Toliara Tags: Spray Can, Sweat, and Baobabs

i'm in tuliara, madagascar, and i've been here three days trying to find a decent wall that won't get me arrested. this coastal town is a place where the indian ocean meets dusty red roads and baobab trees that look like they're from a dr. seuss book. i got in on a battered bus from antananarivo and immediately felt the humidity hit me like a wet cloth. the air's thick, you can taste salt and diesel, and there's always some kid kicking a makeshift soccer ball nearby.

here's a rough map of my current stomping grounds:

i just checked my weather app and it's sitting at a sticky 23°c with humidity that clings like a wet blanket - 82% to be exact. my cans are sweating almost as much as i am. the paint takes forever to dry, and i've learned the hard way that shaking a spray can in this heat can make it blow up in your face. not fun. the pressure outside is 1008 hpa, which feels like the sky's about to burst any minute, but it hasn't rained yet. the locals say the 'winter' here is just a little less sweaty, but i'm here in what they call the warm season, and i'm loving it despite the stickiness. the temperature's actually perfect for painting if you can handle the dampness; it's not the blazing 40°c you get up north.

if you're itching to escape the coast, the spiny forest just inland is a short motorbike ride away, and the famous ifaty beach is a quick boat hop - you can be snorkeling with lionfish in under an hour. but tuliara itself has a rhythm that's hard to leave. the market days are chaos, the fish stalls stink in the best way, and the sound of ox carts rattling over cobblestones is the city's metronome.

i set up my makesift studio in a corner of a guesthouse that smells like mosquito coil and instant coffee. i've been sketching on napkins from the cheap chinese place around the corner. there's an old stone wall behind the ferry terminal that's been calling my name, but i heard it's watched by a guard who's bribable with a cold beer. i asked around and a guy at the cybercafe told me the wall is officially legal for artists during the full moon - i don't know if that's true or just a way to get me to buy him another bottle. still, i'm tempted.

i've been yelping cheap eats and found a spot called "case de crabe" where they serve crab curry that'll make you cry it's so good. the reviews warned about the spice level, but i ignored them and now my mouth is on fire. worth it. also, there's a tripadvisor thread that lists the top three murals you shouldn't miss - most are by a collective called brr 查看. i'm trying to hunt them down. i also stumbled upon a tripadvisor review about hidden graffiti spots that locals love - see it here. if you're looking for a place to crash, i've been crashing at this hostel that yelp reviewers say has the best hammocks hostel. check out the madagascar street art collective's board for updates on legal walls madagascar street art.

here's a snapshot of the baobabs that line the road out of town:

the light here is surreal, all gold and purple at dusk. i've taken to climbing a hill just outside town with my sketchbook and just stare at the sky until the mosquitoes drive me back. on the way down, i passed a field of aloe vera that looked like they were on fire from the setting sun.

i also captured the everyday hustle:

the market is a riot of colors - stacks of vanilla pods, heaps of red peppers, baskets of cloves that smell like christmas. the vendors call out in malagasy and french, and you can haggle for everything. i bought a whole sack of limes for like 50 cents. the paint fumes were starting to get to my head, so i needed a break.

and then there's the ocean:

i'm not a strong swimmer, but i like to dip my feet and watch the pirogues come in with their daily catch. the water's so clear you can see the sand ripples from the surface. i've been trying to convince a local fisherman to let me paint his boat, but he's skeptical of my spray cans. 'they'll attract the spirits,' he says. i told him i'll paint a net pattern, not sure if he believed me.

anyway, i'm still hunting that perfect wall. i've got a few leads: one says the abandoned hotel on the edge of town has a whole side that nobody cares about. another whispers about a secret spot near the university where students rotate murals every semester. i'll check them out tomorrow, if the humidity eases up. i'm also trying to find a decent coffee place; the town's not exactly a specialty cafe hub, but i heard there's a guy roasting beans in his backyard. that's a quest for another day.

i'm documenting everything on my blog - will post more pics when i get a chance. if you're ever in tuliara, hit me up. the street art scene is tiny but growing, and i'm hoping to leave a mark that'll stay longer than a tide line.