The South - Madagascar - page 390

enough to open the 4x4's doors, get out, and shove torts into “holes” in the wall of cactus.
Thecactuswasscrapingthecarmirrorsaswedrove;amanonanopenzebucartwouldget
flayed alive unless he sat in the exact centre of his cart!'
FAUXCAP I made my first visit to this dramatic, lonely place in 1997, and then predicted
that it would soon be developed for tourism. This hasn't happened yet, but with the recent
improvement of the road it has become more accessible so it is only a question of time.
FauxCapisasmallcommunity(thevillagehereiscalled Betanty; marketdayMonday)
isolated fromthe outside worldnotonlybythe poorroads,butbywild seas andatreacher-
ouscoralreef.Thehuge,shiftingsanddunesarelitteredwithfragmentsof Aepyornis shell.
It is an extraordinary place which is worth making a considerable effort to visit.
The best accommodation is the mid-range Libertalia ( 92 211 13/904 55; m 032
07 560 41; e [e-mail] ; www.madalibertalia.com ; €€) with five beautiful
solar-powered stone bungalows. Nearby is the cheaper and rather more basic Cactus with
bungalows, some en suite with bucket showers.
Getting there and away The starting point for a trip to Faux Cap is Tsiombe. Ask around
for ongoing transport. With your own 4x4 the 30km journey should take about 3½ hours.
If you decide to hike, be prepared to carry all that you need in case you don't catch a lift.
TAOLAGNARO (FORT DAUPHIN)
HISTORY The remains of two forts can still be seen in or near this town on the extreme
southeast tip of Madagascar: Fort Flacourt built in 1643; and another that dates from 1504
- thus making it the oldest building in the country - which was erected by shipwrecked
Portuguese sailors. This ill-fated group of 80 reluctant colonists stayed about 15 years be-
fore falling foul of the local tribes. The survivors of the massacre fled to the surrounding
countryside where disease and hostile natives finished them off.
A French expedition, organised in 1642 by the Société Française de l'Orient and led by
Sieur Pronis, had instructions to 'found colonies and commerce in Madagascar and to take
possessionofitinthenameofHisMostChristian Majesty'.Anearlysettlement attheBay
of Sainte Luce was soon abandoned in favour of a healthier peninsula to the south, and a
fortwasbuiltandnamedaftertheDauphin(laterLouisXIV)in1643.AtfirsttheAntanosy
were quite keen on the commerce part of the deal but were less enthusiastic about losing
their land. The heavily defended fort survived only by use of force and with many casual-
ties on both sides. The French finally abandoned the place in 1674, but their 30-year oc-