Antananarivo, Madagascar's Capital

Date: April 2014

Day 1:

After an 11-hour uneventful flight from Paris, we land in Madagascar's capital Antananarivo. Thankfully the city's name is usually abbreviated to Tana, which will save me a lot of keystrokes in this post.

By the time we land on the small airport it's 11 pm. We had to get advance visas at the embassy, and I still wonder why, since they were for free. There are many countries which use visas as an additional source of income, but what is the purpose of free visas is a mystery to me. Immigration is pretty efficient, so it goes quite fast, except for the fact that there are many people who cut to the front and simply walk around the immigration booth, handing in their passports from the other side. I find this very strange, but the immigration officers seem fine with it, so I guess this happens often. I wonder if these people have a special fast-track permit, or they just know the officers?

Outside the terminal three porters surround us. Despite our protests they insists on accompanying us to the hotel shuttle. It is my husband who is pushing the cart with the suitcases, so the porters literally don't do anything except walk next to us and (completely unnecessarily) point the way. Yet when we get there they ask for payment anyway. Of course we refuse. During our travels we have dealt with relentless porters in many countries, most notably in Burma. Because we understand that it is poverty which makes people behave this way, we try not to be rude or unfriendly about it. In fact very often, even though we travel light, we do use the porters' services, just to support the local economy. But a whole group for one cart is a bit too much.

Tana doesn't make a great first impression, poverty is quite visible here. It's almost midnight, and the streets are deserted.

We are staying at the Carlton Hotel, which from the outside is a quite boring 70's structure. Luckily the interior is much more stylish, and the staff very friendly, so it turns out to be a pleasant place to stay.

The room is nice too and absolutely huge! The only problem is that the windows are not sealed properly, so the wind is whistling very loudly all night long. But I am too tired to care, and I sleep very well.

Carlton Hotel, Antananarivo, Madagascar

Our room in the Carlton Hotel, Antananarivo, Madagascar

Day 2:

In the morning light we realize what a lovely view we have from our windows. From up here we can see almost all the significant sights of the city.

Just in front of us is Lake Anosy, an artificial, heart-shaped lake with an island in the middle. On this island stands the Monument to the Dead (Monument aux Morts), built by the French for the victims of WWI.

View of Lake Anosy from the Carlton Hotel, Antananarivo, Madagascar

View of Monument to the Dead and Lake Anosy from the Carlton Hotel, Antananarivo, Madagascar

Twelve hills surround Tana, and from our window we can see a couple of them. On the hilltop just ahead we can make out the Rova (royal palace complex), and on the neighboring hill the Prime Minister's Palace.

Clearly visible is also the huge Antananarivo sign under the Rova. Apparently this is the place where the 19th century queen Ranavalona I had Christians thrown off a cliff. The queen had a whole host of "charming" nicknames, such as Ranavalona the Cruel, Ranavalona the Wicked, and The Mad Monarch of Madagascar, just to name a few. These names were probably quite fair, considering that millions died during her reign, and that being thrown off a cliff was pretty much the most pleasant of her execution methods.

View of Lake Anosy, the Rova and the Prime Minister's Palace from the Carlton Hotel, Antananarivo, Madagascar

View of the Rova and the Antananarivo sign from the Carlton Hotel, Antananarivo, Madagascar

The Antananarivo sign under the Rova, Antananarivo, Madagascar

View of the Prime Minister's Palace from the Carlton Hotel, Antananarivo, Madagascar

View of the city from the Carlton Hotel, Antananarivo, Madagascar

From the window I realize that the distances in the city are longer than I expected. Also, our 10-year old daughter has been feeling a bit under the weather. So we scrap the plan to walk around, and hire a car with a driver/guide. He is very nice, though it seems he can never stop talking, which gives my French-comprehension quite a workout.

Tana is not exactly teaming with must-see sights. But what it has plenty of are markets. In fact the entire city seems like one big market place. It's hard to see where the designated market boundaries are, because basically all sidewalks are lined with street vendors. It gives the city a lively, pleasantly chaotic atmosphere.

Street vendors, Antananarivo, Madagascar

At the flower market we get a small lecture from the guide on the uses of the various plants. At the textile market he explains that they are selling two different textiles, one type for the living and another for the dead (more about this later).

