On Madagascars east coast I travelled by sardine-packed passenger and cargo barge from Mahanoro to Nosy Varika along the Pangalanes canal a massive waterway stretching for over 654km (410 miles) most of it flowing parallel to the coast’s rough stormy sea.
Lush fertile vegetation of palms, swaying grasses, huge elephant palms and tall coconut palms line the banks. Grey battered pirogues slide through the milky coffee coloured water under white billowing clouds. Along the way occasional stripes of white sandy beaches are glimpsed, small clusters of thatched huts dot our way, excited kids play and swim in the warm water, women chat together lifting their heads to watch us pass whilst washing piles of clothes along the canal banks as the barge noisily motors along. We occasionally stopped to offload some cargo at remote villages, the vendors had heard us coming and were waiting for us they waded into the water out to the barge side some holding a coconut in one hand the other a machete, hands grasping large bunches of bananas aloft and homemade dishes of meat and fish hoisted noisily up to the waiting passengers hoping to sell their goods.
Around 18.30 as the sun sinks and darkness falls a man stands at the front of the barge with a large torch throwing out a beam of light as he swings the torch back and fourth over the waters surface searching for floating debris and sand banks, for fleeting moments it reveals eerily grey ghostly forms of trees hanging over the banks edge.
Theres a thin sliver of a moon tonight but a blanket of twinkling stars shine in the inky darkness. In the middle of the night we stop at a village to let some passengers off, half asleep they scramble over baggage, prostrate bodies and cargo and are immediately swallowed up by the darkness. At the waters edge waiting dark forms stand holding torches and wearing head lamps, when we stop they wade out to us thigh deep, some women with sleeping babies strapped to their backs, small pools of light forming around them revealing trays and plates of small assorted fried fish, some carry flasks of hot steaming coffee which is poured into small enamel cups and given to waiting outstretched passenger hands. For a short frantic time the sellers clamour to sell their oily snacks and drinks to the tired passengers and then we slip back into the darkness and resume our arduous journey.