Goodbye ReefDoctor

(Posted several days late due to connection problems!)

We are writing from Anakao, a beach resort south of Tulear where we are relaxing for a few days after leaving ReefDoctor and before heading back across Madagascar towards Antananarivo from where we will fly home next weekend for a one-week Christmas pit-stop.

It has been a week of goodbyes as several other volunteers have been leaving as well as us and we had a farewell barbecue party at the weekend. Everybody helped prepare the food treats, including some delicious veggies, salsa, chips, and cake, and we feasted before the leavers reminisced with highlights and lowlights, and... the 'snorkel test'.

As Ali has now completed his Divemaster course, the time was set for this final and most feared initiation challenge whereby the candidate dons a specially constructed mask and snorkel-funnel, into which beverages of the instructors choice are fed directly to the mouth in a rather unforgiving manner. To say that the chosen beverages were a delicious blend of fine spirits would be some way from the truth. The result was a subsequent demonstration of a series of scuba skills, and sea creature impersonations, performed with inebriated mastery for the amusement of those gathered.

So with a slight hangover and many great memories, we said goodbye to our friends at ReefDoctor. We have had a great time volunteering and it has been quite the unique experience to be part of this conservation effort in a part of the world so beautiful and yet so challenged by its depleted environment and difficult political situation. Whilst we never expected to change the world in three months, we do wish we could have contributed more to the conservation. It seems that turning around the fortunes of the marine life as well as the locals is a slow and difficult process but there is hope for the strong links that ReefDoctor has built with the fishing community to build their awareness and change their methods for the longer term benefit.

The tough 4.15am start, catching the first taxi-brousse at dawn with three large bags was all the fun we expected it to be, as we squeezed in with twenty others and made our way down the sand road to Tulear (this brousse only needed a push start once). We were surprised to find ourselves suddenly in comparative luxury when we boarded the speedboat transfer to Anakao, stretched out on cushioned seats in the breeze, zooming down the coast. Anakao has a beautiful stretch of sandy beach with particularly clear turquoise water and a small island, Nosy Ve, across the lagoon.

We arrived at the Lalandaka hotel, a lovely relaxed clean place, right on the beach, with driftwood tables and white linen everywhere. However, despite this, once again we seem to be the only guests in the whole place. Apparently tourism is very slow across Madagascar at the moment, as the uncertainty of the ongoing election process is putting people off travelling here. But surely it can't have put everyone off?! It is nice that the place isn't overrun with tourists, but a couple of other guests wouldn't go a miss!

As typical in Madagascar, there are no ATMs here, and none of the hotels or restaurants take card so we are having to keep to a very strict budget to make sure that the cash we have is enough to pay the bill when we check out. This is leading to some tough decisions... today we chose to share a bowl of spaghetti for lunch so that we could afford to hire a stand up paddleboard for an hour. Tomorrow we have booked to go scuba diving so rations may have to be even more modest! Anyone concerned that we are going to waste away needn't worry, though, we will be back in Tulear on Sunday where there are numerous ATMs, excellent restaurants and even a gelateria!

The photos below also include one of Ali and an orphaned baby ringtail lemur that we encountered last week...