It sprinkled during the night and there were lingering clouds. It was another 4:00 am morning and last chance to take photos with Isbjorn's guidance. The here and there cloud cover once again created a challenge, but I appreciated the practice and guidance until the dawn started to lighten the sky.
The eastern horizon was laden with clouds and the brilliant colors of our sun were shrouded until the sun was fairly high in the sky. Unlike yesterday, the sunrise was unremarkable. Russ was just making his way to the dining room as I headed back to our room to freshen up.
We enjoyed our last breakfast with the friendly geckos and our morning hostess Emmaline who has beautiful, warm smile. Russ took a morning canoe paddle while I sat on a shaded deck by the sea and blogged.
Russ returned to the room to rinse out his sweaty, salty bottom shorts and shirt and take his first shower of the day. I followed shortly after and took my shower as the masseuse arrived with her assistant who carried the padded table balanced on his head. He ducked down expertly to avoid the low hanging palm fronds as he entered our terrace and set up the massage table. And our masseuse is Emmaline!
Russ returned to the room to rinse out his sweaty, salty bottom shorts and shirt and take his first shower of the day. I followed shortly after and took my shower as the masseuse arrived with her assistant who carried the padded table balanced on his head. He ducked down expertly to avoid the low hanging palm fronds as he entered our terrace and set up the massage table. And our masseuse is Emmaline!
Everyone seems to have multiple job skills and responsibilities. Tsiky is snorkel guide, nature guide, rum expert. Emmaline is hostess, wait server, and masseuse! We set up a cooling fan on the shaded terrace, and Russ is first to get a massage. He looks totally relaxed as Emmaline works her magic.
I am second in line. By lunch time we are oiled and relaxed..and definitely do not want to leave! But Alas, we must!
We settle our tab and fund the tip box, before departing at 3:00 pm for our boat ride to Nosy Be and plane back to capital, Eric and his family are also leaving on the same plane. We take the first boat, followed by Eric and his party. It was a good thing that we had a backup boat as our driver was not at Nosy Be when we arrived or after a nearly half hour wait. Now what?
There was room in Eric's van and they insisted we ride with them so we would get to the airport on time. Despite this hiccup in our travels, all turned out well and we were grateful.
There was room in Eric's van and they insisted we ride with them so we would get to the airport on time. Despite this hiccup in our travels, all turned out well and we were grateful.
When we arrived in Antananarivo we were picked up by Hari, our initial arrival guide, and transferred to our hotel in the middle of the capital city.
The hotel is old and well kept even though it sits in the middle of a dilapidated section of town. It was dark and mid evening by the time we arrived. We checked into our room and immediately came downstairs to have dinner on the terrace overlooking the city. We are tired, and Hari will be picking us up early for a short city tour before he delivers us back to the airport for our flight to Johannesburg at 12:00 pm.
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