Long Awaited Return to Madagascar!

RETURN TO ONE OF THE MOST AMAZING COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD

Antananarivo

Nick has been travelling to Madagascar to purchase rocks for over three decades, and as a result has established long term relationships with hundreds of people working in the rock industry in the region. He has been fortune to observe almost three generations of lapidary workers coming through the industry.

The rapid onset of the global pandemic in late 2019 and the near complete shut down of international travel ushered into a new era in the rock industry. Madagascar closes all its borders and stopped any incoming flights for just over two years! It has been impossible to get back to Madagascar for the longest time. However, the moment the borders and flights opened up again, Nick and myself instantly jumped onto a plane to Antananarivo! To be reunited with friends, family and business associates! Upon on arrival at the new international airport in Tana, we saw a massive press and political entourage! We literally were on the first Kenyan Airways Flight to have landed in Madagascar for two years! Previous trips has been fairly time efficient with a short 3 hour flight from Johannesburg to Ivato Airport. However, our most recent trip took us over 24 hours to get into Tana, travelling via Nairobi!

(After 24 hours in transit we eventually got to our home base, and where greeted by a welcoming party! Left to Right: Lucy, Eddie, Andy & Madam Voahangy)

(Eddie, a dear friend and one of our permanent employees in the region)

(Lucy another dear friend and associate of ours, who has been assisting us for many years when in the region. She is a qualified seamstress, who loves rocks!)

(Visiting a local restaurant Tamo Tamo for supper in celebration of our return to the region after being absent for so long!) The "Five Man Chillie" was dangerously dellicious!)

NO REST FOR THE WICKED - THE WORK STARTED!

We spent roughly 10 days in Tana and saw a few hundred suppliers during the period! This is by far one of the largest containers we have purchased in a single trip, which will come in at roughly 22 tons of stock! Surprisingly its not difficult to obtain that amount of stock! We could have possibly gotten double that volume, but we hand picked every single piece! One by one - to make up the 22,000 kilograms of material which will be leaving Tamatave in the coming weeks!

(The morning after we arrived out yard was full of people with rocks in all directions! - 12 to 14 hours per day of selecting material! Piece by piece!)

(Blue Rose Quartz towers - we have been asked about this material a fair amount and have obtained some for our clients. Not sure Nick likes it very much, but its different - and I thought it was pretty funky despite the oxymoronic nature of its name! haha)