Day Two: our first chameleon
We had a slow yet early day. We left the hotel at 4:45 only to discover that our flight was at 11:45, not 7 am. A 8:30 walk brought us among children on their way to school. One lad, about 10 or 12, took a particular shine. He made his two companions walk at our pace, and after we stepped aside to let him and his two pals pass, he stared and smiled. He kept turning around and showed disappointment when Anita and I turned around.
Breakfast was a plate of patate frites, followed by a second one. They were fresh and delicious, and the only choice since I couldn’t have any of the other options.
Landing in Diego Suares was bliss. Hot and windy with that particular Coastal Africa smell. Our driver was waiting for us, introduced himself as Dan and said he doesn’t speak English. Out came our high school French. We understood about a quarter of what we said to each other.
The drive to the lodge was bumpy, following the edge of a lagoon. We stopped to admire the view and again at the Diego baobabs. We stopped at a grove of Diego Baobab. They are shorter than the West Coast ones, with bigger branches. Next it was a greyish chameleon on the branch of a young tamarind tree. We spent about five minutes admiring it. The next chameleon was green, walking on the ground, followed by by another green one strolling across the road.
Our lodge is a collection of thatched cottages set in a garden. There’s a constant rustle of wind in the trees. There’s a kidney shaped swimming pool on the edge of the compound. It’s wonderful. We shared the pool with small blue birds that swooped in for either a drink or a wash. It was hard to tell which. Regardless, they seemed to enjoy it.
The sugar loaf in the lagoon by Diego Suarez is similar to that in Rio de Janiero, Brazil, though not as imposing.
Our first chameleon, doing a good job of blending in.
Diego Baobabs.
Sunset at the Lakana Ramena, our hotel for the night.
Juliette Knits 