Might not have a lot of electricity while here. Arrived in Madagascar yesterday. It's so much different. The poverty is staggering - our guide said that education is not compulsory for anyone. (you need a guide and driver here since the infrastructure is so horrible). Everyone is on the street trying to sell something. We are in the capital -- Antananarivo (Tana) for just a bit and then off to explore.  Watching what is being sold as we drive by. Fly covered carp looks like it's been dead for a while. Glad that it's not my dinner.

It took a few hours to drive to our lodge. The roads are awful and 4 wheel drive is necessary. My head is so full of information.  It was sad to see kids playing with empty juice boxes attached to sticks with twine, but they were running and racing and having fun.

After getting out of the city, the forests are slash burned. They've been replanted with eucalyptus but the native animals haven't returned because their native foods are gone. The native forests were Palissandre, Rosewood and Ebony. Now they plant fast growing trees to cut them to make charcoal. Over 90% of the population do not have electricity and they cook with charcoal.  On the other hand, the country has banned plastic bags and straws.

Stopped for lunch at a local restaurant that our guide said was safe to eat at (yay!). I ordered coconut curry fish forgetting that I was going to be served a whole fish.