How exhausting being on an idyllic beach with only books for amusement and two bars to choose from. To paddle or not to paddle; snooze or not to snooze; in the shade or in the sun? One John le Carré and a Geraldine McCaughrean later, interspersed with strolls to Emile’s bar, we find ourselves viewing a stunning sunset sipping Three Horses Beer and chatting, speculating about dinner – lobster, fish, veg and salad and coconut tart. Divine.

Adrian did two dives this morning, the first of which was judged to be ‘superbe’ whereas the second was less so but still OK. There are very few divers here – only Adrian today, so everyone but the pirogue touts take the afternoon off. Totally clear blue sky and a beach that has more, and bigger shells than any beach I’ve ever strolled along. Adrian saw an enormous conch in the sea and caves with dozens of lobsters. Although it’s nominally a marine reserve, it is fished pretty heavily, if only to feed the vazaha. The pirogues go out in the morning with nets and either trawl or have bigger boats chase the fish into the nets between two boats in deeper waters. When I first saw this, I thought it was a particularly inefficient method of stunning the poor poisson, but it was later explained – my image of lots of men having devised a really great way of getting out of the house crumbled to dust.

Interestingly, there are few mozzies on Madagascar. Either that, or my multifarious methods of determent (bugbands, clothing spray, tea tree oil, body spray), atmospheric control (coils, evaporators), chemistry-changing (Vitamin B) antidote (Aspivenin, piezo electric device) have worked. Plus Piriton, New Skin anti-histamine cream, anaesthetic antiseptic, etc. if they do get me. Plus malaria prophylactics. Any room for your passport, madam? And I made a bit more room by offering our flight tickets into the mercies of la gérante. By radio telephone she ascertained that Air Mad will not confirm any flight without the actual ticket, and it must be within 72 hours of flying. Even then, it’s not really confirmed. And they might bring the flight forward four or five hours. So Valentene will take them on the morning boat because the Air Mad office closes at 10am on Saturday. What a system!