Pineapple Wars!?!

So working in the galley...

The galley is a crazy place to work for example we like to serve lots of fresh fruit! Last week we received a huge shipment of pineapples in and wanted to serve them for dinner, but when we serve fruit we want to have enough for everyone on the ship. This means that large amounts of pineapple, papaya, banana, soursop, watermelon and passion fruit must be set out. Otherwise the people who come early to dinner get all the fruit and the late comers don't get any, which isn't fair.

Back to the pineapple, we had just gotten a large shipment of pineapple in and needed it cut for dinner. Will and Nash both work cold side with me, and we started cutting pineapple. Soon Nash began struggling, the pineapple was not cooperating for him at all and it was stressing him out. A couple minutes later he launches into a story about how he shouldn't have to cut pineapple after what he had to endure in the Pineapple War of '08. Will and I curious as what had actually happened and a tad bemused began to question him. Nash said that the pineapples led a revolution and took him captive as an example for the rest of his state. When we asked more about this war, Nash responded that he was to traumatized to speak more about it. He also thought this was good enough reason to be exempt from cutting pineapple. Sadly this tale did nothing to sway the decision that he had to cut pineapple, instead it became mandatory counselling so he could over come this tragic experience. By the end day he had "defeated" his fears and was on the road to recovery.

The galley can be a very stressful place to work, because strangely people want to eat dinner every night and on time. On a typical day we are 10 steps behind rushing to get everything done, but some days we are 30 steps behind scrambling to get things done. Somehow not matter if our shipment arrived  2 hours late, the salad didn't turn out, we ran out of mozzarella cheese for the pizzas, or the ovens don't work we manage to get the meal out. So moments like the one above break up the day but working in the galley is a very rewarding job.

Where the Adventurous Heart Leads!

 I have spent way to much time on ship in the past little while. Yes, I have been off ship in the evenings but I wanted the chance to explore Tamatave. I wanted an adventure! On Friday night, I was chatting with some friends and we were trying to figure out what to do the next day. We all agreed that we wanted to do something adventurous. The plan was to meet at 8:30 in the dining room after we had eaten breakfast. The next morning 8:30 rolls around and only half of our group is together keep in mind that this is Africa, so we run on laid back schedule. Before we could even leave Nash and Will bailed on the trip as they were sick. By the time we left it was 9 o'clock we walked to the port gate and grapped a tuk-tuk to the Pangalanes Canals Pier.

We wanted to take a boat downstream for a couple hours, spend the day in a local village, and catch a boat back to Tamatave. Pedro and Eunice practiced there French skills with the locals bargaining for our boat. We soon learned that there would be no returning boat later in the afternoon, but we could possibly walk back if we wanted. After talking it over we decided to travel two hours down the canal to what they called an oasis and would figure out a way home later. 

Eunice, Shanna, and I. Shanna just happens to be hairdresser onboard and is from Chilliwack! What are the chances, that would not only end up in the same cabin but as bunkies! 

Since we had some time to kill before the boat would leave, decided to go to the local market. 

The meat in the markets is disgusting, surrounded by flies and sitting in the hot Malagasy sun!

Eunice was hungry so tried some Malagasy noodles and soup, it was delicious.

The local kids were fascinated with us, we took pictures and then would show them and they loved it. However, when Pedro tried to talk to the kids they were scared because they are told that if they don't go to the sleep the "vazaha" or white man will come and take them. When Pedro even looks in the direction of the young children they will start crying. 

Off we go! Loading the boat, the engine of course didn't work right away so we just floated down the river for awhile. Every time they would get the engine running it would just stall again, after 10 mins of working on the engine we were finally off. No, this does not mean we were moving fast at all, but we were moving. 

Two hours later, we arrived in the village of Tapaklia. 

We wanted to make sure that we had a way home, so we chatted with some of the locals. They told us that there would be no boats coming until Sunday morning, and drew a map of the path we could take  walking back.

If you look closely at this picture, on the right hand side of the page you might see a cluster of white right above the ocean that is the Tamatave Port.

We spent an hour enjoying the ocean it was amazing after the trip down the canal it was super refreshing. We just started walking down the beach with no real plan in mind except to head towards the ship. We walked down the beach for two hours it was amazing we don't really know how far we walked, but we think at least 12 kms. 

When we reached the outskirts of Tamatave we grabbed a pousse-pousse and headed towards the boat. 

