Antananarivo (pronounced ant-an-an-a-rivo and from this
point forward I will use the Malagasy short form Tana) is a large sprawling
city that has definitely seen better days. It is evident by some of the impressive
architecture that at one time this was once a beautiful city. Most of that past glory has been allowed to
deteriorate. The drive in to town from the airport is a sensory onslaught, coal
smoke burns the eyes, smoke from burning wood piles and exhaust fumes strain
the lungs. The rivers are open sewers strewn with garbage and refuse.
The rice patties are well maintained however the water
flooding them is questionable at best. You have to pass some of very poor areas
of town, children have swollen belly’s from malnutrition as there only food is
rice, as meat and fruit is affordable. Petty crime is rampant and overall
Tana is a great city to get the hell out of.
I had the fortune of lodging with a group of senior Biology Fellows
from the University of Connecticut , obviously a favorite of mine, the UConn Huskies
and all that. Dinner was interesting to say the least, I definitely had to up
my game to try and stay in the mix with these academics and avoid being exposed
as the Neanderthal that I am. Thankfully my sinister past was of benefit especially
the research I had done on water purification and aquaculture-horticulture
recycling systems. At the worst I could always pull out a good old Yukon Grizzly
story.
As it turned out we all were travelling to a lodge in the
south on the same flight.
