Imerinkasinina

Friday September 14th
 
There are a couple of ways to go to Imerinkasinina: Ambohimanambola or Ambohimalaza. But if you depart from Anjeva, get your legs prepared. I am not talking about the 3km ahead of you but the fact that you have to go up a hill and take the paved road up there. The panoramic view is terrific though. You can even enjoy watching the light of Antananarivo at night. Bottom line: go, you won’t regret it!

Welcome to Imerinkasinina

The village features among those historic locations (Imerimanjaka, Ambohitrabiby, Ambohimanga, etc.) reported to be where lords of the merina Kingdom, also known as the andriana lived or visited. There, you could see the ‘amontana’ and ‘aviavy’ (those are the names of the andriana’s trees) planted centuries ago. That’s about it, at least that’s what I am sure about. Anyway, the stories are told differently and it is difficult to pick one version…

However, if we refer to a not distant past, Imerinkasinina is the place where a self-made man, Marc Ravalomanana grew up, raised a family and started his little dairy business before he became the wealthiest man of the country and - wait there’s more - the 6th President of the Republic of Madagascar (2002-2009). 

Unfinished business

I left Madagascar in 2003 and I could easily notice the changes when I got back. Big homes and refurbished structures here, paved road there, more rich people and more poor people too. From what I hear from some of them, the former president brought huge improvements to the surroundings in various areas. There is no question about it. But he couldn’t finish the collective (and personal) projects he started because of the 2009 coup.