December 23rd 2023 to December 29th 2023
My family came all the way to Madagascar, and it was such a great experience to have them here. We were able to do so many fun activities, but what I appreciated the most was the feeling of having home here with me.
After 24 hours of travel, my parents and brother got into Tana at 5pm. Since it was rather late, we went straight to the hotel to rest and have dinner. The next morning, we had a big day of driving ahead of us. We woke up early, and Franck, who was our driver for the week, picked us up from the hotel. So, we began our 10-hour drive for the day. While it was a long drive, it was a great way to show my family parts of the country that they would otherwise not see. Driving is essentially how most people travel, on the windy, pothole filled roads of Madagascar.
Our final destination of the day was a little lodge just outside of the National Park. At the lodge, we were each given our own bungalow, which had palms woven together for the roof. The staff was friendly and prepared a good Malagasy dinner for us, as well as breakfast in the morning. It was certainly a different way to spend Christmas, but it will be one that I will forever remember.
The next day we visited the National Park. I had already been there the first time I visited Madagascar in 2019 so it was cool to see what I remembered and tell my family about my experience the first time I was here. I signed us up for the lemur tour, but it was a little disappointing because we only saw one lemur, and he was hiding in a tree. Our guide told us that because it had rained the night before they were all hiding to dry out. Even though we only saw one lemur, the hike in the national park was beautiful and interesting. We were able to see snakes, plants, and birds that were native only to Madagascar. We were also able to see a canyon that was thousands of years old and shaped by the ocean as Madagascar was separated from the rest of Africa.
After the national park, we drove another 4 hours to Majunga, where my family stayed with me for the rest of the week. I really enjoyed showing them around Majunga. It was the perfect mix of down-time and adventure. The first day, we went on a scavenger hunt through the city. I was on my mom’s team and then I made Sam and my dad be a team and navigate Majunga on their own. They did pretty well and were able to make a depot into my orange account, (Orange is a phone carrier here and people can store money on their phone by exchanging cash for credit), find the schools I work at, and buy bananas at the market. I think my mom and I won, but Team Sam and dad definitely did a great job.
I also took my family to the Antsanitia Resort, which was an hour away. The resort was beautiful. It had a pool, access to the beach, and an amazing view. One of my favorite parts of the whole week was our sunset cruise on a catamaran. On the cruise, we were able to watch the sunset, have drinks, talk with the Malagasy workers, and swim in the Indian Ocean. My family and I were talking about how it was such a unique experience that we would never be able to do in the U.S. In the U.S., they would have made us where life jackets and made sure we stayed in our seats. Here in Madagascar, we had the boat to ourselves and were able to dive off the boat into the Middle of the Indian Ocean, without a single person even asking us if we could swim.
The other big adventure we had was going 4-wheeling to Sacred Lake. Unfortunately, my brother was feeling sick so he couldn’t come with us, but I’m glad that my parents were able to come. I think this might have been my mom’s favorite part of the whole trip because she finally got to see some lemurs. Overall, it was amazing to have my family here. It felt like home was with me in Majunga. I enjoyed the quality time, whether it be going on adventures or staying in and playing cards. The saying is right: “Home is not a place, but rather, the people you love.” I’m going to miss having them here, but I’m really grateful that I was able to show them Madagascar, the place I have and will be living for a couple more months.