Around Tana

I decided to face Tana - it couldn't have been as bad as my first impression had been.

I walked back into town, with my money in my shoe and minus watch camera and phone which I'd left locked in my room. I'd decided that my mugging was pretty much inevetable.

I took a long walk to a place called Rova (an old palace which was burnt out in 1995). The actual town wasn't toooo bad, although I did notice a shop called Nazi Electronics - try taking something back there!!

Intermittently(?) kids or women with babies would approach you and make appeals for cash, but I figured I'd probably survive a mugging anyway as I was about 2 feet taller than most people surrounding me.

When I reached Rova, high on a hill above the city, it started to rain, but being so hot you vitually dried out the moment it hit you.

I was escorted round the place by a guy called Elan. I think the guide was obligitary I had tried hard to shake him off! Actually he was quite interesting and he seemed happy with the couple of quid I gave him at the end.

He also took me to a museum where there were exhibits of things given to Madagascar by amongst others Queen Victoria and Norway!

I went back to my hotel, had an omelette and decided to go to the zoo (Elan had recommended it) It actually wasn't up to much, in fact it was more of a botanical garden, which was interesting in it's own right, but the few lemas in small cages wouldn't really have brought world renoun. They had a local charge too - 20p for locals and a fiver for tourists (cheek)

I took the (bad) decision to walk back to the hotel (to save myself the 2 pounds taxi journey) and ended up in a particularly bad bit of town. I had to walk through a smog filled tunnel where people literally sleep/live. I was going to take a picture (on Ralph's request) but I think it would have been the last one my camera took in my possesion.

I eventually reached the centre of town and decided that although the people are desperately poor they're a pretty genuine bunch and not (too) likely to do you in.

I fly out tomorrow at 7am to Tulear on the coast.