Looking for friends from the Amporaha camp in Nosy Be

Just thinking I was there in 1972! It feels so strange! Stéphane NEFIOLOV

Hello, Since I was in Ivato in '71 and '72, we must have met! I also used to hang out at the CMAI and was part of the diving club. My dad was a pilot on Nord aircraft and helicopters too.

So, we definitely must know each other! Philippe

Hi Philippe, In any case, your dad must have known mine—he was a fighter pilot at Ivato in 1972. I was 12 at the time. We often went to the lake to play 421 and go waterskiing! And of course, Amporaha! Talk to Francis about it; he knows me well! It’s great to meet people who remember all that! Malagasy greetings, Stéphane P.S.: You can check out my website: www.stephane-nefiolov.com, where the first photo in the "photos" link might bring back some memories!

Hello everyone, I just checked my mail—sorry for not replying individually! The connection is *super* slow, especially since I logged into VoyageForum for the photos, and there was a power outage, so I had to start all over again.

I’ve been in Nosy Be for nearly a month now. The trip went smoothly—three seats to stretch out on, what more could I ask for? What worries me is that it’s the first time I’ve seen so many empty seats (at least 30)...

An old friend (the 4th), Yannick from Brittany, joined me for a while, as did Philippe from Agris (the 5th). We spent a memorable little day on the sacred islet. We didn’t do much, but the magic was definitely there!

I’ll let them share their own impressions.

I just got back from Tana (June 27 to July 1). As a tourist, no issues at all. The only thing I noticed was more checkpoints on the road (14 between Ambanja and Tana, no less!).

The June 26th celebration was just as lively as last year—non-stop from Friday at 4 PM to Saturday at 6 PM.

We’re planning to leave next week for about ten days in the Mitsio Islands... Any takers?!

I’m attaching a few photos—just to give you an idea...

Correction: only 4 or 5, since it took over 3 hours to upload them.

See you soon, Francis, the Nosy Be local

Hi everyone,

This Sunday, July 11th at 6:00 PM, I just got off the phone with Francis. All is well! He’s returning by boat from a little trip to the islands north of Nosy Be... which explains the radio silence (no signal, no internet cafés, just pure bliss). Pure bliss—gathering, fishing, and hunting (fruit bats, pigeons)... He’ll be at the port in 6 hours.

Two photos from 40 years ago.

Cheers, Zoma

Hello everyone, Back from the Mitsious islands, about 30 miles north of our starting point, I’m sharing a few photos. We’re all a bit disappointed—while the bungalows are made of wood (and concrete), they’re not at all typical of the region, and there’s a steady stream of sailboats, catamarans, and... Well, it seems they’re catering to this new wave of tourism. I’m not against tourism development, but what I regret is that it always comes at the expense of the locals, despite what they’re initially told. To be honest, *we* (the new tenants of the place, obviously!) were made to feel clearly unwelcome! In fact, we unanimously decided to picnic elsewhere next time. Sorry for the poor tourists—they won’t be able to snap photos of our "sideshow" (the pirogue and... us) like they did when we arrived. Otherwise, everything went well—fishing, hunting, no problems. Best to all, the Nosy-bean Photo 2: our pirogue in the background " 7: Robinson-style meal " " 8: Fany " " 9 and 10: the children of Nosy Mitsiou

July 20, 2010

Hi Francis,

Thanks for these updates and photos—I’d love to share your moments, create content for the site, and send messages through reports. It’s so good to read and see your posts. The past years come flooding back, and suddenly, I feel like walking the fine sand of the Malagasy islands again. But I’m not giving up; time will sort things out, and I’ll come join you to rediscover part of the past and the future of this region. Despite the changes, there’s still something authentic left, which you express so well. Returning to the roots—but when? Thanks again, Francis. I sent you an email to your personal address. Keep sending us your messages; they’re really uplifting. See you soon! Best to the Malagasy friends who are with you. Volouma! Patrick from Bordeaux

Hello everyone, and dedicated to Yannick (who will recognize himself) and Francis, A bit late, but in memory of our meeting in this part of the world, I’m sharing a few photos I gathered here and there with my two buddies... (isn’t life beautiful over there!!!!) I’ve got more up my sleeve.

Location: not listed on the map Area: off-limits to all foreigners!

Photo 2 (hint): Sacred islet, Photo 3: Return with sunset and... the captain’s rest! Photo 5: Towing prep.. Photo 6: Departure prep.. Photo 7: Early morning arrival

I’ve got more in store. What a weekend! Hoping to do it again soon. Cheers, Philippe

Is there a problem with the Ivato-Nosy Be site?

