NiteOwl
Pack Dog
- Joined
- Dec 31, 2012
- Messages
- 98
- Reaction score
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- Location
- Office Adventurer
- Bike
- Honda XRV 750 Africa Twin
Madagascar is often called the world’s oldest island. At some 1600 km in length and nearly 600 km across it is also the 4th largest and it has a population of some 22 million souls. Of these, 70% live below the poverty line of one dollar per day.
In December 2012 I rode to Ilha de Mocambique [check out https://wilddog.net.za/forum/index.php?topic=115033.0 ] not only to see that small island, but also to investigate the possibility of shipping some bikes across the 420 km wide stretch of the Mozambican channel to the western coast of Madagascar. What I found did not look seaworthy enough to go any further than across the bay to the port of Nacala.
So shipping is problematic, and airfreight is likely to be expensive and arduous. As you will see later on though, this place would be wonderful to tour on a bike, even if you have to do it using the small local scooters.
Despite being separated from the mainland, Madagascar is considered part of Africa. Its people, however, originate from Polynesia and Malaysia as well as Africa and until 1960 it was a French colony. During World War II it was occupied by the British and the current government has been in power since the coup de etat of 2009.
So much for the political landscape- but what about the physical landscape? After separating from Gondwanaland, Madagascar’s fauna and flora evolved undisturbed for nearly 200 million years until the arrival of the first human inhabitants only 2000 years ago. The result of this isolation was that nearly 80% of the species on the island are found nowhere else on earth.
So although the population is poor, the country is rich in natural bounty. Like this:
(Klein maar getrein)
… or that
Or these …
Although this trip entailed only one day of actual biking, come along and see what kind of natural paradise is only three hours away from our Gangster’s Paradise!
In December 2012 I rode to Ilha de Mocambique [check out https://wilddog.net.za/forum/index.php?topic=115033.0 ] not only to see that small island, but also to investigate the possibility of shipping some bikes across the 420 km wide stretch of the Mozambican channel to the western coast of Madagascar. What I found did not look seaworthy enough to go any further than across the bay to the port of Nacala.
So shipping is problematic, and airfreight is likely to be expensive and arduous. As you will see later on though, this place would be wonderful to tour on a bike, even if you have to do it using the small local scooters.
Despite being separated from the mainland, Madagascar is considered part of Africa. Its people, however, originate from Polynesia and Malaysia as well as Africa and until 1960 it was a French colony. During World War II it was occupied by the British and the current government has been in power since the coup de etat of 2009.
So much for the political landscape- but what about the physical landscape? After separating from Gondwanaland, Madagascar’s fauna and flora evolved undisturbed for nearly 200 million years until the arrival of the first human inhabitants only 2000 years ago. The result of this isolation was that nearly 80% of the species on the island are found nowhere else on earth.
So although the population is poor, the country is rich in natural bounty. Like this:
(Klein maar getrein)
… or that
Or these …
Although this trip entailed only one day of actual biking, come along and see what kind of natural paradise is only three hours away from our Gangster’s Paradise!
