Travels Gasy Style

July 27

I am back in Tulear for a brief visit. I found out a couple of days ago that our guy collecting data from the international octopus exporter quit his job. I jumped on the 4x4 going to Tulear today (luckily another project had arranged it) to get the data he’s been collecting (information on octopus catch by geographic zone). Dany, a master’s student at the local university, had agreed to meet me Sunday night to brief me on his work and pass along his data before he heads out early in the morning on a research vessel. He didn’t show up, call, or text. Perhaps I shouldn’t be surprised, but aside from being rude (we left Andavadoaka at 6 am to be here on time), it is unprofessional and unwise. He has been paid by BV for the data collection and he had hoped to get a scholarship for further study. Not a very good idea to abscond with the data (or stand me up)…

I have had good results in my interviews so far. At the end of the day, it all comes down to the strength of informal networks. There is a character here with a lot of power who has little personal incentive to share crucial information with me. But I met his cousin in Tana, we bonded during the ex-pat Sunday run. When I ran into him here, I said hello from his cousin, and all doors flew opened. I do not think I would have gotten the data I did from him if it weren’t for the crazy 9-mile trek I did 20 hours after getting off of a 39-hour flight.

Tulear means access to hot showers, red wine, The New York Times online, and good food. Amazing what a month’s fast can do for my appetite and other epicurean pleasures. Before leaving town tomorrow, we plan on going veggie shopping. I am going to use Georgi and Bic’s kitchen to cook a dinner. I miss cooking and especially eating crunchy things! All crunch comes from the cookies I buy at the local “supermarket” (and all flavor from the spices I add). I plan on buying kilos of carrots tomorrow to get my crunch fix. Even more than taste, I miss textured food. I think I could survive on bland food if it had texture. Maybe not, and I hope never to undertake that particular experiment.

Tomorrow we head back to Andavadoaka with Haj, my research assistant. Then on August 9th, Tom arrives in Madagascar! I am heading to Tana to meet him and to conduct some interviews there. Most of the time will be spent setting up the next project, hopefully getting Tom some funding, and exploring Tana. My plans to get to Tana the day Tom arrives could be foiled by many things: (1) no taxi brousse from Andavadoaka to Morombe (a town with an airport 2 hours north of the research station); (2) a broken zebu-drawn cart blocking the road or some such nonsense; (3) our taxi brousse breaks down along the way or decides to randomly stop at a village because the driver’s cousin lives there and is having a party; (4) no plane is in Morombe; (5) the plane that is promisingly in Morombe doesn’t leave for some unknown reason (this flight is cancelled over 50% of the time); (6) no connecting flight out of Morondave (unknown cancellation rate); (7) the unknown surprises in store… Tom and I have Plan A (miracle plan = everything works), Plan B (I arrive 2 days later = Probability of two flights cancelled=(.5*.5)=.25 so better odds!), and Plan C (I never make it to Tana at all). And I will just laugh the whole way no matter what happens.