We came across this sign as we left Tulear which was quite fun.
So we began our day today with a short drive to some botanical gardens near Tuléar where we spent an hour and a half being guided round a plethora of varieties of spiky trees and shrubs.
We were also able to see a few birds.
Then we started off up the RN7 towards today’s destination, Isalo. Travel was much faster than usual; the road was metalled! (Though, like many in the UK, it suffers from big potholes).
At one point, Zo told us that we were just 20 minutes away from the Tropic of Capricorn, but we didn’t make the detour to cross it. We also saw more local burial grounds dotted around. The shape varied according to the tribes so we saw some with totems on from the Mahafahaly tribe and some without from another tribe.
Before getting to Isalo we passed through the Gem region of Madagascar. There is an area about 250km long and 35km wide which is rich in Sapphires and other gems. There are mines (all owned by foreigners) which provide employment and a whole industry in the area.
We stopped for a short time at one showroom to look at some gems and hear a little more about the history of the area. The whole gem thing (which is now very big business) only started back in 1998 when the first Sapphires were found.
The landscape changed yet again just before we arrived at our destination, Isalo Ranch.
Once again our accommodation is of good quality in stunning surroundings. Intime for a quick dip in the pool but too cold to go right in! And of course the sunset!
