7 September Russian Bay

13.32.18S 47.59.83E 10m sand

From Crater Bay on Nosy Be we headed south across the big bay passing humpback whales on the way to a very large, protected bay called Russian Bay. Although the bay is big most yachts anchor just inside on the west side of the entrance off the beach from Andreas place. 

Adreas, an Austrian man, came here many years ago after walking from the east to the west coast of Madagascar. He came. He saw. He liked what he saw, married the daughter of the first local man he met, split from her soon after, met her sister and started a family and a restaurant. His beers are the coldest beers we've enjoyed and at sundown time a small family of black lemurs visit. They are partially domesticated in that they sit on your shoulder if you're feeding then bananas.

After the lemurs had left for the evening Andreas and his lady prepared a feast for us – what is on the menu is what is available that day. For us it was fried fish and one of his chickens in sauce, rice, beans and papaya salad. After dinner he offered a small glass of rhum arranger, a local tradition of steeping fruit in rum. I choose the orange, but could have had coffee, lemon or ginger. The orange was good, good enough for us to buy a litre for £2.50, pour it in an empty Cointreau bottle and imagine it's the real thing, just a lot stronger.

It is so peaceful in Russian bay that we stayed for five days. On one of them we went for a walk starting behind Andreas' house and climbing up to a ridge where we could see both into the bay and out to sea. Someone had made a seat in the shade of a tree which was a nice place to stop and watch a humming bird scouting for nectar.

Back at sea level it was low water and we were able to walk along the beach towards the headland and out on to the sand spit. The tide was starting to come in and when it does the water level rises quickly. Time to pick up shoes and return to the beach.

view from hilltop

Andreas' beach