Welcome to the story of 188DX/AF090 IOTA Tour held during April 2003.

Story by 14DX461 Ludo

After the decision to cancel our AF057 trip with Jean  188/14AT286, we decide to go in Nosy Boraha isl. AF090, the trip will be made by the road then boat , we leave early in this 6 April with a taxi to go to the Taxi Brousse station . After a long time waiting before the departure , we are on the way finally , a long road to go to Toamasina (Tamatave) in the eastern coast of Malagasy about 7 or hours for 400 kms , after spending the night in a little hotel , we take another taxi brousse at about 4 AM local time, we need again 4 hours with the taxi to go to a small city Soanierana which is in front of Nosy Boraha isl.  A little boat will bring us to the island after nearly 3 hours under the sunshine.

Finally we arrive safely in the island , We reach the hotel with a taxi, after about 28 hours by road , sea we are in the promise land, a little hotel just in front of the sea , with the coral reef , wonderfull place.

The 188DX/AF090/NB can finnaly begin at 1300 GMT with again 19DX121 Mike 1st in the log, the propagation is better than on the mainland, some NA stations will enter the log, at 15.30 GMT last contact is 1CA285. Then Jean will take the microphone as 188AT/AF090/NB.

On this second day activation , i was active time to time , we made some visit around the island the propagation was quite good , but on this wonderfull island it was better enjoying the holidays than staying behind the TX, about 100 more station in the log.

For my third day on the island i made a visit on the city, was a long walk to go there about 5 kms or more under 37°c , not a lot of taxi in fact on the  islands , and they are quite expensive !! the radio days is quite slow , propagation not as good as days before.

On this Thursday 10 April , i go visit a buccaner cimetary very famous on the islands , lots of popular buccaners are there , from this place i can see easily Madame isl and Forbans isl , 2 islands that we can do quite easy on the radio, the return is terrible it’s too warm no taxi’s coming , so i return to the hotel by walk for the 8 kms. When i arrive at the hotel , i’m really tired , only few contacts will be done in the afternoom , i let Jean enjoying the radio for the rest of the day.

The day after , i wake up very hardly, looks my adventure the day before kill me , more than 30 °c  in the bungalow and i’m freezing , i have much temperature , better stay in the bed , in the beginning  of the afternoom i try to come on the radio , but after 20 contacts i feel very tired , i return in the bed for again few hours . My fever is quite high after a short and quick dinner  i go to bed still illy.

For this week-end we go on Nosy Natto isl , the island in located south of Nosy Boraha  you can even  go tho the island by swimming , a little boat will be ok after few minutes we arrive to this wonderfull island , our hotel is nice , but no electricity , we will have to pay to have electricity with the power generator, the propagation is good , changing time to time behind the station with Jean , at the end of the day , the weather change suddenly , very hard wind and rain , like a little hurricane coming all night long.

On the second day , we finish the activation at the end of the morning , time for us to go back in NB , the weather is still awfull this activation is finish .

Now i have 3days left on the island , but for the last day i want to add something special to my trip , i ask to a taxi driver to take infos for me on Madame isl. To see if there electricity in the island, after talking with John 47DX101 all is ok , i have the right to go on the island , Arriving on the islans , i will transmit from the custom office , strange place to do radio , but in fact no problem  with a little backshis.

The propagation is not very strong but some reports are 5/9+ quite strange too see not a lot of people calling .

After 2 hours on the island i must qrt quickly because custom office is going to close.

It has been a wonderfull experience again from Malagasy , another 3 islands done for the iota hunters, tnx to all who call me during my adventures , and especially again to Mike , John , Soren , Carsten , Tom , Bruno, Jean and all good friends i forgot !!

Cuagn from somewhere.
Vy 73’s
Ludo 14DX461


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