Hey guys,

I'm ready to go home, I think. I'm tired, I'm kind of sick again (it's Tana's pollution, I swear), I'm frustrated with ignorant people...I need to sleep in the same bed for at least 1 month. I'm looking forward to seeing all of you so much, you have no idea! I'm also looking forward to Boulder's clean, crisp air! Mmmmm.
I got back from Morondava today. It was founded by a moron called Dave way back when who left it after he founded it and now it's just a little dusty hole, it really is! If it weren't for the baobobs, I don't know why anyone would want to be there. The taxi brousse (bush taxi) there took a hefty 19 and a half hours, which is really good since they may often take more than 27 hours due to vehicle mishaps. We left Tana at 2pm and got to Morondava at around 11am the next morning. We had reserved the best seats, which are behind the driver, because of the leg room, but when we got to the taxi brousse station we were told that there had been an emergency in the morning and our original taxi had been used to transport a body. I don't know if I believe that but because of that we were put in another taxi and weren't able to get the good seats. We were put in the second row with barely any leg room. Those may have been the most uncomfortable 19 hours of my life.
After being in Madagascar this past semester, nothing really surprises me anymore. So when the taxi stopped at 2am in the middle of nowhere and we were told to get out and walk for 20 minutes, I just sighed and did what I was told. What am I talking about, we weren't even told, we just followed the other people! We had to get out because it was a section in the route that would have been impossible had the taxi been bogged down by the 15 - 20 people. I can't imagine how we would have made it to Morondava if it had rained. The road, at some points, was literally just a big hole (ooo, lavaka be!). The truck bottomed out numerous times and a tire gave out (but that was on my way back), but those were really the only big problems we encountered.
When we arrived at Morondava we were covered in a film of dust and had probably aged a couple of years because of the car fumes. We went to the Hotel Continental showered, slept for a few hours, had lunch, then got a taxi to the baobobs to catch the sunset. We saw the forest of the baobobs, the hugging baobob and the avenue of the baobobs. They're amazing trees and if it werent for them the whole area would really just be a shrubby, dusty place. They stick out in the horizon and remind me of the ents in Lord of the Rings. The story behind them, according to the Malagasy, is that when God created them, they were so beautiful that they became too proud and thought themselves better than the other plants and trees. God therefore punished them by uprooting them and planting them upside down with their roots in the air. That's why they look the way they do and never really flower.
Nothing eventful happened that night, we went to a restaurant on the beach then went back to the hotel to catch up on our sleep. We had decided to go all out and see the sunrise the next morning at the avenue of the baobobs. We're only gonna be here once in our lives so why not? We got up the next morning at 4:45 am and went down there and saw a magnificent sunrise. I have at least 100 pictures of those trees and me pretending to look like them. Then we went to the airport where Josh and his sister got on a plane to Tulear (south), but not before eating a delicious tuna sandwich on the hood of the taxi. I went back to the hotel and slept till 1 pm then went back to the taxi brousse station and waited around until we left at 3. This time the trip was 21 hours and I was sitting up front with the driver. I had more legroom, but the music was terribly loud (to keep the driver awake) and I was sharing the seat with a man and his 5 year old son. It seemed much longer than the first trip because I was alone.
So I got in this morning and slept for about 4 hours and I can't wait to go to bed tonight. I have a few things to get done before leaving on Tuesday, but I feel like if my flight were tomorrow, I could easily pack up and leave. A 20 hour plane ride home sounds like the most comfortable thing in the world right now, after the taxi brousse.
I forgot to mention, one of the other students got Malaria before leaving on Tuesday! Sucks for him.
I should get home for dinner soon, my family probably thinks I've been avoiding them. Love you guys,

Sandra

Hey friends. I'm just going to post some pictures. I'm back in Tana and it's COLD. It's like Costa Rica in the winter. But this Sunday we travel to Fort Dauphin to present our projects and get some counter culture shock lectures, bla bla.

My question is, How do you get rid of pushy Pakistani men who buy you drinks like Papaya juice and tea? I even tried to by gross by saying I can't drink Papaya juice because it makes me have diarrea. Diarrea? Yeah, you know, why you're peeing from your butthole? Didn't work, I guess.

The pictures aren't working either, I'll have to try tomorrow! So sorry! God bless you all and merry christmas or something,

Sandra

Howdy doo,
I have neglected my blogsite, I know. I am a failure. But in all honesty I have been drowning in work and I barely get anything done because we never have power. It's all good. I'm pretty much done at this point, though I can't say I'm not going to burn my paper when I leave because it's really not very good. Ohhhhwell...
The other day I paid a hefty 25 buckaroonies to go to Nosy Tanikely and Nosy Komba on a tour boat. I figured since it'll be my last outing on Nosy Be, I might as well go somewhere nice and pay a bit more. Komba was a dissapointment. It's a beautiful island but the part we were in is far too touristy for my taste. We went to the pathetic Lemur Parc and then headed towards Tanikely. As soon as I got off the boat I trudged into the water with my snorkel and flippers 5and socks because of my blisters). I spent a good 2 hours out in the water and saw incredible things. It was as if it were my first time again, I was so amazed by the colrs and the creatures. Isaw a beautiful HUGE puffer fish and was very tempted to annoy it till it puffed, but then I decided against it and just watched the incredible fish. I saw several marine turtles, but they were all very suspicious of me. I be the other turtles I had seen my first time in Tanikely told these guys how I grabbed their shells and swam with them, so now these guys have been keeping an eye outfor me. I hung out with one turtle for so long he had to come up for air. I floated so that my mask was partially inundated and I could see his head pop out of the water and hear a couple of gasps as he refilled his lungs. Then he went under again into that miraculous submerged world. I saw some huge triggerfish; who are really intimidating, and some a barracuda who wouldn't move when I swam near him. So I didn't cus he has big teeth.
The current was relatively strong on my way back so I got to lunch late, but it wasstill soooo yummy. We had barracuda, shrimp, crab (mmm), safron rice, potato salad, bread, papaya, bananas and oranges...ooo it was so good. That meal alone would have cost 100 plus dollars in the US, no doubt.
Anyway, it was a good trip if you dismiss the horribleguides (i'll mention them some other time). Tomorrow afternoon we head back to Tana and have a few days before going down to Fort Dauphin. Time is quickly running out...
Speaking of time, I have to get going and finish a few things. Love you all,

Sandra