"You don't decide. Diego decides for you, because Diego's got you by the balls," says a fellow PCV who lives in this spectacular northern Malagasy city of glitz, beach, and debauchery. It's no wonder one of the most popular bars in Diego is named L'Etincelle or Glitter, as it epitomizes what I feel about this city that is part Vegas part Miami.
My program director forced me to take a vacation after the whole fiasco at my previous site, plus no one was going to be in the office during the holidays so moving to my current location needed to wait. I decided that I would lay on the beach where I could let the ocean waves wash away my pent up stress. I couldn't think of a better place than Diego-Suarez to do this.
I especially needed the vacation after the fourteen hour taxi-brousse ride (see next blog). My first meal was at a classy French restaurant and consisted of canard with a thick creamy sauce with sauteed veggies and fresh baguettes. The rest of this vacation was spent consuming ice cream, buttery patisseries, hamburgers, pizzas, French cuisine, paella, and mojitos by the pool at Le Grand Hotel. Encumbered with French influence its no wonder why Diego offers such a tasty palette. I never felt the need to be a hedonist before but Diego had forced it out of me. I came to the realization how much of a vacation I needed from having spent nine months in the desert.
However its important to keep in mind the fact that volunteers also serve in large touristic cities, so it's important to respect them by keeping face and keeping it under control. And vacations during service should be taken to re energize you for site versus as just an escape from life at site.
But with all of that said Diego ranks number one with me as far as favorite cities in Madagascar are concerned. With the crystal clear ocean of Emerald Bay to the upbeat night life, to the air-conditioned chocolate shop you can't go wrong (unless you would like to) in Diego-Suarez.
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