What we've discovered about Madagascar

-The chickens have very long legs an roam freely everywhere including the road which is

probably why they need the long legs.
-The roads have more holes than road (maybe we could have guessed this one).
-Some lizards have no legs and look like baby snakes.
-All flights are delayed or changed in some way.
-Mojitos are extremely cheap $2 AU.
-Completed rice paddies are then used to make bricks.
-A Ring-tailed Lemur's tail always has 28 rings.
-The plants are more deadly than the animals.
-Chameleons are difficult to find, damn their camouflage ability.
-The minimum dowry is one zebu (typical market value 500,000 Ariary), plus extras for particularly desirable brides. One suspects Tracey would have demand an entire herd of zebu :)
-You may have more than one wife but you must spend equal time with each. Some husbands might say one wife is enough trouble, some wives might say sharing the burden of a husband would be good...of course we would not say this.
-When a villager dies they burn their house...too bad for the remaining family members...who also have to shave their heads.
-If you have any illness the cure is to drink a cup of blood from a live zebu before you sacrifice it...not so healthy for the zebu. None of us were tempted to try this with the various ailments we had.

-Apparently flying fox tastes good but white egret does not (we didn't try either, though we would certainly be happy to eat the fruit bat that kept us awake at Pondoro).
-You can fit 4 times as many people in any vehicle than would normally be recommended.
-Car jacks are unnecessary when you have a flat tyre, you just need a few villagers.
-Children start work at a very young age, tending rice paddies, laundry against the rocks, slaughtering a pig etc from the moment they can walk.
-Babies play anywhere, frequently found beside the road with no adult nearby.
-Whenever you see a Citroen/Peugot/Renault, reflect that in 40 years time it will still be going strong in Madagascar as a taxi.
-The remotest villages, hours from electricity, will always sell fruit and mobile phone credit.
-From what we have seen, it is likely more Madagascans die from accidents (particularly on roads) and illness (zebu blood not likely to help), than from old age.