It is difficult to pinpoint why I like writing about Antsirabe, and much more for what I like so much is anonymous people at the center of Madagascar, I visited again and again. I discovered by chance, as to cross the country by road from Antananarivo to the southern shores of crystal Tulear there is only one road and it goes, forcibly, por Antsirabe. Most travelers pass by, the watch from the car window, perhaps closing it to prevent the dust. Some stop outside to photograph the beautiful papers Antaimoro. This Paper is made from bark Avoha tree. The bark is mixed with water to form a paste. It extends to the African sun and neat and delicately decorated with flower petals. These art panels are made by hand by Malagasy women smiling.
Few travelers venture into the streets of Antsirabe and fewer still venture to enjoy its many pleasures secrets. Because Antsirabe has a secret.
This small town has not only salt, but a wonderful hot springs where one can dive if not too picky
Antsirabe, whose name means "place of much salt" because it was once a small village where salt was sold, is located about 160 kilometers south of Antananarivo, in a hollow and surrounded by lakes and volcanoes.
Perhaps because of the volcanoes, Lakes, altitude or land wealth in minerals, so this small town has not only salt, but a wonderful hot springs where one can dive if not too picky. I guess it is made for travelers Africa diligent, resolute and unscrupulous. The underdog building where the pool and hot spring baths next to Hotel In Terms, an imposing building with exquisitely landscaped gardens and the second largest tree around Madagascar, after that of Mahajunga.
As night falls, these humble "taxi drivers" planted a candle in half plastic bottle, the tie between the wheels under the seat and this serves as a focus
From this hotel out to the strip, splendid, calm and quiet. There are few vehicles on the city; Instead, there are hundreds of rickshaws pulled by tiny little men muscular and bare. These humble "taxi" transport citizens to the race for the most inhospitable places. As night falls, planted a candle in half plastic bottle, bottle tied with a string between the wheels under the seat and this serves as a focus. Miraculously, the candle will not fall off even if the flood. What we do not engineer the human! The electric light in the streets is no, thus highlighting the hundreds of candle flames of light barely reaching the gloom.
In one of the small streets around the main street, find a bakery where, in addition to selling the best croissants I've had in my life (Malagasy copied the "cuisine" French settlers better than anyone), also rented bicycles. In an African city where few motor vehicles but there are many parks, is a pleasure to cycle through the wide streets without asphalt but.
To the left of the baths is the busiest street. Here are several restaurants delight the hungry traveler. One can feast for very little money and lots of patience while listening to the melody of a live local singer. At night, You can play pool the place where young people spend their time laughing and drinking beer here, famous for its quality.
The secret of this forgotten city is not in the glow of their hot springs, or the hospitality of its people, but in the waters of a lake
But for me, the secret of this forgotten city is not in the glow of their hot springs, or its refined avenues, or the hospitality of its people. The secret is in the waters of a lake, number of Andraikiba.
This beautiful volcanic lake is about six miles outside of Antsirabe. It is reached by a road battered and hidden. The last journey on foot. Stealth and crystalline, takes refuge in all its beauty blue. Intimate and enigmatic hosts an amazing sunset. Children, beyond its fortune, are released into the water naked hyaline. Against them, along the way, people lie on the grass calm face. By seeing us rise up and, hasty, run to us. I feel we have broken the peace of the afternoon. We suggest you go up a small path and there, even lakefront, begin to open little doors of a cracked wooden posts. I can not believe what my eyes see.
When he saw us reach the children get up and, hasty, run to us. I feel we have broken the peace of the afternoon
Brightly colored stones look stuffed into small plastic boxes:
amethysts, citrus, crystals of all kinds, occasional ruby ??and sapphire, aquamarine, garnets, tourmalines ... Countless carved minerals glow under evening light. The land of Antsirabe is extremely rich in minerals. The greedy merchants stones possess mines around the region, abundant and rich in precious stones. Local people are left with the less succulent, and using rudimentary devices, minerals carve fairly well.
Women make me an extravagant proposal: my shirt in exchange for a stone of my choice. I am concerned. I choose a nice opaque ruby ??star, and I see that this stone is abundant.
Bordering the beautiful lake, I think the natural wealth of this land and its people's poverty. Africa never ceases to amaze.
