Kieran Stone, Madagascar (Travel (2018))

Before travelling to Madagascar in 2017, there was an outbreak of the Plague. There was already the risk of Malaria, stomach bugs and potential threats to tourists personal safety, and now the Black Death was even more frightening. Our flights through Air Seychelles were cancelled due to plague concerns a few days before we were scheduled to depart. Everything was pointing to the conclusion that this "holiday" might be a bad idea. But none of that stopped us. We booked new flights through Air Mauritius and took whatever precautions we could think of. Anti-malaria tablets, insect repellent and strict eating rules. Madagascar is not a wealthy country. This was evident from the moment we arrived and was constantly on our minds as we journeyed on dilapidated roads through mud and grass hut villages. As tourists we were separated from the main population not only by our comparatively vast wealth, but also by our culture of abundance and high living standards. Here was a people neglected by their government and living by their own hard earned means and community spirit. Farming their own food and building their own houses, producing at most just enough to make it day by day. Our detachment from the general population meant we had very little to worry about the plague. It was not malaria season. The food given to us would cost an average Malagasy a couple of days wage per meal. This beautiful country has so much to offer tourists with amazing people, landscapes and wildlife. Yet, it seems that with all the media coverage of the plague issues, Madagascar's desperately needed tourist economy will plummet over the coming years. Madagascar has impacted my view on my own life in a profound way. Travelling to a place where there is almost a zero percent chance that the people I meet will ever get to experience travelling the world makes me realise how important it is that those of us that can see the world, should. The more people travel, the less divided the world becomes. Understanding through personal experience opens the way to acceptance. Without knowledge we are susceptible to judgement based on negative assumptions. Without travel, we are lost.

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