NOSY BE, MADAGASCAR

NOSY BE, MADAGASCAR

SEPTEMBER 6-23, 2016

We arrived in Hellville on Nosy Be (Big Island) on September 6^th at 1000 hrs local (UTC +3) and dropped anchor in 30’ water depth in position:  13-24.412 S; 048-17.059’ E.  The holding is very good in thick mud;  Spring tides rise to 14’ and the bay drains out a long way.  The check- in process is not difficult but involves paying money to the Police and Port Captain.  In the past, the amount of money demanded by both agencies varied a lot; corruption is rampant in the government positions.  We did not find that the fees charged were different for the boats checking in at the present time:  they are Police (US$26) and Immigration (US$32 for a two month visa) , Cruising Permit for Nosy Be (US$20 for one month).  Sometimes, the Customs Official tries to extort a negotiable fee but has no legal right to do so.  We never saw the Customs Official.  Anyway, all these fees amount to a very small amount of money for most cruisers.  I don’t think they are negotiable and we received receipts for everything.  It’s important to pay the exact amount in the local currency or you may not get change back.  In September 2016 the exchange rate was US$1.00 = 3100 Ariary; 1 Euro = 3400 Ariary.

Upon going to shore for the check-in process, what is immediately noticeable is that the Malagasy have a different look from the Maldivian or Seychellois inhabitants.  The genetic ethnic mix is quite different:  SE Asian Malay-Polynesian and Bantu.  The men are handsome and many of the women strikingly attractive.  Some of the women wear the shortest skirts to be found anywhere in the world.  Unfortunately, the country is very poor and poverty is seen everywhere.  We haven’t noticed hunger or starvation but the Malagasy are not obese as seen in the Maldives, Seychelles and Mayotte.

The Malay-Polynesian customs and thatched huts are still very much a part of Malagasy life.  There are taboos (fady) in every village and island:  no washing clothes on Tuesday; no fishing on Thursdays; can’t eat pork from a pig with a straight tail; certain land areas; sacred trees, etc.  Every village and island has different ones.  It’s important to ask before venturing around because, if a “fady” is broken, the whole village may have to make rituals to appease the ancestors.  This is an animistic society, even though they may profess to be Catholic or Protestant.  I’m not sure how the Moslems react to this but they are not a significant force in the islands we have visited.

The Palm tree gives the Malagasy everything they need for building thatched huts.  Afterwards, the palm stalks are dried, then sawn and used as slating for the walls and floors of the huts.  They are using techniques from their Malay-Polynesian  ancestors that we have seen nowhere else.  Palm thatched roofs are the most common form on the islands.  The beautiful sailing dhows are a sight to behold.  They ply the waters without any assistance from an engine.  The sails are made from whatever is available and are in the most deplorable condition possible.  If there is enough money to buy cotton canvas, it will be the first choice for the larger dhows.  After that, the smaller ones use bed sheets, potato sacks, plastic, and any other material they can find.  Still, they sail fast using the local land and sea breeze: it alternates daily and makes sailing in the waters glorious.  The dhows carry an outrigger to stabilize the narrow hulls. 

In this county of ancient traditions and poverty, there is another world of wealth and privilege:  A very modern world with exquisite cuisine, luxurious resorts and all the other amenities that westerners enjoy.  Italians and South Africans populate this world with a smattering of other nationalities and the few yachts that make it here.  Given that the average wage for local labor is US$1-2 per day, the prices are the cheapest to be found anywhere.  The Malagasy government has failed its people from independence in 1960 to present day.  And yet, the Malagasy are a smiling, cheerful, friendly people that have great pride in their country and culture.  One feels perfectly comfortable walking through the villages; the locals neither stare nor make you feel uncomfortable. Amidst poverty, illiteracy, unemployment, and inadequate medical facilities, there is an underlying dignity in the people that is seen and felt by foreign nationals. If there is anything undesirable in this beautiful country, it is the fact that Malaria is widespread.  We have been told that Nosy Be and the outlying islands are under control but I question that.  I think they don’t want to scare tourists.

Given the fact that gainful employment is not available to most, the handicraft market and tourism is the main source of income.  They make beautiful embroidered tablecloths and clothes.  All kinds of utensils are made from the ZEBU:  the local cow with a hump on its back.  The meat is delicious but not as tender as Texas beef.  The horns are used in the various handicrafts.  The animal is used to pull ox carts and other forms of labor.  It is the single most tangible form of wealth that a Malagasy family has to display. This along with rice, chickens, ducks, coconuts, bananas, veggies and fish make up the diet of the Malagasy.  Rice is eaten three times a day.  Under French colonial rule, Madagascar was a rice exporting nation:  today, most rice is imported.

When one reads about Madagascar, Lemurs are the first thing that they come across.  There are 115 different species of Lemurs (Maki) in Madagascar.  They mostly live in troops of 5-25 with a dominant female.  In the national parks and game reserves, they will jump on your shoulder or head for bananas.  Their little paws have no nails and are very soft to the touch.  One always has a guide that is familiar with them and knows how to entice them to jump on the shoulders and head.  The next biggest draw is Rum.  The country has vast estates of sugar cane and distilleries.  Rum can be bought for a little as US$2 a liter with a mind numbing 104% proof.  As a matter of fact, most liquors, wines, etc. are quite cheap here.  Also, imported meats and cheeses are quite reasonable.  After the “Payschelles” everything seems to be cheap!  This really is a truly fascinating country.  We could spend a lot more time here but the season is drawing to a close and South Africa beckons.  It’s a pity that we didn’t sail from the Seychelles sooner but, in hind sight, given the weather that we encountered, we could have done it.

On Sunday or Monday, we will start the voyage South down the Malagasy coast to Moramba Bay:  14-53.3’ S; 47-20.4’ E.  This will take a while as we plan to day-hop from anchorage to anchorage.  Once we are in Moramba Bay, we will start to look for a “Weather Window” to cross over the Mozambique Channel and on down the East African Coast to Richards Bay, South Africa (28-49.0’ S; 32-06.0’ E).  This is the “voyage stopper” for many yachts as the Cape of Good Hope and surrounding waters has an infamous reputation for gales, strong winds and freak waves.  No yacht takes this voyage lightly; most prefer to travel in small groups in case something happens to one of them.