Because I misread the returning dates on our tickets, our "tourism" days were reduced from 2 to 1, so today was our day for sight seeing. We decided to rent quads (4 wheelers).
Kyle and Kris went along too and the tour was an all day long experience. We first rode to the Cirque Rouge, a natural amphitheatre of eroded rock tinted in rainbow hues, including many shades of red. Then we rode past a beach area and into a forested region. I think that the original route was supposed to do a circle loop through this area, but there was a fire that was kind of blocking our road. OK, only in a 3rd world country can you ride ATV's through an uncontrolled forest fire! We were going to keep going, but as we entered all of the smoke, the wind changed and we decided that we better turn around... quickly.We went a few miles back and ended up at a new, secluded French restaurant with a fantastic view.
They had a few lemurs in a cage and it was just a short walk down to a couple of baobab trees. A bit further down the road was Lac Mangatsa. Locals come here to give thanks or to ask the ancestors for help. They believe that the royal ancestors are reincarnated in the form of the tilapia fish that inhabit the clear lake. 
There are two trees that are wrapped in red, white and green fabrics and skulls of sacrificed zebu adorn the branches. What a stark, in-your-face example of the bondage these people are in!Well, back into the burning forest we went, hoping that the fire was out of our way... it wasn't, but that didn't stop our guide from attempting to burn us up again! We also got to stop at a lake to see the walking fish.
They use their fins as legs and walk on the shore, but because the water was a bit low, I wasn't able to get close enough for great pictures. The quads were an awesome way to see the Mahajunga area up close and personal, and we enjoyed our day of tourism.
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