Lakes Tritriva and Andraikiba

I did something kind of stupid. It’s not really stupid, but there were some unforeseen consequences that don’t really affect me but may affect you. As I was uploading the photos for the most recent blog post, I realized that the data storage for my website had reached its absolute limit. When attempting to delete a few photos to create more space, the website warned me that the deletion of some photos may result in these photos disappearing from my blog’s site. After a few experiments, I found that the photos I deleted were still there. Armed with this evidence, I proceeded to delete all the photos I had saved, and as it turns out, the warning was correct and my limited experiments false. So if you ever feel the need to go back and read any of the blogs posted before the most recent blog, I apologize in advance because those photos are no longer there. Also the photos on the website’s main pages are also gone, which is probably not such a bad thing because it means you no longer have to see my ugly mug every time you open the webpage.

Anyways, the day after my friends and I hiked in Ambohimanjaka, we decided to spend the morning exploring Antsirabe’s famous dual lakes Tritriva and Andraikiba. Again, for my American friends, do not embarrass yourselves by attempting to pronounce any of these names. I had heard about lake Tritriva before. In fact, I had the intention to visit it when I was first in Antsirabe,but found that I lacked the time as it’s a rough hour-long drive there and it was too late in the afternoon to do so. But Faniry grabbed her van and picked up Mananjara and me as we set off to explore the lake.

The lake is a geographically unique place. It is set upon the side of an old volcano, the first time I have ever visited a volcano, actually. The walls of the lake are made of stone and the cut straight down into the very blue water that is absolutely still with the exception of an occasional ripple from a few drops dripping from one of the cliffs protruding edges or from someone playing in the water at the lake’s edge. The lake’s depth is measured at 149m (489ish-ft) from the surface of the water to the bottom. As of now, there are no recorded fish or other life forms living in the spectral blue water, although people do swim in the lake from time to time and occasionally jump off one of the immense cliffs along the lake’s edge. There is a series of underground tunnels that allow the water to flow out from the lake down the volcano and into lake Andraikiba, which is a decent distance away. However, none of these tunnels have ever been explored or mapped, thus leaving a pretty thick shroud of mystery around the lake itself. Unnaturally, the waters of the lake actually rise during the dry season and lower during the rainy season, which is completely contrary to how it should be.

There is, as with most unique places, an ancient tale related to the lake. It’s not a very interesting story if I’m going to be totally honest. Legend has it that there was a girl from a rich and noble family who fell in love with a boy from a poor family. A real Jasmine and Aladdin situation minus the genie, a lamp, a sultan, a desert, and pretty much everything else from the Disney movie. Obviously, (he says with great satire) rich and poor people are not allowed to love each other by the laws of human nature. Forbidden to love one another, the girl and boy did the only sensible thing. They jumped off the edge of the lake’s cliff and killed themselves, thereby cursing the lake for the rest of time. In fact, there was a pair of trees that grew from the side of the cliff. They twisted together and were interwoven for generations. Several years ago, they were struck by lightning and fell into the lake which became their own watery grave. As you can imagine, traditions in Madagascar are hard to kill, and unfortunately lake Tritrivia is known for many people who, inspired by the tale of the lovers, have used the lake’s immense walls as a means to commit a brutal suicide, meaning that there are dozens of bodies which have sunk to the bottom of the lake where some locals believe there are something un- or maybe supernatural living in the bottom of the waters.

Due to this legend, the lake is a holy site for those who continue the traditional animist practices. There are sacrificial sites where people bring zebu and chickens to sacrifice to the ancestors. From time to time in the very olden days, even human sacrifices were performed in the lake’s vicinity to request many blessings from the ancestors.

Today, the lake is a popular tourist site. People swim in the lake and schools go there for field trips, no different than American students going to historical sites in Boston or New York. There are plenty of local guides in the area, and of course there are plenty of people trying to sell things related to the lake, mostly rocks, stones, and jewelry made of said rocks and stones.

The second lake, named Andraikiba, is further down the mountain and significantly larger. Indeed, lake Andraikiba is absolutely massive and much more popular for day trips. Normal things like swimming, boating, and all that jazz. The water comes from the mountains and partly from lake Tritriva. Unlike lake Tritriva, there is a larger variety of sellers who sell craft goods and other touristy kinds of things. Like lake Tritriva, lake Andraikiba has its own legend that involves love and death.

As the legend goes, there was a man with two wives, because one wasn’t enough already. One of the wives became pregnant which made the second wife extremely jealous, which was a totally unforeseen consequence of polygamy. There was a rivalry over whom the husband loved more. The husband, unable to make up his mind, decided to have the women compete for his love. The competition? They had to swim across the length of the lake. Yes, the husband had a pregnant woman and an emotionally disturbed woman swim across an entire lake to see which would be his true love, although he was already married to both of them. The lake, as I have said, is massive. Neither woman made it to the end of the lake and they both drowned, baby included.

When you forget the terrible legends, the lakes are actually quite beautiful. I particularly like lake Tritriva. Something about the place is mystical and captures the mind. The lake is surrounded by tall pine trees introduced by the French colonialists, which give the entire area a familiar feeling to something one may find in New Hampshire or Maine. Regardless, it’s one of my favorite places I have visited in Madagascar and is certainly one of the most unique.

The day after visiting the lakes, Mananjara headed back to Tana and I was picked up by my driver and new friend, Omega. Omega and I started our long journey to the first destination on my solo vacation, the tiny city of Ambalavao in southern Madagascar.

As always, know that you are in my prayers each morning. All I ask is that you do the same for me.

May God be praised.

P.S. Just because all the photos from the previous blogs are gone does not mean you won’t see any more photos. In fact, you will continue to see photos of all the places I have visited and will be visiting soon.