October 3rd

I awoke at 0525 – five minutes before our alarm!! We finished last of packing and to breakfast by 06. It was same two kinds of breads. George met us at 0625 – he finished off our bread. We gathered our stuff and loaded up (there are actually “baggage porters”who do the grunt work/heavy pieces). Another vehicle with a couple we have seen off and on will be following us. We head out. Today we leave Belo sur Mer and head to Morombe. George gets an early start because much of the way is one lane and if there is a traffic jam… we just pray there won't be one.

At the start “the road” is barely one way! The brush slashes along the sides of the vehicle as we are jostled about with the ruts. At some point I had my window down and a good sized branch whipped in and punched my nose. OHH! That smarted and made my eyes water. It did not get a scratch on my glasses, thankfully (later I noticed a very little discoloration under my left eye, an abrasion on the end of my nose with a little swelling.)  We saw many birds early on and had to push through gullies to little ponds in the road. We did a brief, 30 minute, stop.

We change landscape some – it opens up and we pass through little steams. Then we get Mongoky River. There is a handmade-build up one lane area – like a dike – that we are going to cross!! This would been a huge undertaking. George mastered it well. It was exciting!

From here we pass by a Baobab Forest – so many giants. We drive along an irrigation ditch, which has flowers and water lillies. So from the ditch they really work to get water out to numerous rice paddies. These people definitely work and work hard.

Three-thirty we arrived at Le Baobab Hotel in Morombe. It's not the worst place we have spent the night, but it is the worst for this trip. No wifi at all; no hot water in the shower; and no available drinking water (thankfully,we have some, but it is not cold) or beer. The room itself is okay but needs attention. The sea is right in front of us. Jeff and George walked to town – we need money and he needs cough syrup. I stayed back and caught up the blog. They came back – Jeff said they were in a puss-puss(bicycle rickshaw) on the way back! He also said it broke down just as they arrived.

Supper was starter of sliced tomatoes, cumumbers, and hard-boiled egg with a drizzle of vingear. Main was filet of Zebu, seasoned very well; French fries; and veggies of carrots, green beans, and potatoes. Dessert was banana soaked in a stout rum sauce. First meal we almost completed (because lunch, we only had cashews, raisins, and muesli).

After dinner George proposed a change in our itinerary – he and Jeff worked it out. It sounds better to us because would be more National Parks, not as much beach time. George has to run it by Onja, because he would have to change hotels and stuff. Probably will know tomorrow night.

At 8 headed back to our room, relaxed, and worked on blog.