Another Day in Paradise

Kati Hiking Around Tsarabanjina

October 13 -- We've fallen into a routine now.  It's an easy life, punctuated by the arrival and departure of the other guests.  The morning was for relaxation and sun.  We had originally planned to walk around the island in the morning, but we dropped all of our clothes off to be laundered when we arrived and hadn't gotten them back yet.  Especially with my illness, the luxury of laundry cannot be overstated, nor can my exuberance at returning around 11:00 to a stack of newly washed and pressed clothes.

After lunch, we set off around the island.  While there wasn't an easy "path," as we had been led to believe, it wasn't too difficult of a walk.  Most of the coastline is basalt, weathered by years of rising tides.  In total, it probably took us about an hour and a half to walk all the way around the island.  We saw tons of crabs (several different species), a Malagasy kingfisher snacking on a sardine, and a small population of very pretty dimorphic egrets.  Because we were walking not long before high tide, we also got to see some fantastic waves crashing up against the rocks in front of us.  We also decided that the south beach (our beach) was much better than the north beach.  After a few celebratory cocktails at the bar, we headed back to our bungalow to watch the sunset and get ready for dinner.

Crab on the Rocks

In the evening, we had a pleasant surprise.  Eric, the restaurant manager, had arranged for Kati and me to have a private dinner on one of the highest hills on the island.  They had decorated it with paper lanterns and candles, and it was incredible!  Beneath a star-filled sky, Kati and I toasted a Malagasy rose wine and dined on ham croquettes, eggplant and feta cannelloni, some phenomenal glazed duck, and a chocolate dessert that was to die for.  We capped the night with a glass of Amarula, which is advertised as "the drink of Africa," and is very similar to Bailey's.  It's really quite good.

Kati and Me at Dinner