Tana to Toamasina - Madagascar - page 419

expansionistdaysofKingRadamaI,whendignitarieswerecarriedbypalanquinandgoods
were transported on the heads of porters. It gained greater importance after the arrival of
teachers from the London Missionary Society, the first Europeans to have a significant in-
fluence on Madagascar. They arrived in Tamatave bearing not only the word of God, but
technology in the form of printing presses. The track up the escarpment was narrow, diffi-
cult and slippery in the rainy season ( m ost of the year) but the royal government refused to
build a proper road, fearing this would facilitate an invasion from outside (in the event, the
French later invaded via Mahajanga). The first road was built by the French, but mainten-
ance was never a high priority, especially after independence, partly to reduce competition
with the state-owned railway. The collapse of the economy in the Second Republic meant
that there was no money at all for maintenance and the road became at times almost im-
passable. However in the 1990s the road was rehabilitated to a high standard with aid from
Switzerland and China.
These days many visitors take RN2 from the capital. Most are heading for Andasibe
but some continue to the coast. The route description here is aimed at those travelling in
a private vehicle or by bicycle, but of course taxi-brousse travellers may choose to break
their trip at any of the stops along the way.
WARNING! RN2isnotoriousforitsrecklessdriversandhighdeathtoll.Keepalert,
especially if on a bicycle. Even if you don't usually suffer from motion sickness, take pre-
cautions on this trip; the macho drivers and winding road are a challenge to any stomach.
ANTANANARIVO-COTE EST RAILWAY
Passenger trains have recently been reinstated on the Tana to Toamasina line (although
scheduled services currently only run beyond Moramanga) so this offers an alternative to
RN2.
The passenger service, called Dia Soa, comprises trains with three 72-seat carriages.
They depart Moramanga Mondays at 14.00 and Thursdays at 07.00 and make the return
journey from Toamasina or Brickaville Wednesdays and Saturdays at the same departure
times.Therouteisdividedintofivezones.Youpay1,800Arforeachzoneyoupassthrough
- 9,000Ar for the full trip.
A tourist class service, the Trans Lémurie Express, has two 52-seat 'Palisander Class'
carriages equipped with a bar and electrical sockets and takes 15 hours between Tana and
Toamasina. It does not currently run to a regular timetable but check with Madarail for the
latest.