Travel Day 2, New York Day 1, April 17, WTRD 32 of 36

Travel Day 2, New York Day 1,  April 17, WTRD 32 of 36

We arrive pre-dawn in Paris, where we clear through passport control and have to go through security all over again. Why we must do this again when we get off a plane that has been secured, immigration control which is secure, and an isolated passageway to the transfer gate I wonder.  We are tired of all the air flight checks.  Our bags fortunately were checked all the way through to JFK.  I wonder if they run the bags through another security check when they transfer them rom one airplane to another.

We will be following the westward sun on this flight and will be arriving in New York at 10:00 am in the morning on this day.  Still a bit groggy from our red eye flight sleeping pills, Russ and I are asleep before the plane takes off.  We waken for brunch somewhere along the way, and have time to watch a movie before we land.  We gleefully go through global entry without any hassle and collect our bags, and leave.  We catch a taxi to our AirBnB on 31st street which is mid center to all the places we want to go.

We self-check into a small studio apartment, spend a few minutes unpacking and getting our devices charging, before taking off for a long walk.  After sitting for almost 24 hours, we need to move around.  We walk about 9 miles up to central park, and back along the river.  It is spring time in New York.  The air is fresh, tulips and spring flowers are blooming.  

The trees in the city are just stating to leaf out.  

It's a beautiful day.  We are trying to stay awake as long as we can so that we sleep through the night.  We are going to Live with Kelly and Ryan first thing in the morning.  We need to be there by 6:30 in the morning.

After our walk in that direction in the afternoon, we have decided to catch a Taxi about 6:00 am so that we get there in time.  We grab salads at the Subway down the street, and are in bed asleep by 9:00.

All is Well with the Worrall Travel Rs back in America

Travel Day 1, Departure from South Africa, Homeward bound toward California, via Paris and New York, April 16, WTRD 31 of 36

Travel Day 1, Departure from South Africa, Homeward bound toward California, via Paris and New York,  April 16, WTRD 31 of 36

We arrange for a late check out and spend a leisurely morning in our room, packing and catching up with emails.  Our repacked bags with our dried clothing and the gear we received from Margi, weigh about the same as they did when we left with our moisture soaked clothes from Madagascar.

Russ and I have planned some time to do some pre-flight shopping at the airport before the plane departs late in the afternoon.  We are excited to be going home.  It's been a great trip, but we are ready to set foot on American soil.  We take some sleeping pills, watch a movie, and sleep high above the African continent as we fly to Paris where we will change planes and continue on to New York City.

All is Well with the Worrall Travel R's Heading Home.

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

Madagascar Day 11, Departure from Tsara Komba and return to Antananarivo

 Madagascar Day 11, Departure from Tsara Komba and return to Antananarivo, Sunday, April 14, WTRD 29 of 36

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!

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.

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.

All is Well with the Worrall Travel Rs our last night in Madagascar