Hotel Boabob at Port Afiny- Views from my room, the deck outside and that huge bed.
Three more views of the hotel and the surrounds. This will be one of the places that we will stay on the tour package I'm putting the final touches to for next winter. As I've now found out the Dematoid garnets are found about 40 minutes drive away.
We try to get a hold of a dealer in sapphire in Ambunja, but he is out on the fields. I'm going try to get him to come to Tana or failing that I may take a two day dash up here towards the end. His wife tells my driver he has many good yellow/blues because no one wants party coloured stones. Just may be my lucky day if I can arrange it.
We decide to get back to Tana in one day, mainly because its the 50th Anniversary of Independance this weekend and the driver would like to be with his family. We should get there just after dark, but that has made no allowance for all the early celebrations. It seems every ville is having a parade and there is partying in the streets.
We arrive back in Tana at 10.45pm, to my oasis the Tana Plaza. Too late for food but I have a cold beer and retire to what is becoming my standard room, 210.
Thinking back its been pretty disappointing. I've got enough sapphire to cover the cost but I was expecting both more of it and some other types of rough. The gold panning has really knocked the gemstone mining in the north for a six. Any future trips north will just be for sapphire and will be quick in and out jobs.
I have the weekend off to get some clothes washed and relax before seeing some dealers on Monday and heading south to Antsirabe on Tuesday morning.
We decide to get back to Tana in one day, mainly because its the 50th Anniversary of Independance this weekend and the driver would like to be with his family. We should get there just after dark, but that has made no allowance for all the early celebrations. It seems every ville is having a parade and there is partying in the streets.
We arrive back in Tana at 10.45pm, to my oasis the Tana Plaza. Too late for food but I have a cold beer and retire to what is becoming my standard room, 210.
Thinking back its been pretty disappointing. I've got enough sapphire to cover the cost but I was expecting both more of it and some other types of rough. The gold panning has really knocked the gemstone mining in the north for a six. Any future trips north will just be for sapphire and will be quick in and out jobs.
I have the weekend off to get some clothes washed and relax before seeing some dealers on Monday and heading south to Antsirabe on Tuesday morning.
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