Madagascar Response to Comments

It's Just Easier this way...

Catharine
So wait a minute. Matt's login is 'Matt in the Hat' and yours is 'Cat in the Hat'? Married people make me puke.

On the jewelry front um ya well the thing is the street jewelry in third world countries is crap. I mean really not very nice or particularly interesting. I picked you up some crap so you can see for yourself but just to forewarn you. Madagascar does have an exceptional array of rare minerals and gemstones that can be made into jewelry but Matt in the Hat can buy you that.

What up? No congratulations for finishing the book? No 'I hope you liked it' or that sort of thing? Don't tell me you have some kind of life outside of following my blog! Preposterous!

Matt
I see you changed your name back to just Matt Gerhard. Well don't think I didn't notice. Good point on the tent video not emphasising the beard. Don't worry though the beard is prevalent in many a photo. As of writing it is 79 days old. A full 12 days older than the 2007 beard at it's longest point and pushing for 90 which I think deserves a celebration. Shaving to facilitate diving clearly was not an option.

Also with regards to your pousse-pousse business I think you may be onto something as it would be a novelty in Cambridge, ON. Watch out for the downhill bits though. Tip: You might not want to wear flip-flops while doing it. Some times it works and other times- well if you've seen someone streaking downhill, trip over their flip flops, do a face plant and take their pousse-pousse up the ass, well, you don't want to see it again that's for sure.

Friedy/Billsy
Thanks for all the comments. Keep em coming.

As for tent setup it really is quicker with one person especially when the other person doesn't know the tent and doesn't speak your language. However point taken. But it really is hard to tell a well meaning priogue pilot who thinks he's being nice and helping to "fuck off I'm taking a time lapse of the first time in years that I've sent up this tent." I still think it works well as a video. I'm down to sub 7 mins by the way and that is at a standard pace. If I really rushed it I think I could crack 5.

Regarding what I like to call the "prostitute paradox" If you think a girl is a prostitute and ask her if she is if she says yes then you're not interested because she's a prostitute and if she says no then she's not interested because she's insulted that you thought she was a sleazy prostitute. But if you just assume she is a prostitute and stay away from her you get the same amount of action (ie none). But if you assume she isn't a prostitute you could be in for a big surprise when she either asks you for money after the fact or she doesn't even bother and she just waits til you're asleep and steals all your money. It's sort of like the risk reward tradeoff in finance.

Sean
As my sole "follower" I would have thought you'd be down with some comments man!

Sandberg
You stole my thunder a bit on the Chuck Norris Shirt. See next blog where it features prevelantly. Also I read a newspaper from London a few weeks back noting the doom and gloom in the economy and then I put the paper down and went to watch the sunset over a mountain and instantly forgot about it.

Al
Yes it is the same mask that I purchased for the outrageous sum of CAD 125 in 1995 when we were in Tobermorey doing our Advanced Open Water. Oh wait, you didn't write any comments. Nevermind then.

Others
Hope you are passively enjoying the stories from Mada. I'm nearly 3 weeks behind but I've come to the north where it's not only ridiculously hot but also humid so i can see taking some afternoon refuge by the computer to get up to date and start organizing the next leg of the voyage.