What's a Toamasina?

Last Sunday was spent lazing around, sleeping in, and generally accomplishing nothing of value. This Sunday I was determined to do something more worthwhile and therefore I proceeded to sleep in, read, and then remember that I needed to get off my butt and accomplish something. I went for a walk in the height of the mid day heat, took some photos around the camp, sweat like I'd never sweat before (until hockey last night that is), and then came back to my room and didn't finish posting anything. I'll call it a draw.

Anyway - I figure I'll pick up where I left off with my last post about Madagascar. The first obvious question is - what's a Toamasina? It's a city - more specifically it's the city that I live in while in Madagascar. Wikipedia tells me that in Malagasi Toamasina means "like salt" or "salty" buuut I've never heard anyone mention that so I won't even pretend to take credit.

Sometimes called Tamatave by those damn rebel French that refuse to call anything by it's real name (a big mac is a big mac OK?) Toamasina is the largest and really the only commercial sea port in Madagascar. Wiki tells me the official census in 2011 says ~180K people but since the project and factoring in the fact that it is really the largest economy in MG right now I'd say that number has grown significantly. OH - and you tell me how the census guy finds everyone in a city that was seemingly laid out by a draftsman that sneezed while drawing each line.

Toamasina, Madagascar (http://goo.gl/maps/u1Tu3 - for a google map)

If you click on the google map link in the photo caption you'll see just south of the city what looks to be an enormous industrial site. That would be the Ambatovy project. East of the industrial site is the camp. I'd continue to describe the map but by now Mom is probably so lost on the internet that she's reading about Russian Nuclear Submarines or some sort of enhancement medicine rather than seeing the google map (love you Mom!). Instead - I'll post a picture, which by the way gets bigger if you click on it.

Behold what 5.5 billion, 17 years, and a ~30,000 people can build. There is a mine too but that is a post for another day.

So to the West you see the plant site and the totally awesome private runway the charter flies out of, East of that you can see a U-shaped ring of buildings with some service buildings to the South, and East of that again you can see a town looking thing just West of the ocean. These are the Ops Camp duplexes, the cantina/bar/pool/gym/basketballcourt, and management village respectively. If you're here rotational you live in the Ops Camp, residential with family and important enough you live in the village, and if nobody likes you and/or you're crazy you live in town. The drive from town is insanity in the mornings and the afternoon and I don't know how any of them do it.

I live in the Ops Camp. As per my drawing below which I have labelled so awesomely fantastic in MSPaint - that's right Mom & Dad, two years at NAIT and this is all I learned! - you can see where I work, live, and eat. Pretty fancy looking hey? Yea.. not really. It's a step up from a Ft. Mac camp I'd say but beyond that it's basically a hotel room with crappier food and a nice pool that I can't use because I'm stupid and forgot my bathing suit. :)

I'M A COLLEGE MAN!

The management village for residents is quite a bit nicer but there is equally little to do but presumably lay on the beach and/or yell at kids from your porch about staying off your lawn. They also have a pool, small international school, bar, tennis courts, etc but it doesn't matter because I don't get to live there. :)

But Matt, I thought you said you took a bunch of photos and all you've done so far is rip off google maps and wikipedia! You're correct you jerk! I was trying to provide a bit of background information and ended up rambling on and then having fun with Microsoft Paint and now it's time for the gym so you'll just have to wait for tomorrow.

Good day!