Madagascar is one of the World’s poorest countries, and it shows. The average annual income is around $500/year. 85% of the population grow their own food to survive. Average life expectance for a male is 55 years. Literacy rate is 65%. And, the government is so corrupt that the World’s major financial aid organizations (IMF, World Bank) are reluctant to help out. The country has no significant natural resources or exports so things are bleak.
We took a walk through Joffreville, once a vacation town for the French colonials. It gave us a good view of how people live.
This was all in contrast to the local monestary where a mere 11 nuns were living in comparative luxury surrounded by beautiful, manicured gardens.
On a happier note, the people were warm and friendly if not slightly bewildered by us crazy tourists going around taking photographs of everything. I can only imagine what was going through their heads as we strolled by. For them, we could have been from a different planet.
The local school kids were happy to show off for a picture.
And the no-school kids.
The lodge brought in a local band for our entertainment. We invited the kids in, gave them juice and cookies and everybody joined in the party.
We were now begining to anticipate another of Carl’s culinary adventures, but first . .