Belo sur Mer

We woke up late as we didn’t sleep in once during the organized trip, but we knew it decreased our chances of getting to Belo.  Sarah wasn’t feeling well either, but was willing to suck it up if we could get to where we needed to go.  Tico asked the reception if they knew anyone who had a boat and he called a captain.  Within the hour, we were discussing a plan.  The receptionist helped with translation and when we were finally satisfied with a price, we shook hands and set a time to meet.  

Once we’d gone to the bank and grabbed breakfast on the street, we carried our bags towards the port.  Not even halfway there, the captain stopped a cyclo-pousse.  He said he’d pay for it and whistled for a second cyclist.  We reached the port in no time and there were 3 men already at the pirogue (boat) ready to load us.  They put our packs in plastic bags and started the engine.  Our agreed price was based on using the motor there and sailing back.  Not even halfway into our journey, they shut off the motor and used the sail.  As we were still moving, we didn’t say anything.  The trip was estimated to take 3 hours and we were somewhere in the middle at that point.  We watched the ocean in hopes of seeing a humpback whale and Tico and Sarah took naps on the bottom of the pirogue for part of it.  After 5.5 hours at sea, we reached Belo.

 

 

Two of the crew carried our bags from the beach across the knee-deep bay and to a hotel.  As we didn’t know where we’d stay, this made things much easier.  The only room they had available with a bathroom had a king size bed, but we took it anyway.  It was much bigger than the tent we’d all crammed into for several nights already.  It was a perfect location for the sunset and we’d arrived just in time for the action.  We ran across the bay and watched as the African sun that we hadn’t seen in months returned.  The massive orange ball reappeared from behind the clouds just before hiding past the horizon for the night. 

 

 

 

We ordered dinner at our hotel and were pleasantly surprised by the meal.  Tico and I got crab while Sarah stuck to the rice as she still wasn’t 100%.  It was a 3-course meal full of flavor and fresh seafood.  Being in the sun most of the day meant we were ready to call it a night once we finished dinner.  

The next morning we set out to discover the village and find out what activities we could do.  We passed the market and grabbed breakfast at a stall before continuing down the beach.  We asked a hotel about trips to the nearby national park, but no one spoke English so they directed us to the park office.  Thankfully, the woman had the circuits written out in English and she was able to explain the options.  We’d still need transport so we walked further along towards the larger hotels.  The first one quoted us the same price as our roundtrip boat trip for an island day trip so we kindly declined and left.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We ran into several people that were with us on the tour and asked about their plans.  They’d organized an afternoon trip to the island so we bid them farewell and headed to the Ecolodge du Menabe.  They didn’t have space for us that day so we took our time before finding a spot for lunch.  Most people had directed us to Dede so we went to his restaurant to eat and learn about the trips he offered.  In the end, we weren’t happy with his price so enjoyed his fish before walking back along the beach.  We ran into one of our boatmen from the journey down and they quoted us yet another price.  

Still with nothing secured for the next day, we decided to get our flip flops fixed as Tico and I each had one that needed repair.  Near the market we asked if anyone knew where the shoe repairman was and a man offered to take us there.  We reached Hardy’s house and he was able to repair our shoes while our entertainment was provided by the man who had shown us the way as he was drunk.  Our path led us towards Dede and he mentioned that he wouldn’t be going out the next day as he feared for his life.  We didn’t really think much of it and ended up finding our boatman again.  After much discussion, we agreed on a price and would meet at our hotel at 8 the next morning.    

 

 

 

 

 

Over another delicious meal, we overheard another woman saying she’d seen the following day’s forecast and opted for traveling by road instead of boat.  We asked her to elaborate and there was supposed to be high winds and 2 meter (6 feet) high waves.  Immediately, we began to put everything together to realize maybe we shouldn’t be going out.  We talked through all the possible options and continued the same discussions the next morning. 

We’d decided we would tell the boatmen we wouldn’t be going out and find something else to do.  As we had time, we ordered breakfast and waited for the guy to show up.  Just after 8:30, he appeared and said the sea was calm.  Still hesitant, he spoke with the hotel manager who reassured us that it’d be okay.  The woman with the forecast the night before also appeared and told us we’d be fine.  Just in case, we went into the village to get Dede’s opinion.  He also said the forecast was wrong so we grabbed a picnic lunch and walked to the boat.  

