Mahajanga, Madagascar: Humidity So Thick You Could Spoon It (and Other Photographic Misadventures)

i'm sitting in a half-open restaurant in mahajanga, sweat pooling in places i didn't know could sweat, and i just watched a gecko snatch a moth off my lens cap. welcome to my life as a freelance photographer who never checks the forecast. the second i stepped off the tarmac at the tiny airport, the humidity hit me like a warm towel thrown by a giant. i just checked my phone and it's screaming 25.97°C with humidity at 94% - basically the air is a wet blanket you can't shake off. hope that's your thing.

i'm here for a week, shooting whatever light i can find, which is tricky because the light here is either brutal noon sun that bleaches everything or golden hour that lasts approximately five minutes before the clouds roll in from the mozambique channel. i'm staying in a guesthouse that costs $12 a night and includes a mosquito net that's seen more battles than a war veteran. my room number? 1079096. i'm not sure if that's a reference to something or just random digits. the wifi password is 1450421961. yes, i'm typing those numbers into my phone every time i need to post a photo. it's a pain, but at least it's memorable in a 'i think i might have a stroke' kind of way.

mahajanga (sometimes called majunga) is a port city on the northwest coast of madagascar. it's got a vibe that's part laid-back beach town, part bustling trading post. the streets are a patchwork of faded colonial buildings, rickety stalls selling mangoes and zebu meat, and an alarming number of stray dogs that seem to have claimed every shadow. i tried to navigate the central market with my camera, but a woman selling spices told me i needed to pay for photos. i slipped her a 500 ariary note and she grinned, pointing at a heap of red peppercorns. i shot a few frames, the colors popping against the earth tones. i'll take that any day over paying a permit.

if you're looking for a decent place to eat, i'd say skip the fancy hotel buffets. i found a littlespot called 'chez mamy' on tripadvisor that has the best laoka (traditional dal). the reviewer said: 'if you survive the first bite, you'll be back for more.' i think that's a compliment. tripadvisor link. also, yelp has a listing for a coffee shop that might be the only one in town: 'cafe du port'. the reviews mention cold brew that's actually cold, which is rare. yelp link. but honestly, most of my caffeine comes from the strong jasmine tea served at the market stalls for 200 ariary. it's brewed in a big tin pot and tastes like it's been steeping since the french left.

i've been using my vintage film camera, trying to capture the grit. the light here is amazing in the late afternoon when the sun backlights the baobabs that line the road out of town. there's something about these ancient trees, like they're holding up the sky. i shot a roll of tri-x pushed to 1600. the grain is thick, but it matches the dusty air. i think i got some keepers. i'll have to develop them back in the states or maybe find a darkroom in antananarivo. i heard there's a place called 'labo fototra' that still processes film. rough guides link.

i've met a few other travelers: a french couple doing a overland trip from cape town to paris, a german backpacker counting lemur species, and a malgache guy who runs a small guesthouse and dreams of opening a surf school. he says the waves on the far beach are decent between april and november. i don't surf, but i might rent a board just for the photo op. he also told me that the local surfers call a particular break 'the washing machine' because it churns you around like laundry. that might be a bit much for a non-surfer. if you get bored, the town of antsohihy is just a short drive away and its wednesday market is a photographer's dream.

i've been eating a lot of romazava (beef stew with greens) and vary (rice). i love the flavors, but i can't handle the spice sometimes. they use a lot of 'tavy' (pepper) that makes my nose run. i'm not complaining - it's better than bland food. i also tried 'ravitoto' (cassava leaves with pork). it's hearty but oily. i think i've gained a couple kilos. i'm not complaining; it's fuel for carrying heavy lenses.

i also discovered a weird coffee place that roasts beans on-site. the owner, a madagascar-born guy who spent years in france, showed me his 'café de l'île' beans. he brews them in a siphon, and the result is a clean, bright cup that reminds me of ethiopian. he told me the secret is in the drying process - they sun-dry the cherries on raised beds. i'll give him a shoutout: coffee shop link. but i think his site is just a blog. still, worth a check.

i'm starting to run low on film. maybe i'll switch to digital for the remainder of the trip. but digital lacks the soul, you know? the grain, the accidental light leaks, the fact that i can't see the results until i get home - that's part of the romance. it forces me to be more intentional. i shot a roll of portra 400 today while wandering the docks. i caught a fisherman mending his net, his hands dark and calloused, the net glistening with seawater. i think that one's a keeper.

before i forget, i should mention something i overheard at the internet cafe: 'if you need visa extensions, go to the immigration office early in the morning, bring two passport photos, and bribe the guy with a pack of cigarettes.' i have no idea if that's true, but i'm not looking to extend. i'm just passing through.

i think i've exhausted my rant for now. i'll leave you with a few more images. the first is a snapshot of the beach near my guesthouse at sunset. the second is the market street i keep getting lost in. the third is that baobab road i mentioned. hope they convey just how wonderfully messy this place is.

overall, mahajanga is a place that sticks to you - literally, because of the humidity. the people are friendly, the light is insane, and the chaos is real. if you ever find yourself here, pack light clothes, a ton of film, and an appreciation for things that don't go according to plan. and maybe learn a few phrases in malagasy; it'll get you further than you think.

i've got to go develop some film. catch you on the flip side.