Goodbye Madagascar, Tour of Antananarivo, Return to Johannesburg, South Africa, April 15

Madagascar Day 12, Departure from Antananarivo, Return to Johannesburg, South Africa,  April 15, WTRD 30 of 36

After breakfast, we wait for Hari to arrive and enjoy watching the citizens going about their business up and down the hotel street to and from the market located in the valley behind our hotel.

Hari collected us, along with boxed lunches from the hotel.  He had asked us the night before what types of souvenirs we were interested in.  We tell him that Russ would like a Madagascar flag pin for his hat, and National Soccer Team shirt.  I just wanted an ornament for our travel tree.  

When we get in the car, Hari presents a soccer shirt to Russ.  It is a small, but it is a gift.  Hari said he had to go into a dangerous part of town to buy it.  It was not a place he wanted to take us.  We also learn that there are no pins of Madagascar.  It is apparently against the law to have a pin as only government officials may wear them.  One man told Russ, if he wanted a pin he would have to take it off a policeman.  Aahh, no thanks.

Hari takes us on a car tour of the city. The photo above was in the hill district above Antananarivo.  Our eyes took in all that we could of the former French Capital and the decaying infrastructure of a poor country.

We drove through the city and upward where the citizens both former and present lived a much more comfortable life than the people in the flats

We stopped at the old train station for some photos and unexpected shopping. 

Hari said the shops inside were expensive, but we were wanting to go inside anyway, because it was quiet and cool.  We found several items that we thought were reasonably priced.  I think Hari thought the prices were reasonable as well, and he too appreciated the calm, wide open spaces to make purchases, totally unlike the local markets where he refrained from taking us.  I am not sure he had even been in the building before.  We think he will be returning here with other clients in the future.

Our trip to the airport wove through farm fields and outer village areas.  

When Hari had dropped us off at the airport 12 days ago, we had to eat our boxed breakfast outside the airport checkin.  We were rushed and it was an unpleasant experience.  We ask Hari to stop under a shade tree on the way to the airport to eat our lunch in the car.  He graciously complied.  We ate our lunch, and when we arrived at the airport, we were fed and ready to check in.  We thanked Hari for his thoughtfulness and help and said our goodbyes to him and to Madagascar.

Capital Air Port

Our plane took off on time and we arrived in Johannesburg, South Africa, returning to the Garden Court Hotel where we stayed the night before we left for Madagascar. The air was fresh and cool.  What a wonderful welcome.    Margi our Friendship Force Host in Cape Town had shipped about 15 lbs of our extra gear and clothes that we did not want to take on Safari or to Madagascar due to luggage restrictions.  The box was at the hotel when we arrived and we were relieved to be reunited with our stuff.

When we left Madagascar our luggage felt heavy.  In fact it was.  Our clothes had absorbed so much moisture from the humidity we must have been carrying 10 lbs of water.  When we got to the room, we opened our luggage, turned up the air conditioner, and hung our clothes everywhere to dry out before we packed them in the morning for our trip to New York.

We ate dinner at Rosie O'Grady's and went to bed.

All is Well With the Worrall Travel Rs back in South Africa