Best to all

Good evening everyone, There was indeed a technical issue with ivato-nosybe.com: Here’s the result after 3 months of Robinson Crusoe life in Madagascar! It’s tough getting back into the swing of things, especially with the computer, but it’s done—fixed, at least until the next hiccup.

yeah! Already back! The little getaway went more or less well. I didn’t manage to do what I wanted, but there’s always next time. I had the pleasure of spending a short weekend with Philao and Yannick on the islet. Thanks Philippe for: Location: not mapped Area: off-limits to all outsiders (I’ll add: to the club)! The association now has 3 bungalows. A shout-out to fans of simple vacations and nature lovers. Ah! Can’t wait for the next holidays!!!! Francis the Nosy-Be local

Good evening everyone, A little reminder to members of the ivato-nosybe.com site who may have forgotten the access code for the restricted pages: Just me contact me or get in touch with zoma.

Here’s a little photo of the camp dismantlers from 19XX—maybe some of the conscripts will recognize themselves? Who knows? Best, Francis the Nosy-Bean

Hello everyone,

Here’s a first photo from a trolling fishing trip... no details on the catch: bonito, barracudas, etc. Or maybe we came back empty-handed (a very rare occurrence)—was it even that important?

Second set of photos: a walk—or should I say, a stranding—on a beach in Nosy Komba. We arrived by *Lokode* to see the lemurs, but in the meantime, the tide went out... and out... and we ended up heading back pretty late with the white speedboat. Some of you might still remember that day—bananas and coconuts all around!

Cheers, Zoma

Emile and the 403!!! Awesome, awesome, awesome!

Hello Bernard. A sleepless night, a browse through some websites. A thought led me to this site....., well, it’s so nice to reconnect. I’m getting my bearings. Ivato 1971-1972, military service at the military base, we became friends and formed a great team with Hervé Muiron. I used to play tennis with you, Hervé, and his sister, the beautiful Katy, with whom I also did judo. When you left Ivato, I stayed in your room at your parents’ place, and they became "Uncle Gaston" and "Aunt Odette" to me. The house, your parents, your sister, and even the Brittany Spaniel. In ’74, you were my best man at my wedding in Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse, and your parents were, of course, part of the celebration. I’d love to hear from you. Best regards, Dominique. 06 14 89 56 29 d.pantenier@free.fr

Hello everyone, Welcome to the DonDOUME club! I can’t say it enough: what a small world! And thank you a thousand times over, internet!!! . I’m replying to your PM (private message) by email. Cheers, Francis - -- - To Nefiolovs: You looked better in the pirogue!!! And yes, the photo of the 403!!! Some of us pushed it!!!! Some still remember it! (with a photo by Olivier Raymond as proof). Now the road is paved, and you’ve got awesome 4x4s with AC at your disposal. Big SOUBIS - -- I’ll take this opportunity to let you know I’ll be at "the place not marked on the map" in Nosy Be from November 4th to December 16th, and a week-long pirogue trip to the mainland is planned for early December (right, Michel TGV?). But as Philao would say: off-limits to anyone not in the club! Cheers to all, Francis, the Nosy Be local

hi everyone, the forum’s pretty quiet these days... I suggest joining us on Facebook to reconnect with "old-timers from Mada"! Click here: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=237686453764 best, jlou82

Hi everyone, I’ve been in Nosy-Be since Thursday morning, and the trip went really well. A bit surprised by the number of *vazahas*—there were at most 5% Malagasy people, and the plane was full. The usual chaos (intentional, of course) for the visa on arrival—just what we’re used to. Still, it’s worth noting that the visa costs 45 € on the spot (for those staying over 30 days), with the "formalities" being just the 45 €, about half an hour in line, and a hard stamp for good measure. So why bother with embassies?

The sun is relentless, a stifling 34°C, no breeze, and traffic jams in town (yes, even in Nosy-Be!). Welcome to Hell-Ville, Nosy-Be. Quick shopping in town, then... phew, the pirogue—a little... no, *a lot* overloaded, but after 45 minutes of sailing, finally the land, the countryside, nature!!!!!

But there’s a big issue: everything on the campground is scorched by the sun. I’ve never seen anything like it. It hasn’t rained on the campground since April 26th exactly.

No photos this time, but next time for sure. Cheers to all, Francis, the Nosy-Be local

...and there you go again, Francis, that's great! I’ll jump in on the embassy visa topic: I agree with you, it's better to get them on the spot. For example, I'm leaving for Vietnam on the 17th; a 100 € multiple-entry visa in Paris... and only $50 on the spot. Don’t get scammed if you have travel plans. Have a great stay, Francis, on that unforgettable island known since 1965.

Well, I'm gonna send you a good dose of Breton rain, and that'll do the trick! Have a blast, my friend!

Hey Francis, Just a little hello from Tahiti where I’m currently working... Yeah, my good old Transall needed me!! Have a great stay in Nosy Be. See you soon, Franck