy and Willy P

It has been said that the Tsingy rouge resembles a lunar landscape

Their reddish-orange color comes from the large deposits of iron oxide in the soil.

Looking down from the Tsingy Rouge to the plain below

We were taken to a small outpost and served a typical Madagascar lunch. The mango was delicious. We also had traditional dancers for entertainment.

As we back-tracked on the road, we passed by the open market which was closing for the day…

We passed a mountain called French Mountain. It is where the French hid during a war with England over ownership of the island. The French drove the English off the island and it became a French territory. Over the centuries, Madagascar has been a sought after place due to the spice industry. Most residents feel that independence was a bad thing due to government corruption.

The sides of the mountain have a few Baobab trees, also known as the “upside-down tree”.

Back in Antsiranana, we stopped to look at the sugar loaf mountain that rises out of Diego Suarez Bay. We tried to buy a small magnet, but the vendor would not take our US money as they said it was too old and wanted to look at our money so they could exchange with us. We had no idea what the situation was and declined. We later found out that African countries consider money too old after 10 years. The dollars must be in good condition, with no tears, in order to be exchanged to Madagascar currency. The vendors were wanting us to give them new dollars for they old “out of date” dollars. That seemed so strange to us, as the older our money is in the US, the more valuable it is.

A quick shopping stop in an area known as Independence Square and then back to the port. It had been a very nice day, with our other cruise passengers.

On to Nosy Be, Madagascar, which is known for it’s resorts and beaches