 

It was low tide by this point so we ended up getting stuck multiple times as the water was too shallow.  After the third time, Tico hopped out and helped to push/pull.  And after a few more times, Sarah and I decided to get out as well to take out more weight.  It took us about 40 minutes of pushing and reassessing the direction before we all got back in and the motor could turn on.  

 

Even with the weather update, we were still anxious as to what would happen.  Although the sea was a little choppy, there was nothing to worry about.  We headed in the direction of Nosy Andrahovo and were amazed at how they navigated without a compass or map.  With the sand of the island in the distance, one of the boatmen pointed and said, ‘baleine.’  As that was one of the few words we’d learned in French, we all looked in the direction of the whale.  There were at least 2 humpback whales doing turns and blowing mist into the air.  While they were a good ways away, it was still amazing.  

 

We anchored not as close to the island as we had imagined and were told to jump in.  Once we got about halfway, there were waves and a strong current that you had use to your advantage.  It was a tough swim, but we all made it to shore and started to explore.  There was snorkeling nearby, but we weren’t sure exactly where.  We could see dark spots, which likely meant coral, but the waves were crashing strong.  The decision was to swim out towards a rock and see what we could find.  While the swim out wasn’t that great, we saw a lot more fish on the way back.  There were several good-sized and colorful fish hiding amongst the coral.  

 

We continued to walk around the small island before swimming back to the boat.  I think they realized their poor positioning to drop us off and moved to calm water so swimming out was much easier.  We had our picnic lunch on the boat while we continued to watch the whales in the distance.  Then, we gave the thumbs up to pull up the anchor and head home.  

 

The plan was to sail back, but as there was no wind they used the motor.  We managed to get over halfway before the gas tank was empty.  They put up the sail and we tried to catch a breeze, but it was slow moving.  One guy kept pulling on the motor to see if he could get it to start, but there was no hope.  Eventually, they sailed us in through the bay as it was high tide and we’d be unable to walk across to our hotel.  There was just enough time before sunset to clean up and get snacks for the next day’s trip.  

 

 

 

 

The next morning it was still completely dark when the boatmen came to get us.  We walked along the beach and then through the village to where we’d left the boat the evening before.  Using our headlamps combined with the light of the night, we bagged our packs and loaded into the boat.  As we’d be sailing, there were only 2 crewmen and this time the motor wasn’t even there in case we needed it.  The stars lit the moonless sky as we paddled out of the bay into the ocean.  We stopped using lights to let our eyes adjust and coasted through the break in the waves.  There was enough wind to get us moving a little bit, but we could still see the village as the stars disappeared and the sun started to rise.

 

At one point, they started to paddle as we really weren’t getting anywhere.  Tico grabbed one and helped while they readjusted the sail.  We’d been told it would take roughly 5 hours depending on the wind, but after 5.5 hours we still weren’t halfway.  Thankfully, the afternoon wind picked up and we started to move.  We napped, watched the other boats and did crossword puzzles together to pass the time.  When we started to see more boats, we knew we were close.

 

 

 

They passed the town and then cut back to make for an easy entry.  We watched the boat next to us get hit hard with a wave and realized we needed to cover our things.  Using rain covers and jackets, we tried to hide our electronics.  They did an amazing job of timing the waves especially considering they had no way of stopping.  One wave rocked us, but nothing else.  Another one followed behind it and broke next to us, which caused some water to come in although we had expected much worse.  We coasted the rest of the way in and around to the port before paying and saying our goodbyes.  

 

We’ve seen several beach villages by now, but Belo sur Mer had a different vibe.  It was quieter, which likely had to do with the lack of electricity, but had its charm.  We were reminded yet again about the importance of tides as well as the weather.  Getting to see whales added to the experience as did the memorable journeys there and back.  

Helpful tips:

• It is possible to reach Belo sur Mer by car, but we were told you’d need a 4×4 and it would be more expensive.
• Even though there isn’t electricity, there is solar power in most hotels.
• The nearby national park, Kirindy Mitea, includes the reef, mangroves and forest that has lemurs.