Long Trip to Ft. Dauphin






Grant's trip to Ft. Dauphin last week went great. Grant, the three missionaries from South Africa, Chris (Grant's Malagasy friend), and a driver headed out on a Saturday morning. They had to hire a truck to drive them down, as our truck's engine was destroyed on our last trip.

They spent the first few days of the trip in Mahafaly territory, where they visited a few villages. During the time in the Mahafaly villages the ethnomusicologist listened to the people play indigenous music. The guys learned a lot about the people on the trip and had fun watching the singers/dancers. Grant was even invited to dance with them (see above pic)!

After a few days with the Mahafaly, the did the LONG drive south to Ft Dauphin. It took a fews day of travel on flooded, rough roads. The veteran missionaries commented that it was the worst road any of them had have ever traveled on. Hmmm...and we just thought this was a normal African road. :)

Grant loved the change in scenery. The area where the Mahafaly live, is all desert. It is flat, sandy, and dry. As you move south, into Antandroy area, you come into the thick spiny bush of Madagascar, with strange greenery all over. The two areas are as if you are in two different continents. When you reach the bottom of Madagascar, and are coming into Ft. Dauphin, you enter into the rainforest. The flat land turns into rolling hills and lush, green forests. It's pretty amazing!

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