Dried flowers for sale at the flower market, Antananarivo, Madagascar

Flower market, Antananarivo, Madagascar

Textile market, Antananarivo, Madagascar

Pistachio dessert covered in banana leaves for sale on the sidewalk, Antananarivo, Madagascar

Pottery market, Antananarivo, Madagascar

Flower market, Antananarivo, Madagascar

Street vendors, Antananarivo, Madagascar

The only way we can tell when we are driving through an actual market, not just any street, is that the density of people is even higher, and that the driver asks us to close the car windows. There are plenty of pick-pockets in the city's markets, and he is worried that someone will reach in to steal our things.

The first actual tourist sight we visit is the heart-shaped, man-made Lake Anosy. We are told that the lake is full of fish, but people are prohibited from eating it, because the water is very dirty. We stroll through the leafy path to the Monument to the Dead (Monument aux Morts) in the middle of the lake.

Monument to the Dead, Lake Anosy, Antananarivo, Madagascar

One of the reasons why the lake is worth a stop is the view. It is located centrally in a valley, and most of Tana's significant buildings can be viewed by simply turning around. On the surrounding hills we can catch a glimpse of the Rova with the Antananarivo sign, the Prime Minister's Palace, the Presidential Palace, and other structures.

View of the Rova from Lake Anosy, Antananarivo, Madagascar

View of the Prime Minister's Palace from Lake Anosy, Antananarivo, Madagascar

View of the Presidential Palace from Lake Anosy, Antananarivo, Madagascar

View of Ambohimanoro (?) Church from Lake Anosy, Antananarivo, Madagascar

It's back to the car. We drive by Mahamasina Municipal Stadium, which, according to Wikipedia can accommodate 40,000 people and is used mostly for rugby and football matches. We also pass a charming red-brick building, which I am pretty sure is the med school, but I am not completely certain.

Mahamasina Municipal Stadium, Antananarivo, Madagascar

Cane juice vendor in front of the Med school(?), Antananarivo, Madagascar

We are heading up one of the hills, and we pull over to a lookout point. Not the most amazing view, but at least we can take a closer look at the Presidential Palace.

View of the street below, Antananarivo, Madagascar

View of the Rova, Antananarivo, Madagascar

View of the Presidential Palace, Antananarivo, Madagascar

We are heading up to a neighborhood called Isoraka, which I read was charming. My original plan was to walk around here, but the driver just zooms through it. Just as well, because I am not as impressed as I thought I would be.

Driving to Isoraka, Antananarivo, Madagascar

Isoraka, Antananarivo, Madagascar

The guide warns me to get the camera ready, as we will be passing in front of the Presidential Palace. He is not allowed to stop, so I have to snap this picture from the moving car.

Presidential Palace, Antananarivo, Madagascar

We are heading up yet another hill, and we stop for a moment to admire the view. For some reason the guide seems extremely proud of a tunnel in the hill, so much so that I feel obliged to take a picture of it. What fascinates me the most though is that from this vantage point we see such an incredible mix of low- and high-income housing. There are dwellings barely deserving the designation "house', next door to what seem like mansions. The best example of the latter is of course the ex-president's luxurious snow-white compound, perched on a hill just ahead of us.

Antananarivo, Madagascar

The ex-president's house (white, on top), Antananarivo, Madagascar

Tunnel, Antananarivo, Madagascar

A little higher on the hill we stop again, with a lovely view of the city. We can clearly make out the silvery ribbon that is the Avenue of Independence.

Antananarivo, Madagascar

View of the Avenue of Independence, Antananarivo, Madagascar

On the top of the hill we have arrived to the second tourist sight of today, the Andafivaratra Museum. It is housed in the former residence of the prime minister, so everyone simply refers to it as the Prime Minister's Palace. It's a beautiful, if completely neglected-looking building.

We hire an English-speaking guide, who accompanies us on our visit. On the inside the building looks in even worse shape than the outside, and the guide explains that the glass cupola (apparently completely unsuitable for this climate) leaks badly during the heavy rains. It's a shame, because we can see how lovely the building would be if it were fixed up.

