Fri 25th: Took the boats back to Tulear. It was quite rough at times. Filmed passing boats and our arrival on the mud flats. Had a drink at the hotel and collected our baggage from Safari-Veso base. Shopped for vegetables in the market. Had lunch at the restaurant we went to on our arrival. The service was very slow. Drove out of Tulear and through dry scrub land past many villages. Camped in the bush.

Sat 26th: Drove south again, stopping at a village police station to report Nicki's lost bag. Stopped to look at tombs. Had lunch at a small village with a shop selling carvings. Stopped at the river Onilahy where most of the group swam and I filmed the natives bathing. Later saw clusters of white insects, Fulgoroidea, which are a favourite food of mouse lemurs.

Sun 27th: Continuing south on dusty, very rough roads though increasingly spiny scrub. Lunch under trees by the roadside. Saw the tomb with an aeroplane on top. Stopped to photograph a tortoise. Had drinks in a bar with loud Abba music and children dancing outside. Our bush camp attracted lots of insects and one particularly huge beetle which ran up my arm.

Tue 29th: Had to push the truck along the sandy road leading up from the beach. Stopped at the village where we stopped yesterday, for drinks.