2 things are going on these days.
Ready to enter the Mozambique channel in Tulear
1st, the solo circumnavigation of Riaan Manser. This basket case left Tamatave on the east coast in August aiming northern tip and now somewhere south of Majunga.
Check his stupefying blog aventure.
africa365
I doubt that he can bag it in 10 months as planned but this dude has more guts than anybody I ever met on the water. The challenge is immense. He got jailed, sick, robben, attacked by sharks, got foot worms, fevers, and still going strong. Worst certainly lies ahead and with 3000 kms to go, all we can do is wish him good luck.
Simon on the white sandy beaches of the south west coast
2nd, you may remember those 2 brits paddlers who started circumnavigating Mada over 2 seasons.
Last year they did half of it from Majunga to Mananjary round the northern tip.
Well, one of them, Simon arrived alone on Jan 2nd.
I drove him down to Mananjary and he picked up the trip with one of my river guide, Joe.
Simon and Joe on Mananjary beach, still smiling!
They paddle and struggled 4 days to get to Manakara, had head winds, strong surf.
Boat preparation in Mananjary
It was Joe’s very first time on the sea! He’s a river guide from Tana and never had the chance of floating on the sea, ever! That was also his first time on a sea kayak. He eventually freaked out and/or got bored on this boring and difficult section and wanted to give up. An other guide would have picked up the tour with Simon.
Simon and Joe on D1 of the trip heading for foul weather.
Anyway, Simon gave up the challenge, feeling that pace and conditions would not allow to complete the trip in the remaining time.
First paddle strokes on a small beach surf in Mananjary
However he decided to keep paddling sections at a more leisurely pace and I sent them with Edmond (you remember the beat up smiling face from last year?) and Sylvain, the french river guide from Lyon on the best lagoons in Mada, from Tulear to Morombe.
Heading back to some beach bungalows
They eventually spent 6 days to reach Morombe, having paddled through Fanele, the cyclone who hit badly the west coast.
Edmond,Not a man, a machine (dixit Simon)
Trip was great fun and they had numerous stop over small villages for coffee and local donuts.
Paddling through a cyclone, somehow fun!
Roads were kind of submerged and they had to sail a dhow 4 days to get back to Tulear.
Vezo kid north of Tulear
I think next will be paddling 250 kms of flat Betsiboka river, from Maevatanana to Majunga.
Simon said, PADDLE!!!!!!!!!!
You’ll know, …
