Technical problems…Have had difficulty uploading anything to the blog, seems either the version of the app or the Internet reliability here not good. Finally uploading one, will try and upload more in the later days. Heading into the national Park today with that will be no Wi-Fi at all.
Following are the official summaries of the cycling so far…

Day 2 – Antananarivo – Antsirabe Today we transfer four hours to Antsirabe, 170 km south of Antananarivo, and on the way stop to visit an aluminium pot making factory in Ambatolampy. The drive takes us along a gravel road in the highlands past rice paddies and fruit plantations, with smiling and friendly locals on bikes waving to us. Due to its geographical setting Antsirabe and nearby thermal springs, at 1,370m/4,500 ft above sea level, has been a popular retreat since the late 1800s. Upon arrival in Antsirabe we’ll meet our bikes and go for a short ride at a leisurely pace with a variety of road conditions ranging from tarmac to back roads along with some climbs and descents before we truly start exploring wild Madagascar. Chambres du Voyageur. Ride 10 to 20 km. B L D

Day 3 – Antsirabe Loop We spend the day exploring the region around Antsirabe with the highlight being the crater lakes of Andraikiba and Tritriva. Riding on paved and dirt roads with gentle undulations we explore the first caldera located just 7 km west of the city. This former centre of water sports activities is believed to be haunted by a pregnant woman after she drowned herself many years back, and legend has it that she rests on a rock by the lakeside! We then continue by climbing through terraced rice paddies and on a single track trail to Lake Tritriva, a glassy, 160-m deep body of water borderd by lush greenery. Nestled at an altitude of 1880 m at the top of the towering Mount Tritriva, which the lake gets its name from, the lake has an interesting and even strange character as the water drops during the monsoon season yet overflows during the dry months. This caldera is also teeming with myths and legends with the most prominent one being a love story about a couple named Rabbinically and Ravolahanta, who jumped off the cliff into the lake and drowned themselves so they could be together forever. We have a pic-nic lunch by this spectacular yet mysterious place before hopping onto the bikes and enjoying a long downhill back to our accommodation. Chambres du Voyageur. Ride 54 km/Ascend 569 m. B L D

Day 4 – Antsirabe – Ambositra After breakfast we cycle south on a hilly road to Ambositra in central Madagascar. Although today’s ride is one of the longest of the journey, 95 km, the all-paved road makes the trip extremely pleasant as we pass many rice terraced paddies that are grown and harvested up to three times a year. Ambositra is home to the Zafimaniry, an ethnic people who live in the forested mountains southeast of the city and are famous for their wood carvings, which are listed as one of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage. We visit a Zafimaniry carpenter who will impress us firsthand with his carving skills that have been handed down for generations. Artisan Hotel. Ride 95 km/Ascend 819 m. B L D