Twenty Pictures! You'd better be happy.

Bainina! He's so awesome.

from L-R. Sr Hasina (owns the store wit her husband Fr. Fidy) Sr. Fanja. Vaniala (the VA in VA-HA). And in front, Bainina (real name Hajaina = HA) who, as I said, is awesome.

Example of traffic in Antananarivo.

Playing Kanety Be (big marbles) or Petanque (French) - its a pretty big deal in Madagascar, something the French imported.

Two beggar girls who were actually kind of nice (not like the ones in my post)

Question #3 Can you buy an iPhone 4 in Madagascar?
Why yes you can.

Just leaving Tana.  The water was really clear and made for a beautiful picture!

A typical Merina town in the highlands on the way to Mahajanga.

Beautiful day.  And I love Merina architecture.

Outside of Anjazobe, on the way to Mahajanga (about 150 km from Tana). Notice the width of the road, and the approaching truck.  Madagascar is either made of magic, or a statisticians nightmare, because it doesn't make sense how all the cars don't just crash into each other.

Example of the "riding in an airplane" comment by Gino.  Amazing views! Oh and it wasn't even hot = double plus.

Haha I love Malagasy town names.  This one means "At the Straight Path".  The road here is actually relatively straight for a long time (and on top of this big long hill) so I guess its rather appropriate.  Its a tribute to Madagascar terribly curvy terrain and hills that this is probably the only place in Madagascar that could be reasonably called Andalamahitsy.

Question #4: What is the architectural inspiration the traditional Pizza Hut buildings?
Answer: Sakalava homes.  Each tribe in Madagascar builds their houses a different way.  You can tell when you've left the capital province and entered a different one by the when the houses change.

Whoever did this deserves a high five lol.

Question #5 Can you ever take a picture of someone in Madagascar without them asking for a copy of it?
Answer: Nope.  This lady asked me to take a picture of her and her son (she was on the bus with me). Her son, on the other hand, clearly was not interested in a picture hahaha. When we got off the bus in Mahajanga she gave me her number so I could call her and I give her a copy of the picture when I develop them... typical.

The Betsiboka River (this bridge is also the scene of the above picture)

Kind of fuzzy, but this is the scenery once we descended from the plateau that Tana sits on.  I love the palm trees - like the ones we had in Florida kind of.

Question #6 Are there any suspension bridges in Madagascar?
Apparently, yes.  I had no idea.  Cool!

Sunset on the road to Mahajanga

This friendly fellow greeted me in my hotel room that night.  There were a good handful of lizards in the room - luckily only one cockroach, which I killed and kicked outside.