Mayotte Farewell And Welcome To Nosy Be, Madagascar.

Unfortunately Google messed up my last Blog and it is impossible to get to it as the owner, but invitees can see it, thus I have now had to start another blog.

My last photos from Mayotte are the below ones and I departed Mayotte after having visited the Yacht Club.

 View from the Yacht Club over the boats at anchor.

 A very friendly yacht club, with a small bar.

 Mayotte is hit by Cyclones from time to time and some boats have not fared well.

Sailed through the SE pass of Mayotte and received very strong wind and loads of current. Could only manage 2 kn going through the pass. It took 34 hours to cover the 200 NM to Hell-Ville, Nosy Be, Madagascar.

MADAGASCAR

Madagascar flag.

Some background information: 

The history of Madagascar is distinguished clearly by the early isolation of the landmass from the ancient supercontinent containing Africa and India, and by the island's late colonisation by human settlers arriving in outrigger canoes from the Sunda islands between 200 BC and 500 AD. These two factors facilitated the evolution and survival of thousands of endemic plant and animal species, some of which have gone extinct or are currently threatened with extinction due to the pressures of a growing human population. Over the past two thousand years the island has received waves of settlers of diverse origins including Austronesian, Bantu, Arab, South Asian, Chinese and European populations. The majority of the population of Madagascar today is a mixture of Austronesian, Bantu, North Indian, Arab and Somali settlers.[1] Centuries of intermarriages created the Malagasy people, who primarily speak Malagasy, an Austronesian language with Bantu, Malay, Arabic, French and English influences. Most of the genetic makeup of the average Malagasy, however, reflects an almost equal blend of Austronesian and Bantu influences, especially in coastal regions.[2] Other populations often intermixed with the existent population to a more limited degree or have sought to preserve a separate community from the majority Malagasy.

By the European Middle Ages, over a dozen predominant ethnic identities had emerged on the island, typified by rule under a local chieftain. Among some communities, such as the Sakalava, Merina and Betsimisaraka, leaders seized the opportunity to unite these disparate communities and establish true kingdoms under their rule. These kingdoms increased their wealth and power through exchanges with European, Arab and other seafaring traders, whether they were legitimate vessels or pirates. Between the 16th and 18th centuries, pirate activity in the coastal areas of Madagascar was common and the celebrated free pirate colony of Libertatia was established on Île Sainte-Marie, originally populated by local Malagasy. The Sakalava and Merina kingdoms in particular exploited European trade to strengthen the power of their kingdoms, trading Malagasy slaves in exchange for European firearms and other goods. Throughout this time, European and Arab seafarers operating in the Indian Ocean traded with coastal communities, and Europeans made several unsuccessful attempts to claim and colonize the island. Beginning in the early 19th century, the British and French colonial empires competed for influence in Madagascar.

By the turn of the 19th century, King Andrianampoinimerina had reunited the highly populous Kingdom of Imerina, located in the central highlands with its capital at Antananarivo. His son, Radama I, began to exert its authority over the island's other polities and was the first Malagasy sovereign to be recognized by a foreign power as the ruler of the greater Merina Kingdom. Over the 19th century, a series of Merina monarchs engaged in the process of modernization through close diplomatic ties to Britain that led to the establishment of European-style schools, government institutions and infrastructure. Christianity, introduced by members of the London Missionary Society, was made the state religion under Queen Ranavalona II and her prime minister, highly influential statesman Rainilaiarivony. Political wrangling between Britain and France in the 1880s saw Britain recognize France's claim to authority on the island, leading in 1890 to the Malagasy Protectorate, which was unrecognized by the government of Madagascar. The French launched |two military campaigns known as the Franco-Hova Wars to force submission, finally capturing the capital in September 1895. This sparked the widespread Menalamba rebellion against French rule that was crushed in 1897; the monarchy was held responsible and dissolved, and the queen and her entourage exiled to Reunion and later Algeria, where she died in 1917. Following conquest, the French abolished Slavery in 1896 and approximately 500,000 slaves were freed.[3]

In French Madagascar, Malagasy were required to fulfill corvée labor on French-run plantations, which generated high revenues for the colonial administration. Opportunities for Malagasy to access education or skilled positions within the colonial structure were limited, although some basic services like schools and clinics were extended to coastal areas for the first time. The capital city was largely transformed and modernized, and the royal palaces were transformed into a school and later a museum. Although Malagasy were initially prevented from forming political parties, several militant nationalist secret societies emerged, of which the most prominent was Vy Vato Sakelika, founded by Ny Avana Ramanantoanina.

