Tulear, here we are!

Hi folks!
The sunny travelers are back into civilization well and healthy. Actually our last posting was interrupted by the sudden decision of our two morown tour guides who decided in the last second that they wouldn't make the 4x4-travel as we had agreed but that we needed a second driver and a second car. Nay, we said. And found ourselfs running around in the lost city of Morondava looking for a driver and a car that would take us down the western coast of Madagascar. Gonz found himself in the dark in the middle of a road running after some Malgashi guy that pretended he would know anything - not being able to communicate with him. At some point Gonz dropped out and sent him into the void by himself. At last we found Gerard, and not Geri, who drove us right where we wanted and even for a cheaper price. The first two days were veeery bumpy, dusty and long. With the Toyota Land Cruiser we had to cross rivers, take a ferry dragged by people through a river, where we spent half of the day on the coast. After two nights we ended in some lost corner of Madagascar in the middle of dark, in Morombe. One only hotel had affordable prices - and no comfort at all. Gonzens back still shivers at the mere thought of its bed. Still the morning after we travelled on with the french couple - he would talk to anybody on spastic movements-language and about anything - and 2 french heavy smoking sisters. And from that moment on we saw the most beautyful hidden corner of Madagascar, it's western coast. We slept in lost fisher villages, saw the most amazing beaches ever, ate fresh fish, sunbathed, bathed at all. It was amazing. Shabbat we spent in such a village, where we were really well taken by the villagers, who's kids fooled around with us on the beaches and where we assisted to the fishing of a ray of 3 m diameters. It was amazing.
Today we finished the coastal part at Ifaty, which was far more touristic and ended up a couple of hours ago here in Tulear. Big city, some fairly paved roads again and the beginning of the last week of our honeymoon. The internet cafe has a terrible connection which doesn't even allow to get into a mail account. So far so good.
We met the great french couple from the first week again - in front of the local bank and absolutely randomly. We're having dinner together tonight.
They say that the cities here are not for big movement in the evenings when it gets dark, which is already at six in the evenings.
Anyway, next week we're in Fianarantsoa and some rainforest, before we join Ambrivazo for shopping and then our honeymoon seems to terminate already. Buuuuh....
But we miss you a great deal and we think of you a lot. Especially in these times where we have no possibility of communication sometimes it feels a bit odd to be so far off the world. But that' s part of the beauty of this travel, isn't it...
Stupid enough today the camera broke, guess it won't be possible to fix it over here, so we'll just have to tell you about the last week - and you will have to trust us on it, muahaha.
So, keep everything in it's right place until we get back. We still kind of look the same even if quiet roasted from the coastal sun. Stomaches are also okay - sometimes. It's a bit odd to adjust yourself to the customs here and the foods, but we manage quiet well. Judith has become an absolute rice-addict. She eats it three times a day and when she doesn't get it for three hours, she starts shivering and moaning. It gets me sick. Malgashi beer on the other hand is funny. Tasts a world better than the Carlsberg soup we had all over June. It's called Three Horses, even if we haven't seen one single horse in two weeks, only Zebus.
Well. That's it for now. Take good care of yourselfs and of each others, as Jerry Springer says wisely.
Gruess
Susi und Strolch

"Bonshu Uaza"

Hi everybody - or as we are used to be greeted here " bonjour vazaha"; corresponding to "hello white"
Finally we reached a spot where we have access to internet - and tomorrow at sunrise are leaving it again.
The place is really hard to imagine. Monday we arrived at the airport and continued straight to Antsirabe and Miandravazo where the day after we emmbarked on a little canoe with two locals and drove down the Tsiribihina river. Chamaleons, a crocodile and lots of friendly village people accompanied us on our three days trip to the sea, where we continued on a 4x4 drive to the Tsingy mountains and baobab allee. Beautiful sceneries, very friendly folks and ... to Judiths happyness: tons of rice!!!
On the way we met a great couple from La Reunion with whom we spent the past couple of days. Also we met other frenchies randomly travelling together and yesterday we decided to do something really fun with them: We rented a 4x4 with them and are driving down the desert coast to Tulear as off tomorrow. Blue lagoons, baobab forests and the second coral reef in the world are waiting for us - and very few tourists.
We`ll tell you more further ahead. For now all we have is the knowledge that we probably have no internet connection for the rest of the week.
(now suddenly the situation changed and we need to figure out a new driver, since the old one dropped out - welcome to Africa)
Yalla, we`re off for now. Take care and don`t forget about us!
Kisses from Tripolis and Atlas

Angekommen!

Hello everybody

For purposes of linguistic barriers in Switzerland and difficult adaptation to the local computers just a short notice from the newly weds in English.
We arrived fine at Antananarivo this morning and are now on the way to the river where we will paddle down the stream for the next two days.
Flight was long and quiet exhausting, but the landscapes here make up for it easily. The island caught our heart from the beginning away.

We'll give more updates once there is really something to say. Lots of kisses and read from us soon again!

PS: No pictures for now, doubt that will work from here. Infrastructure very poor. The one existing highway looks more like Allmend in Zurich...

Marrakesch und Tripolis im indischen Ozean

Simchesnaches hoihoihoi!

1) Der Blog lebt noch. Jechi!
2) Deutschland ist nicht Europameister geworden, also ist alles noch im Lot.
3) Marrokko und Libyen haben geheiratet. Und der ganze Blog hat zugeschaut (also lebt er noch, nach dem Motto: ich sehe, also lebe ich)
4) Zu Ehren dieses Anlasses wird sich eine Delegation bestehend aus der besseren und vor allem der schlechteren Hälfte der neuen Familie auf die Spuren von Lemuren und Chamaleonten nach Madagaskar begeben.
5) Eben: Der Blog lebt noch. Deshalb werden wir an dieser Stelle regelmässig unsere Eindrücke von der Insel einfliessen lassen und Euch Berichtchen schreiben. Zwecks vereinfachtem Verständnis für Ost und West, Franz und Franc sowie Rösti und Graben werden wir unsere Berichte wohl auf Anglikanisch verfassen. Ankunft ist für Montag Morgen in Antananarivo geplant, der Hauptstadt, von welcher niemand weiss, dass sie ausser in den Primarschul-Realien-Tests wirklich existiert (war jeweils die Zusatzfrage, deren kumulierte Antworten zu einem der legendären SJV-Heftchen berechtigte).
6) Genug geblödelt, jetzt wird ... Gut Shabbes!