But peeling paint and rotting hardwood floors aside, the museum is still definitely worth a visit. It houses (neatly pushed to the side, out of the way of the leaking rain) a rich collection of royal artifacts, which were moved here after the 1995 fire which destroyed almost the entire Rova.

There is no photography inside, so I will just mention that there is furniture, silver items, a replica of the crown (the original was stolen 4 years ago), a throne, and a large number of fancy gifts from both the British and the French (obviously both superpowers were trying to buy the affections of the rulers of Madagascar).

There are also paintings and photographs of the royals, and it's interesting to see their transformation from traditional into European clothing. Our daughter concludes that the last queen, Ranavalona III, who died in exile in Algeria in 1917, was pretty.

Andafivaratra Museum (Prime Minister's Palace), Antananarivo, Madagascar

All three of us agree that the museum was more interesting than we expected. Still accompanied by our English-speaking guide, we set out walking toward the Rova.

We stop at a small, dilapidated post office. There are no postcards of Tana, only of lemurs, so I guess that's what we will be sending. It takes quite a while to get the cards sorted, but our guide just smiles and says "mora mora" (slowly slowly), to take our time.

The view of the city is lovely from up here, and the guide even points out what he says are the two oldest houses in Tana.

View of Antananarivo, on the way from the Prime Minister's Palace to the Rova, Madagascar

Fruit vendor between the Prime Minister's Palace and the Rova, Antananarivo, Madagascar

View of Antananarivo, on the way from the Prime Minister's Palace to the Rova, Madagascar

The two oldest houses in Antananarivo?, on the way from the Prime Minister's Palace to the Rova, Madagascar

View of Antananarivo, on the way from the Prime Minister's Palace to the Rova, Madagascar

We reach a structure which, the guide explains, used to serve as the court house. It's a completely open building, as the proceedings used to be open to the public.

Old court building, Antananarivo, Madagascar

View of the Prime Minister's Palace from the old court building, Antananarivo, Madagascar

By the road we pass a lovely stone relief, depicting a Malagasy ritual which is certainly very strange to us outsiders: the exhumation of dead relatives and dancing with the body. Ancestor worship is extremely important for Malagasy people, and as spooky as this tradition might seem to us, for the people of Madagascar this is a ritual of respect for their dead ancestors (razana). According to their belief they are not really "dead", but have instead achieved a superior stage of life, the hasina. Another way of respecting them is to adhere to the numerous restrictions these ancestors place on the daily life of the living, in the form of taboos (fady).

Stone relief depicting rituals of ancestor worship, Antananarivo, Madagascar

Finally we reach the entrance to the Rova. No dogs or pigs are allowed inside, and I find it quite hilarious that there is a sign to this effect by the entrance. Who on earth would think about walking in with a pig? These restrictions are not a joke though. So much so that earlier our guide pointed out an elaborate silver set in the museum, a gift from the British to the ruler of Madagascar. The only problem - there is a carving of a dog on the top, so the set was never used by the Malagasy royal family.

Entrance of the Rova (Queen's Palace), Antananarivo, Madagascar

Sign at the entrance of the Rova (Queen's Palace), Antananarivo, Madagascar

The term Rova refers to the entire royal palace complex. The first fortified royal structure was built here in the 17th century, and over time many buildings were added and changed. The number of structures reached about 20 by the 18th century. Unfortunately, in 1995 a fire (accidental or deliberately set, it's not sure), almost completely destroyed the entire palace complex. So there is not as much to see as one would hope, but the place is absolutely worth the visit anyway.

The main building, Manjakamiadana (also called Queen's Palace), was originally a wooden structure, encased in stone at a later stage. After the 1995 fire the rescued royal treasures were moved to the nearby museum, and at the time of our visit only the exterior of the Queen's Palace has been restored. It's an imposing and beautiful structure, but it looks more like an empty shell than an actual building. There are plans to restore the interior as well, at which time the museum will be moved back here.

Manjakamiadana (Queen's Palace), Rova, Antananarivo, Madagascar

Beside the main building are reconstructions of the royal tombs, which were also destroyed by the fire.