This wasn't one of our pousse-pousses that we were taking back, but it was just sitting along the side of the road.

On the ride back to the port Eunice fell asleep she managed to get out of the pousse-pousse before falling back asleep, while we waited for Shanna and Pedro.

We are home!

I am so glad that I got off the ship and went on this adventure!

Spreading the Love

The Africa Mercy can be pretty daunting as you don't your security net from back home. The chaplaincy department has been motivating us to spread the love to one another. 

After work today, I came back to my cabin to find that I had received a note from someone tacked to my door! 

Coming back after work to find this note is a great way to end a long day. I know need to find someone to return the love too!

Rainy Season

Beautiful Malagasy Sunset!

We are now in the raining season. Everyday it seems to rain, and every couple days we are graced with a thunderstorm. With raining season comes cyclones the past couple of days we have been on alert. We have been experiencing some rough water lately as we are getting the tail end of the storms!  I notice the ship moving more than usual, typically I don't notice at all. Over the weekend we experienced some rough weather and had to replace the mooring lines. The ship was moving so much  from the aftershocks of the storm passing by that we tore the mooring lines. On Saturday morning, the deck department replaced the mooring lines.

Patients waiting to come onboard! 

Some galley fun: 

One of the day crew is super talented and makes us all sorts of creative things out of the produce in the fridge.

Bittersweet Half Way

Today is a very bittersweet day, as I am half way through my time here. I've been here 7.5 weeks and I have 7.5 more weeks. I can't believe that I have been away this long. This floating ship has become my home now. The thought of half my service being done is very bittersweet.

I have met so many amazing people, and made some great friends. Basically, I've made my own family onboard and the thought of leaving them behind is so sad. If you don't live the life that we do it is hard to relate too. I miss my family of course, as well as my friends who have already returned home! I look forward to seeing my family again, but not making all the goodbyes to my Mercy Ship family. However, I still have 7.5 weeks to explore Madagascar, visit patients, spend time with friends, and make some killer salads before I must return home.

Meet some of my friends!

 

Some of my friends or Mercy Ship family! We take pictures very seriously! :)

Foulpointe

Finally, I have actually made it to Foulpointe! It was amazing, palm trees, crystal clear water, and amazing beaches what could be better. I went to Foulpointe with 7 other girls, we also had a guide along who answered our questions and explained the sights along the way. We piled into a Mercy Ships vehicle with one seat to spare, we left at 0700 and arrived at 0900. It is only a 45 km drive to Foulpointe but the roads wind, sometimes it seems like the potholes will swallow you up. The drive wasn't the comfortable drives I have ever taken, I think I will just call it an adventure! 

We stopped at this beach along the way. We can't swim there because of the undertow and the rocks lining the shore. 

When we left the port it was raining and it seemed to rain sporadically throughout the day, however, the morning got it the brute. That is why there is such dark clouds overhead. While at Foilpointe, there were times where it was raining and super sunny at the same time. It was perfect because it would cool you off from the Malagasy heat. 

This is a Malagasy Tomb sight, I know that you can't see as it's hidden in the trees. Each family has it's own tomb and after 5-10 years of a person passing away they dig up the bones. Once, they have dug up the bones they have a party for the dead so they can reunite with there family. 

A rice patty along the way! 

We had to stop so the zebu could cross the bridge. Zebu is like a type of ox but it can be male or female. I have eaten zebu from one of the street vendors and it is super delicious! I highly recommend it, if you ever get the chance to try it!

Beach Time! 

The water is super warm and clear. The current is pretty strong so when you try swim against it you don't get far. 

I took this picture before I managed to sunburn myself! I look like a lobster now, but I am not the only one on the ship who looks like this so I don't feel so bad! 

 

There are many vendors on the beach, trying to sell you a coconut to a necklace to a massage.

Wanna come relax on the beach? 

The view from our bungalow porch.

 

Banyan trees the roots grow from the top of the tree down into the ground.

This fence was once a raft. The Malagasy people floated down the rivers with there goods to Tamatave once they arrived they turned the raft into a fence. Reusing at it's finest! You see a lot of these fences around I don't know if everyone of these fences was once a raft, but from what I understand most were.

The Foulpointe trip was awesome it was nice to get off the ship for a few hours, work on my tan or burn in my case! I hope you had a just as great weekend as I did!