24 September Baramahamay or Honey River

13.42.81S 47.54.03E 7m mud

In the onshore afternoon breeze we sailed the short distance from Nosy Iranja to Baramahamay river and then motored in past the village to a quiet spot behind a (low water visible) sand bar. We had hardly set the anchor when the first entrepeneur arrived with a supply of locally collected honey. It took an hour to negotiate honey for gifts with my limited French. The lady is called Copine and she knows what she wants. We began with a price tag of £5 for one and a half litres of golden honey which is collected wild bees in the forests, but when I offered a new bed sheet / tablecloth Copine was won over. I added a man's polo shirt, soap, glass jars, a replacement one and a half litre bottle and a plastic storage jar to seal the deal with both parties happy with their bargain.

local honey

Copine the honey seller

river banks

While I was haggling David was talking to young boys who had come to say hello. They went away with sweets and 30m of fishing line.

On our first night we were the only boat in the river. On the second day Ngalawa with George, Mairi and Angus aboard came in while we were off in the dinghy visiting the small communities on the river banks. Like us on the previous day, the pirogues were gathered behind Ngalawa before the engines were turned off. One of them was Copine and her honey. Having had a chance to taste her honey we were so impressed we bought a second bottle (and this time we gave her the cash).