The reality of the end of our adventure was slowly touching
each and every one of us. It was time for our camping trip. One group had gone
up North the week before and we were to go down South back to Tampolove. These camping
trips were designed so that we could finish Science Dives further down along
the coast, trips that were too far to do from Andava. We left early morning on
one of our dive boats and stopped at our first site – Kimboro. What a beautiful
dive site – shoals upon shoals of sweepers and soldierfish, a blue-spotted ray,
a moray eel, a male sling-jaw wrasse and countless amounts of fish. We finished
our fish belts with surprising speed and accuracy and then explored the reef
and took in the beauty. I cannot begin to tell you how much I love diving. The
swell was unbelievable and poor Sally was as white as a sheet from
sea-sickness. We then descended for our second dive, finished our data
collection, surfaced and then head back to Tampolove. We carried a portable
compressor to the compound where we hung our gear to dry and filled our
cylinders. We got to stay in actual cabins that night – but this small luxury
in those temperatures was unbearable with the cabin reaching 38°C
that evening. The next morning, we left for our final science dive of the
expedition at Bic’s Cave. This was a very flat, young reef with a great variety
of fish. This is where I joined the prestigious hydroid group – what an
achievement! Being stung by a hydroid feels a bit like a wasp sting – sharp and
itchy. After our 2 dives there, having explored the mini cave system, gone
through swim-through’s and collected our data, we made our way back to Andava.
Our next day we did recreational dives to Lost and Valley where all of us dived
together and went where we wanted in our
buddy pairs – here we found each and every elusive PIT stake that we struggled
to find on our science dives – Murphy always prevails. Dolphins swam with the boats on the way to the
dive sites, what a perfect diving day to end our expedition on.
Our final lunch was with the Women’s Association. The cooked
us a wonderful meal and sang for us – wishing us success and happiness on our
journey’s through life. Needless to say,
some of us – nay most of us shed a few tears knowing that this amazing
experience was coming to an end. Our final part night was quiet and relaxed
because nobody wanted to make the journey home with a hangover. It was a night
of exchanging photo’s and contact details. The next morning, we rose early and
packed our 4x4’s and head off for Toliara, back to civilisation – a freshwater
swimming pool and airconditioning. It was a quiet trip, most of us reflecting
on the past seven weeks. It was a two night stay in Toliara before Kim, Trevor,
Steve, Charlie and I flew to Antananarivo. Leaving Toliara was filled with love
and tears and promises. Kim and I buried our faces in our pillows and hugged
one another as we left our memories. The flight to Tana was largely uneventful.
We left Charlie, Steve and Trevor there and Kim and I made our way to
Johannesburg. We left each other at customs.
I was completely overwhelmed by
being back in the hustle and bustle of Johannesburg. People weren’t as friendly
and the crowds were overbearing. Life in Madagascar was far simpler. I cried, a
lot when I arrived home, unable to put into words what I had experienced and
what I had left behind. What can I possibly say about this trip that will
accurately convey what it really meant to me? The people I met and the
experiences I have had have all been completely life-changing and have added a
little something to the person I now know as Courtney. Thank you to the people
that had made this adventure and for all the love and memories – always special
and never forgotten.
Signing out – until the next big adventure!
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