Royal tombs at the Rova, Antananarivo, Madagascar

We stop for a minute to admire the lovely view from the front of the Queen's Palace, then circle it to reach Fiangonana, the royal chapel. Here the interior was restored as well, so we can visit, but photography is not allowed inside.

View from the Rova, Antananarivo, Madagascar

Fiangonana (Royal chapel), Rova, Antananarivo, Madagascar

Only remaining original window of the royal chapel (Fiangonana), Rova, Antananarivo, Madagascar

To me what makes the visit of the Rova really worth it is what comes after this. The grounds and the view behind the main buildings are absolutely breathtaking!

Fiangonana (Royal chapel) and Statue of the Queen, Rova, Antananarivo, Madagascar

Statue of the Queen, Rova, Antananarivo, Madagascar

Grounds of the Rova, with the Prime Minister's Palace in the background, Antananarivo, Madagascar

Grounds of the Rova, Antananarivo, Madagascar

View from the Rova, Antananarivo, Madagascar

Dwellings at the foot of the Rova, Antananarivo, Madagascar

There is a beautiful poinsettia blooming in the garden. The guide explains that locally they call it "Madagascar plant", because it's leaf, when bent in half, looks just like Madagascar. Yes, I can see it too!

Poinsettia (Madagascar plant), garden of Rova, Antananarivo, Madagascar

Leaf of Poinsettia (Madagascar plant) bent in half, garden of Rova, Antananarivo, Madagascar

It's back to the car, driving through China town, and markets...markets...and more markets.

Cats in the window of a house just outside the Rova, Antananarivo, Madagascar

Antananarivo street, Madagascar

Palm trees, Antananarivo, Madagascar

We drive down the Avenue of Independence, toward the impressive Soarano train station (Gare de Soarano). Built in the early 20th century, the restored building today serves as a commercial space, with shops, offices and a good restaurant. But no passengers, as no passenger trains operate in Tana anymore.

Gare de Soarano, Antananarivo, Madagascar

Next to the Avenue of Independence is also the modern City Hall, which I find a bit boring-looking. It reminds me of the new banks and office buildings we have so many of in New Jersey.

City Hall, Antananarivo, Madagascar

A woman crossing the Avenue of Independence, Antananarivo, Madagascar

Then of course it's through more markets, among them the main official Analakely Market, housed in the 1920's pavilions of Analakely.

Analakely Market, Antananarivo, Madagascar

In addition to the street vendors, the most interesting feature of Tana's streets for me are the taxis. The beige little Renault 4-s (R4s) seem to have come from a different decade, and I find them very cute.

R4 taxi, Antananarivo, Madagascar

R4 taxis, Antananarivo, Madagascar

The most popular and cheapest way of traveling in Madagascar is by taxi-brousse, the shared and always crowded minibus. They are everywhere, and with their constant (and for me unpredictable) stops they seem to be responsible for most of Tana's traffic problems.

Taxi-brousse, Antananarivo, Madagascar

Now we are heading out of town, to Ivato about 14 km (9 miles) away. Outside of the center, along some filthy canals, the poverty is even more obvious.

Street vendors, Antananarivo, Madagascar

Street vendor, Antananarivo, Madagascar

Canal, Antananarivo, Madagascar

Street vendor, Antananarivo, Madagascar

While not any richer, the farmlands between Tana and Ivato are picturesque. The town of Ivato not as much.

Between Antananarivo and Ivato, Madagascar

Ivato, Madagascar

Ivato is where we landed yesterday, but we are not heading to the airport just yet. We are here to visit the model boat factory called Le Village. My husband loves model boats, so skipping this was not really an option. It's an interesting visit, as we are allowed to see all stages of creating them by hand.

Le Village model boat factory, Ivato, Madagascar

A boat being built in Le Village model boat factory, Ivato, Madagascar

The boats are being constructed based on elaborate plans, Le Village model boat factory, Ivato, Madagascar

A boat being built in Le Village model boat factory, Ivato, Madagascar

Accessories being crafted in Le Village model boat factory, Ivato, Madagascar

The sails are mounted on the boat, Le Village model boat factory, Ivato, Madagascar

Model of a container ship, Le Village model boat factory, Ivato, Madagascar

A boat being painted in Le Village model boat factory, Ivato, Madagascar

At the end of the visit we of course end up in the shop. We are pleased to discover that the good-quality boats are quite reasonably priced. Not as cheap as the ones on Mauritius, but much (much!) cheaper than the ones we saw on Bequia (St. Vincent and the Grenadines).

