We have breakfast at the lodge while waiting for Naina to show up but she doesn't come. So we stop a taxi in the street and for 4000 Ar. it takes us to the taxi station brousse. There the commissioners are waiting for us again.
Ambalavo
After three quarters of an hour of negotiations we finally get into a taxi brousse that takes little time to fill up.
In an hour and a quarter we arrive in Ambalavao and pay 1,000 Ar. for a tuk tuk to the Betsileo Hotel. It is run by a Frenchman who does not like to speak English and introduces us to Jesse to help us. Jesse is a local guide.
There is no running water in the whole city, something very common at this time of the year.
To visit Anja's Reserve a guide is obligatory and as he is available we meet him at 14:00 to go together to the park, as the animals are most active at sunrise and sunset.
Jesse also helps us with accommodation at our next destination Ranohira and makes it easy for us to contact a local guide to visit the Isalo National Park. He also gets us a phone number to contact a driver who has a 4x4 for later. If you have the opportunity to meet him you will be very lucky.
Today is Wednesday and is market day, zebu market, as Jesse is free all day he offers to accompany us for free, we accept and we walk from our accommodation.
Zebu Market
Ambalavao is a small city of about 30,000 inhabitants. We are the attraction of the market together with the zebus. It is impressive to see them so close, they are smaller than our cows and have a very appreciated fat-filled hump. This market is one of the most important and shepherds from hundreds of kilometers around walk there with their herds (sometimes it takes weeks to get there). The zebu is a very important animal for the Malagasy as it provides them with food and is their means of transport and work. In the past and still today, the number and quality of the zebu determine the family's wealth. It is said that in Madagascar there are more Zebus than people.
Deforestation and uncontrolled burning to provide pasture for these animals is a widespread problem throughout the country.
After the market we visited an old silk factory, where silk is worked by hand. It is possible to see all the processes since the cocoon is cooked until it is spun and then woven. Although it is true, the products sold in the shop seem more standard and not so handmade.
Working women silk
We eat and at 14:00 we go with Jesse to take a taxi brousse, we get good seats thanks to Jesse and finally after counting up to 28 people in a vanette! we leave after 30 minutes of driving we arrive to Anja's Reserve. The rocky landscape is spectacular and it is easy to see animals drinking in the lake.
The Anja Reserve was created thanks to the local involvement to conserve this area and preserve its forests. It was not easy to convince the communities, but the return of the animals to the reserve changed things. From the price of the entrance almost everything goes to the local community (Betsileo ethnic group). We were very lucky and apart from chameleons we could see a lot of ringed-tail lemurs, as well as endemic flora and fauna. Totally advisable.
Ring Tailed Lemur Anja Reserve
The return trip was done again by taxi brousse. It is getting dark and we decided to have a drink at a local bar, they try to charge us more than what it said on the sign, the truth is that it smells of pure alcohol inside. The Malagasy drink mostly Malagasy rum and drink a lot, the show is dantean, you see people from side to side falling down. We finally decided to go back to the hostel to have dinner there. Very good choice.
Taxi brousse: from Fianrantsoa to Ambalavao 5.000 Ar.
Accommodation: Hotel Betsileo 45.000 Ar. Triple room.
Beer: 4.000 Ar.
Reservation of Anja: entrance and guide 95.000 Ar 3 pax.
Small water in the reserve 1.000 Ar.
Taxi brousse: from Ambalavao to Ranohira 75.000 Ar 3 pax (we pay commission of 5.000 Ar per pax for the taxi brousse to stop at the door of the accommodation).
Taxi brousse: to Anja reserve 4.000 Ar 4 pax
Dinner at Hotel Betsileo between 14.000 and 8.000 Ar.
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