Arrived for one night in order to do some banking, Louise and Lucie had to purchase train tickets as well as snacks for the train ride that they will be doing tomorrow. To reach the final destination it should take them a minimum of 10 hours but can take double that amount and sometimes triple. It will do 36 stops, halted for an hour to load the wagons at certain areas, and hoards of children (200-300) can surround you in hopes to sell you something regularly during the entire ride. After 5:00PM it becomes pitch black and so flashlights and headlights are a must. They have purchased snacks and things to drink for the trip.

Francois and I opted out of this "EXPERIENCE" even if the scenery is suppose to be extraordinary . We have done already too much road travel this year with over a month of long overnight bus rides in Peru, 6200 KM of driving in Chile, 4000 Km of driving in Namibia and a little over 2000Km in Madagascar and counting. We will leave with our driver and head to Manakara and this should take about five hours. The girls will eventually show up and Jose will pick them up.