From Ambositra we continued along the RN7 towards Ambalavao, stopping at Camp Robin to visit the traditonal Betsileo market, then diverting off to stay at Ranamafana National Park. The road to Ambalavao drops steeply with magnificant views across the landscape. Ambalavao has a large cattle market. After market the herdsmen take about a month to walk the zebu to Tana, we passed herds of zebu along the road with their “zebu passports” - yellow ear tags which give the owner the right to take his cattle across regional boundaries. Ambalavao is famous for Antaimoro paper making made from the pulp of the Avaho tree and decorated with flowers. Close to Ambalavao we visited the Anja Reserve. Next we passed through the mountains and the “Varavarana Ny Atsimo” (Gateway to the south), the scenary changing to huge granite domes towering over grassy plains. We photographed the massive rock Bishop's Cap, a sacred place for local people where their ancestors preferred to make a collective suicide rather than surrender to the Merina tribes. After our stay at Ranohira and the Isalo National Park we continued the journey across the Horombe Plateau through the endless landscape of long yellow grass until we reached the “wild west” town of Ilakaka. Once a small rural village it has grown into a town with a population of around 60,000, due to the discovery of sapphires in the area. The town spreads along the highway with shacks and gemstone shops and the Ilakaka river was a hive of activity with people panning for sapphires and all forms of washing, bodies, clothing, cars etc. Continuing across the savanna we passed a few baobab trees, small settlements and the large painted tombs of Andranovory before reaching the coastal town of Toliara, the end of the RN7 and 1,000 kms from Tana.
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