I got my bags back on a roll heading out there and I'm ready to go looking real

good in my passport photo.

Amateur Traveler, episode 141.

Today the amateur traveler goes to Madagascar.

Learn about leemers and vanilla and beautiful beaches

in this beautiful destination that is for many of us,

literally at the other end of the world, maybe not so the day.

Welcome to the amateur traveler.

I'm your host Chris Christensen.

Before we get into the interview, I have just a little news for you today,

not a lot. The regular news is pretty much

the same and travel these days prices are going up I did have one story that I

wrote that I'd be interested in your feedback on that's on Trebinator.com and it's the pluses and minuses of group travel or packaged

tours. I've already gotten some feedback from people who like or don't like package tours and I'd be interested in your feedback as well.

I'll put a link to that in the show notes at amateur traveler.com.

I'd like to welcome to the show Maryland who's coming to us from Tucson to talk to us

about Madagascar.

Maryland welcome to the show.

Thank you Chris, nice to be here. Maryland is actually a good friend of mine. We've traveled with Maryland before and this was not your first trip to Madagascar. Tell us a little bit about your history with that faraway country.

I grew up on the island of Madagascar.

My parents went there as missionaries in

1946 on a freighter that was originally used for transporting soldiers during the war.

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