Two days and counting to leave Madagascar…One more day from there to Marloth Park…

No words can express how anxious we are to return to South Africa. We leave Madagascar on Monday and arrive in Johannesburg late afternoon, too late to catch a flight to Mpumalanga/Kruger/Nelspruit Airport (MQP) that day. As mentioned, we’ll spend Monday night in Joburg and then fly out on Airlink the next day, Tuesday, arriving around noon.

From there, we’ll be excited to get on the road back to Marloth Park, with plenty of daylight ahead of us for the drive. Just knowing that we’ll soon be back in our holiday home, sitting on the veranda and watching the wildlife come and go, is getting us through these final days.

These last few days here are like pulling teeth. We’re doing our best to remain positive and make the most of our time, but we’re definitely ready to leave. Somehow, our daily routine is getting us through each day, and we’re staying relatively upbeat and optimistic. We get up, have coffee, spend time in the room, listen to podcasts, work on the post, have dinner, and settle in for the evening. It’s not an exciting routine, but it works.

You’d think dinners here would be a welcome relief from the quiet days, but that hasn’t been the case. With the limited menu options for my way of eating and Tom’s taste issues, finding suitable meals has been tricky.

On Thursday night, we decided to try the hotel restaurant on the second floor. Unfortunately, it was sorely disappointing. After waiting 40 minutes after we ordered, Tom was served the wrong item and had to send it back for the correct order. My supposed tenderloin steak arrived well done, even though I ordered it rare, and it was very thin and chewy. I sent that back as well. It still came back thin and chewy but was definitely rare.

Adding to the frustration, we were the only patrons in the entire restaurant. After another long wait, we were finally served almost an hour after we sat down. Needless to say, we decided we would stick with the restaurant on the ninth floor from that point forward.

The restaurant on the ninth floor of the Delta Hotels by Marriott Antananarivo building is La Canopée Restaurant. We’ve found a particular server there, Ari, who provides excellent service. We waited for her and asked her to explain the menu, which is written entirely in French on a chalkboard, as shown in the included photo.

Although I can understand a fair amount of French, there were plenty of words in the descriptions I didn’t know. Ari patiently walked us through the entire menu. Unfortunately, she explained that they were out of the steak I’d enjoyed on Wednesday. My only option was the lamb shank, which turned out to be a very small portion, with about half of it consisting of slimy fat.

I ordered three eggs with it, but after not eating all day, I was still hungry. I eventually ordered a small cheese plate. I’m still avoiding vegetables while we’re here.

The good news is that Ari told me they’ll have the steak available again tonight. Again, Tom had the chicken penne pasta with red sauce, without the chorizo sausage. He’ll most likely order that same dish tonight and again on Sunday. Then, finally, we’ll be in Johannesburg enjoying the hearty South African buffet at the City Lodge Hotel at the airport.

I’m looking forward to a filling meal!

Then, of course, on Tuesday night we’ll be back in Marloth Park for dinner and Quiz Night at Giraffe Pub and Grill. Tom loves the pizza, and I enjoy the grilled chicken salad. It appears our friends Kathy and Don will join us for dinner and Quiz Night, which makes our return even more exciting.

My traveler’s intestinal issue is finally resolving, and when I put my tight jeans on this morning, I noticed they weren’t nearly as tight as usual. I must have lost about 2.5 kilograms, although we didn’t have a scale this time to know for certain.

We’ve also been streaming a fun Netflix series on the smart TV after dinner each of the past two nights. It’s called The Secret Millionaire and has been quite entertaining if you enjoy reality shows. It’s another little way we’ve managed to fill these long, quiet evenings.

That’s it for today, dear readers. The countdown is definitely on now. Soon we’ll be back in South Africa, back in Marloth Park, and back to the life we like so much.

Thanks for all the love and support we’ve received during this painstaking trip to Madagascar. We truly appreciate each of you and your kind, thoughtful comments.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, September 12, 2016: