Nosy Mitsio, Madagascar.

August 04, 2018

Sailed back up north to Nosy Mitsio, as I hope friends will come here to rest from their trip from Seycelles and Reunion.

Since arriving in Nosy Be, Madagascar we have been to Hell-Ville, Russian Bay, Honey River, Sakatia, Crater Bay and now in Mitsio. Apart from Hell-Ville and Crater Bay, all the small villages are poor and people miss the most basic things. They are generally friendly and many will sell or trade things, like fish, eggs, bananas, vegetables, “Langustes”, honey, etc.. The prices are generally low, but one has to bargain to get to the right price. For the bunch of bananas we paid € 2.60 for them all (see photos). Often I am asked if I have pants, shirts, medicine to give them, and generally I ask them to come with items we need and I will trade some t-shirts, medicine, etc..

Here in Mitsio, as well as many other places we have been to, they don’t have electricity, running water, sanitary facilities and furniture they sit or lay on the ground). The men are looking after some cows and others are out fishing most of the day. This morning we bought a large “Langustin” well over a kg (see photos) and I paid MA 20.000 (€ 5) and I ordered bananas, so we shall see if they will come back today. But for the first time this village is begging for everything. One chap wanted to sell us one egg and another woman asked for a gift for the photo I took of her.

I still have a a lot of the items I bought in Panama City to trade with, but often they don’t really come with anything worth trading with and I find it problematic, just to hand things out free, as I would be swamped with other people wanting the same treatment. S/Y Alba did that mistake and people flocked them and they all started to fight between them to grab anything. Others ask to get rum, beer, cigarettes, etc. And some try to get it for free. There are no shops hare and they would have to sail to Hell-Ville to buy anything and that would be at least a days sail each way. It is amazing to see that most of these villages don’t seem to grow anything and we hardly have seen any fruits and vegetables.