We have been in Madagascar for about two and a half weeks, a period of time dangerous enough for me to start to think I am getting a little bit of a sense of place. We have traveled all over, in the central highlands, to the western coast, hiked in the northeast and ate ourselves silly on the northwest coast. All as been sublime, exceeding my already high expectations.
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| Diego Bay, North |
It has taken me awhile to get a sense of why this island is so interesting, and I keep returning to an idea I briefly touched on in our introduction to the island, the melding of African, Asian and French influences. These cultures are mixed here to degree that I have not really seen in any other place that i have visited. The isolation of the island must be the primary driver of this deep mixing, the autonomy of a place that is outside of the dominant cultural trends of this modern era.
By my count, there are three major pillars by which you most strongly see the cultures mixing here.
Food
It all starts with the food, which has been superb from the streets to the classiest restaurants. Street food is a prime example, with beignets (France), exotic fruit (Africa), spring rolls (Asia), baguettes (France), fried bananas (Africa) and clear noodle soup (Asia) all on offer. To these outside influences, the Malagasy people have brought the abundant and delicious seafood that is off its shores, which is an enhancement on the originals as far as i am concerned.
The cross currents of multiple cultures is evident in rural villages, as well, with rice being so critical to nearly everyones diet on the island. This is more asian than african, as most parts of east and southern Africa tend towards a maize based staple over rice, ugali in Swahili. However, the preparations of the proteins borrows more from Africa, with simple treatment over heat as opposed to the more elaborate and spiced dishes you would see in most Asian and French cooking.
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| Rice and bean as staples @ market in Marofandilia, Central West |
With all of these delicious cultures coming together, on an island where agriculture does not appear to be prohibitive and the local veg and fruits have been abundant throughout, eating here is certainly a treat. I am actually surprised that there is not a network of Malagasy restaurants back home, as the flavors and natural fusion would appear ready made for the modern urban Western landscape.
Place
We have spent a fair bit of time traversing various parts of Mada, on bikes, in taxi brousses, in cars; and the visual impression of the country has taken a fair bit of time to come into focus. On the first day we were here, on the drive into the capital, Antananarivo, from its airport, I was astounded by the myriad rice fields fanning out from the elevated road. Were we in Thailand, or Vietnam? Not quite, but it sure felt like it. With rice being so dominant in the palate of the country, there are uncountable fields throughout the country and I am always transported just a little to South East Asia when we pass them.
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| Rice fields, Central Highlands` |
One way that the country feels African comes from it national parks. These preserve forest and other threatened ecosystems, and just as in Africa the contrast between the protected and not protected areas is stark. In many mainland african countries, the megafauna exists only in numbers within park borders, because the economic incentives for hunting are so strong outside the park. But, there is a lot of poaching that takes place within park borders, as we saw with the deeply troubling scarred rhino carcass in Matobos National Park, Zimbabwe. Here, in the Marojejy National Park, the highly endangered silky Sifika only lives within park borders, as human pressure has driven it near extinction outside the park.
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| Views into Marojey National Park from village, Northeast |
Admittedly, the French colonial influence is less prevalent with regard to place. However, in urban areas the colonial past is still felt. This is especially true in the remnants of the State, government buildings tend to be carryovers from colonization, with Madagascar achieving independence in 1960. Other examples are the high ceilings, the porticos which are even included on fancier huts in many villages and the thick walls of many buildings. Interestingly, the French had a heavier hand in their colonies than other European countries. The french sought to create little pockets of france throughout the globe, while the Brits tended to interact with exiting elites, collect their tribute and let those elites continue to run the colony. For example, several past or current leaders of previous french colonies in Africa served in the parliament back in France. Different models, with various strengths and weaknesses (beside the obvious overall weakness of colonization as a model). The consequence for place has been a longer legacy in previous French colonies, which carries forward to today.
People
Lastly, it is fascinating to look at the mass of humanity we see in larger cities, and realize the broad cross section that is on display. Some faces look distinctly Asian, and would not be out of place in Beijiing. Others look decidedly African, and would not be out of place in a Harare or Nairobi market. On a related note, it has been fascinating to see the social distancing that takes place between Malagasy people and Africa, which they always refer to as a place apart from their homeland. This has been a big contrast to how I would have identified the country before arriving, from a distance of thousands of miles. Then, there is the french influence, mostly French men with Malagasy woman (sexual tourism is a real problem on the island). To a limited degree, the melting pot effect is similar to the United States, on a smaller scale. Not only are there African, Asian, Caucasion roots, but there are also many individuals of Indian and Arabic descent. Just as the U.S. is the better for the melting pot, Madagascar has an abundance of good looking people that bring together multiple cultures in their blood.
Obviously, Malagasy culture is more that the sum of the French, Asian and African influences. There is an enduring character that goes well beyond those, albeit significant, inputs. I bet it would take months upon months to get a handle on all the various culture cross currents at play here. Sadly, I only have another week, but I will keep at it and am sure that there will be some surprises along the way.
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| Three Bays Hike, North |
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