June 16 - a short ride today to Antsanitia which is located on the beach on the Mozambique Channel to the northeast of Mahajunga... out of our hotel in Mahajunga and 500 metres down the road to the waterfront where there is a 700-year-old Baobab in the middle of a roundabout.
Then it was supposed to be a 10-km ride on hard surface to the airport, then 15 km on dirt and sand to Antsanitia. A bunch of us got lost in town apparently because the flagging through the busy area got changed by locals, but not to worry, we sorted that out with just an extra 6 km added to the distance - not hard to handle on such a short day.
The dirt road was mostly just that, dusty and sandy. The sand generally wasn't too deep, the only problem was that you never knew if the next bit of sand was deep or not - a moment of inattention and it was easy to get bogged down.
The resort itself is absolutely beautiful. We arrived shortly after 1000 in the morning. The ocean was great to swim in and wash off all the road dust that had accumulated. So a very relaxed 'riding' day and another full day of rest today (17th).
June 17 - Sunrise on our day of rest...
There are some lemurs living in the woods that surround the resort. We're not sure the exact status of the wooded land - it isn't national park, but there is a deliberate attempt in the area to restore some of Madagascar's lost wooded environment. The lemurs were not tame in the sense that they'd stay away from people, and to our knowledge, the lemurs are not fed. I got some photos early this morning when a troop of about eight of them took their turn drinking water seeping from the hose to one of the faucets in the resort. Then they just disappear into the trees - hard to see unless they move.
All for now... Tomorrow was supposed to be by boat to Antsohihy but the cyclone in March or April damaged the boats we were to use, so it will be a day on the busses. Then two days on the bikes to the resort town Nosy Be where we get two rest days. After that, one day riding, a non-riding day in a national park, and then one final day on the bikes into Antsiranana.
All so very interesting and beautiful. I can't say enough "Thank yous" for sharing it with us. Enjoy!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your appreciation and encouraging remarks. We're now in Nosy Be for two rest days, then only two riding days (with another day at a national park between the two riding days) and we'll be finished in Antisiranana. The end comes quickly and suddenly on these things. See you soon
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