Many Malagasy were conscripted to fight for France in World Wars I and II, and during the latter Madagascar came under Vichy control before being captured and held by the British in the Battle of Madagascar. At the Brazzaville Conference of 1944, Charles de Gaulle gave colonies the status of overseas territory and the right to representatives in the French National Assembly; when a bill proposed by Malagasy delegates of the Mouvement démocratique de la rénovation malgache for Madagascar's independence was not passed, militant nationalists led an unsuccessful Malagasy Uprising (1947-1948), during which the French military committed atrocities that deeply scarred the population. The country gained full independence from France in 1960 in the wake of decolonization.

Under the leadership of President Philibert Tsiranana, Madagascar's First Republic (1960–1972) was established as a democratic system modeled on that of France. This period was characterized by continued economic and cultural dependence upon France, provoking resentment and sparking the rotaka, popular movements among farmers and students that ultimately ushered in the socialist Democratic Republic of Madagascar under Admiral Didier Ratsiraka (1975–1992) distinguished by economic isolationism and political alliances with pro-Soviet states. As Madagascar's economy quickly unraveled, standards of living declined dramatically and growing social unrest was increasingly met with violent repression on the part of the Ratsiraka government. By 1992, free and fair multiparty elections were held, ushering in the democratic Third Republic (1992–2009). Under the new constitution, the Malagasy public elected successive presidents Albert Zafy, Didier Ratsiraka, and Marc Ravalomanana. This latter was ousted in the 2009 Malagasy political crisis by a popular movement under the leadership of Andry Rajoelina, then-mayor of Antananarivo, in what was widely characterised as a coup d'état. Rajoelina ushered in the Malagasy constitutional referendum, 2010 and ruled Madagascar as president of the High Transitional Authority without recognition from the international community. Elections were held on December 20, 2013 to elect a new president and return the country to constitutional governance.

 It is one of the poorest countries of the world and most things are transported by small boats using the free wind. Here in Hell-Ville there are hundreds of these boats and they arrive early morning and leave early afternoon. They are all leaking, but to me they are very graceful to watch, although they are slow.

 Hell-Ville is an OK town and the shopping is goof, in fact I find it better than in Mayotte.

The main transportation are these yellow Tok-Tok, which cost 500 Ar (€ 0.13) per person for a trip in town. Very unsafe, noisy, but efficient, although like everything here the drivers are corrupt and one need to negotiate all the time to agree on a fare.

 A bit from the Colonial time, is still left. Apart from their own language, French is widely spoken, but not English.

 Sunset over Hell-Ville.

 As New Dawn was rather dirty, I got a boat boy, Jimmy, to clean the water line.

 This is how most live and the streets are almost none existing.

 My crew managed to hole the Genoa with the spreader and I had it repaired at the only sail maker in the area. Not sure if it has been done well.

 It seems noone has washing machines and the laundry are done manually.

 This is the shower for the surrounding houses. All you do is to take a bucket of water into the shower and you are set for a wash.

 This is the street to get from the sail maker back to town. A very steep and dangerous walk.

 Voila my Genoa is loaded in the car.

 And off we drive back to the port to install the sail.

  Just have a look at this overloaded ferry; imagine it capsizing.

 The fruit and vegetable market is very good and loads of flies everywhere.

 But I would not buy any of this meat.

 Mud Crabs.

 Dried fish.

 Fresh fish.

 Huge Gambas.

 Another nice sunset over Hell-Ville.

 They are loading fresh water on to this boat and the chap is bailing the bilge for water which seems to enter with the speed of the others loading the boat.

 I bought two large bunches of vanilla.