In addition to the traditional ships, they also have more modern vessels, like container boats. But what captures our attention are the cross-sections, which show the interior of the ships down to the tiniest detail.

Showroom of Le Village model boat factory, Ivato, Madagascar

Cross-section of the "Victory", Le Village model boat factory, Ivato, Madagascar

While my husband browses the store, I relax on a zebra-patterned chair on the porch. The air is nice and fresh, and I don't really feel like getting back to the hectic streets of the city. But I have no choice, and we are heading back.

Between Ivato and Antananarivo, Madagascar

People walking between Ivato and Antananarivo, Madagascar

A person walking between Ivato and Antananarivo, Madagascar

People walking between Ivato and Antananarivo, Madagascar

A zebu-cart between Ivato and Antananarivo, Madagascar

Between Ivato and Antananarivo, Madagascar

People walking between Ivato and Antananarivo, Madagascar

Between Ivato and Antananarivo, Madagascar

By the time we get back to the hotel it's 5 pm, and we have a late pizza lunch (not the best) by the pool. It's too cool by now to go in the water. Tana is not exactly a town to be explored at night, so we call it a day. We will be traveling tomorrow, to the lovely island of Nosy Komba.

A couple of days later:

We return from Nosy Komba. After the humid heat and no air-conditioning on the island, Tana's 22C (72 F) feels absolutely perfect (the city is at 1,300 meters (4,300 feet), so is less hot than the shore). We land around 8 pm and the city's streets are just as crowded as during the day. The traffic is perhaps even worse.

The next morning at 5 am we leave the hotel to fly to the Comoros Islands. I expect Tana's streets to be deserted this early in the morning but I am wrong. The streets are full....of joggers! There are so many of them that at first I assume that it's a race, but they are running in any odd direction, so I guess not. Why is half the town out jogging at 5 in the morning? When I get home I try to look into any races happening on this day in the city (perhaps people were just warming up?), but I can't find anything. So I still don't know: is this an everyday sight in Tana?

Again, a couple of days later:

We return from the Comoros Islands. When we land at 6 pm it's 22C (72 F) again, how lovely!

It's Easter Monday, so everyone who can move seems to be walking somewhere. There are huge crowds on the roadside, and people literally hanging off the taxi-brousses and pickup trucks. The streets are even more hectic than usual.

On the way to the hotel it strikes me how relative everything is. When we first arrived to Tana from Paris, the city's poverty struck me. Now, coming from the Comoros, it looks like such a prosperous and modern city! The Carlton Hotel itself, which did not completely impress me at first, now seems absolutely perfect. No bugs, no stains on the bed and walls, perfectly functioning air-conditioning and spotless bathrooms. How nice!

The next day at 12:30 pm we leave for the airport. It seems that during the couple of days while we were in the Comoros, the Madagascar exit procedures changed, they introduced a new biometric system. Not sure if it's the system which is slow, or the officers don't know how to use it yet (probably both), but it's quite a nightmare. To be fair, there are notes posted on the booths to apologize for the delay, explaining that the system is new. But it's hard not to grumble when it can take as much as 10 minutes to process one person, compared to the couple of seconds it took last time we left the country. Then again, as a former computer programmer, if anyone understands the pain of switching to a new system it's me. So I try not to look annoyed and smile while they attempt to get the machine finally accept my fingerprints.

Then it's off to Reunion Island.

Did I like Tana? I am not sure. I certainly did not love it, but it's hectic, street-market atmosphere sort of grew on me. In fact when our Rova guide asked me what I thought of the city, I blurted out the only positive thing which came to my mind: "it's very lively". After the heat of Nosy Be and the Comoros I also appreciated Tana's mild, refreshing climate. People are very friendly, and the tourist sights which do exist are lovely. I don't regret coming here at all, even though the city is not going to make any "favorite destinations" list of mine.

Itchy Feet - Welcome!

Coming soon

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Antananarivo, Madagascar's Capital

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