So, the FCE was not repaired on time. We
waited for 2h to see if there could be the slightest chance of taking it but
there wasn't. So we had to come up with a plan B and let me tell you, it wasn't
easy at first. But once we grabbed the whole thing into perspective, we decided
to rather enjoy 2 more days at one of the beaches later on in our trip instead
of wasting time waiting for the train and then basically travel for 2 full days
just so we could say we have been on the damn FCE.
Just a little fact about the
FCE railway, that way you know why we were so keen to get on it. First of all,
certain rails were built in 1896! Even though it's only 170 km of railroad to
travel, it can take between 7 to 12h to get from Fianar to Manakara. (Nothing
really, compared to India or Burma, trust me!) There are 17 stops every 10km,
the train chugs along at 20 to 35km/h. Now, this is where my info will be
confusing because I'm getting them from two different sources. The French
"Le Routard" says that on the 1200m of altitude, you will pass
through 21 tunnels and cross 42 bridges. The English version of Lonely Planet
states that it's 48 tunnels and 67 bridges. Go and figure! Either way, along
the way you are to pass plantations, misty valleys, green hills and waterfalls.
At every station, local people will sell their culinary specialty such as
samosa, grilled chicken, crayfish, banana fritters. Sounds fairy tale
like, doesn't it? And now you know why we wanted to experience it.
But instead,
we took of with another T-B to Ranohira. Did you know that there were 2 kinds
of T-B? I certainly didn't but the receptionist at the hotel kindly informed us
about this fact before we left. So, there is the regional kind - that takes all
the regional (very bad) roads. The national kind takes the RN7 (route
nationale) which is mostly in a good condition. There is another difference
between them (other than the price). If you have a car that can take 15 people
on board, the regional will have something between 22 and 25, so you can only
imagine how tight it can become as the number increases. The national will
respect the number of the passengers most of the time and if they don't, it's
not as excessive as the regional T-B. You need to know that the regular size of
Malagasy person is approximately 160 cm (165 cm in more developed areas). And
everything is adapted to that height. And so when you measure 178 cm, even when
the count is correct, there is still a very little of legroom. Unless you sit
in the front row. And that is if you don't mind the heat, because all the
essential parts that make the vehicle function are right under your ass or
feet. But, let's go back to our journey.
It took us little longer than expected
because the gear of the car broke at some point and needed to be fixed. After 6h30 of a
slightly bumpy ride, we were welcomed in Ranohira by our guide Jacquelin. He's
50 years old, speaks French comfortably and seems to be serious about his work
and his fares. We checked in a place called Chez Alice. We are staying in a
bungalow with too many beds (the double bed bungalows were all taken) but it's
nice and comfy. We had an appetizer in front of the bungalow eating tomatoes, French sausage, drinking last
can of Perrier while we watched the sun go down. Beautiful light, beautiful
colors.
Did some reading and then went to have dinner. Very well cooked, well
for my part they had to get it right on the second try but once it was to my
liking, I enjoyed every bite of it. Alice, the owner, is a very dynamic
character. It was fun to see her tell a customer (who deserved it) to get the
heck out of her establishment (yes, there was some yelling involved but in her
defense - the client was a dick). She kindly offered to watch over our
backpacks while we went trekking. But that's tomorrow's story.
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