A momentous day in the madding crowd

Back in July, a mere three and a half months ago, I applied for my working visa to be extended. For much of the time since then I have been an illegal alien - the Ministry of the Interior pretty nonplussed by it all, saying, "It's fine, just don't go out at night, and don't get stopped by the police!"  Okay then. Is that all? 

Well, today I received my passport back from the depths of the aforementioned ministry, complete with the red, famous, all-powerful stamp and the all-important, "Authorised to stay in Madagascar until 31 July 2011." There you have it - I am at least part-legal again. Now, with this in hand, I can apply for a driver's licence and sleep easy at night free of nightmares of white-brimmed cops lurking in the bushes, waiting to leap out from behind the traffic to throw me in a dark, rat-filled jail cell for not having a motorbike licence. (I sometimes have a vivid dream life...)

Unfortunately, until I get my licence (which could take until next July, without paying the ubiquitous and expected bribes) I still often need to take a long detour home, in order to miss the police road block around the corner from the school. I regularly see potentially beautiful or interesting photo opportunities while riding the Beast around town, but seldom get to stop. Today I did:

Some children playing on a rubbish tip, just around the corner from the local French junior school

The old lady and the sea (of children)

The view driving up the hill away from the school - the city of church steeples.

The most common, cheapest transport - for carrying wood, water, little children and anything else

And then at the end of the day I saw this rose at the Midgleys - the beauty of real life in Tana...