Mission Madagascar: Notes from the Jungle

 Two days later we returned to Ambatovaky for a meeting with the President and the Executive Committee to discuss the “Artisanal Path for Tourists”. Susan Findel’s dream was to have the circuit start at Ambatovaky with observation of the blacksmiths. The President said “ other countries have engines and machines, why would they want to buy our iron made by hand?” And I explained, that yes other countries had machines and had forgotten how to do metal work by hand and they would be fascinated to see the work accomplished here. We discussed training in the English and French language, a museum, a Shoppe for selling their wares, and training to do metal sculpture. They asked for our collaboration and they showed us the land where the museum and shop could go. I bought two “coup-coups” two sickles and two more shovel handles to put on the wall of my USA house as works of art.