08/07/2022
There are several volcanic lakes considered to be scared lakes in Madagascar. The crocodiles living in the lakes are believed to be reincarnated ancestors. As the ancestors are closer to God than humans and are therefore able to communicate directly with God. Malagasy go to the lakes, offer sacrifices of zebu to the crocodiles and make their wishes known to the ancestors. Yesterday we visited the sacred lake Antanavo. We walked 4km to the lake. There were several crocodiles waiting.They hang around the waters edge but as soon as people get noisy they climb expectantly out of the water. A few weeks ago a Malagasy woman was taken by a Croc. She had gone down to the lake's edge to make a wish. It is believed it was because she had done something bad, broke a fady or rule. After the sacred lake we went to the red tsingy. On the way we ate lunch at a restaurant that startlingly off the beaten track at a tended (tented) camp in the middle of nowhere and without tents. The road trip there was extraordinary as was the tsingy.
