It's hard out there for an expat.

Hotel des Thermes, formerly the residence of King Mohammed V of Morocco, taking refuge in Antsirabe.

Antsirabe, dusk.

Yellow.

Restaurant.

Pousse-pousses.

Ambositra.

Mahajanga, sunset.

Flooded paddy, Marovoay, late afternoon

Shy.

Concrete.

Most of the structures at Ambohimanga are made of concrete produced by mixing sand with the whites of 16 million eggs. Imagine all the chickens that were required. To gorgeous effect, however.

Loyalty.

Whenever a red zebu (kin to cow) was born, it was brought to Ambohimanga to be sacrificed as a sign of loyalty to the king. And quite creepily the horns were nailed to this tree.

Ambohimanga.

Ambohimanga means "blue hill," where blue signifies something of beauty or importance. This place was the home of Andrianampoinimerina, the king who unified all of Madagascar under one rule.

La Tour du Palais du Premier Ministre.

*My friend and I were shown the interior of this palace, currently under construction, by a very kind but slightly skittish staff member. He cautioned us many times that our photographs were for documents personnels. I reissue the same warning.