While in Tamatave I have been researching briquette technology. I visited a few organizations. ERI had an oil press but no briquette. I got referred to an ERI guy down south. He referred me to a French organization in Tana named GRET. I hope they respond to my English email. Supposedly they brought in a briquette press a few years ago.

In my investigation I walked into a store that sold various industrial appliances and inquired about the press. They said that the President of the house of commerce bought an automatic briquette press and it should be coming from China next month. Wow, I had a lead. I was excited and started to track the Prez down.

I simply rode my bike, actually I was barrowing it from Margo, down to his office after asking a few people where it was. Once I arrived I talked to his secretary, but he was not in, she said to come back. So I did three times, I got so lost trying to get there the following two times that I wondered if I was still in Tamatave. I had a map, but I was still confused. Even if you have the ocean on your left you don’t know if you are going south or west because Tamatave juts out to form a point.

On my third visit I left a note with my number and reason I wanted to talk.  He didn’t call the next day, so I went by. Nope still not there, during my wild goose chase I was going to PPRR to talk to the head cheese there. Yes, I visited them three times one day, hoping to get a word. I wanted to talk to someone that knew about machines used in production of various goods and services. The head duck was busy each time I visited. I was told to come back at this time and that time, but I was never allowed to enter into his office. Finally circumstances were favorable; I keep coming back so I gained respect from the secretary, I spoke Malagasy, it was getting late and I had a long bike ride home. Seems like those factors convinced the secretary to quietly pleaded my case and I got to see him. Later I had to ride back to Dave’s site in the dark, 10K, but at least I could cross an item off my list. I am still following up leads from that meeting, yea.

One morning I was getting ready to head to Tamatave from Dave’s site and my phone rang. It was the Prez of commerce, after getting over the shock; I said I would be there in an hour. I high-tailed it over and had time to spare. I sat down in the waiting room. I saw a short gentleman leaving an office next door and I asked him if he was the president. He said he was so we begin to talk. He was the president of artisans, his name was Xavier; I needed the president of agriculture. There are five presidents. He was very helpful; he called the president of commerce, college of agriculture. Before I knew it we were out on the street going for a fifteen minute walk to visit with the other president. We found him at a small fair based around raising fish. I set up a meeting with him at 3:00pm.  While I was walking around the fair I got a call from the president of commerce, he said it was 10:30am where was I. I was beside myself, what was going on, we got cut off. I called him back, I noticed the number was the same number from this morning. He was the real MaCoy.  Then who had I been talking to, who lead me here?

I could not understand him when I called him. I handed the phone to a lady I meet from PPRR. She was confused to, but I told him I would return to the house of commerce. I arrived and started to ask people who called me and showed them the number on my phone. I talked to one guy I met earlier when I talked to Xavier. He pointed me to an office opposite to Xavier’s. I was allowed to enter. This office was huge and had really thick nice furniture. There was an authoritative figure behind a large dark wooden desk. He didn’t look happy. He came to the office just to call and see me. I apologized many times and told him I thought Xavier was him and so on. He seemed to disregard my story and continued to say that there are no presses in Tamatave and not any of his Vice Presidents are purchasing any machines and if he comes across any information he will call me. That was it, I apologized again and left.

At 3:00pm I walked to the area where Xavier said to meet vice prez of agriculture. I asked around and was lead up some stairs to his living room. He was in discussion with another man. He was walking around in his boxers and the shirt I saw him in earlier. He was comfortable in his own home. He spoke English very well. He handed me printouts in English and French from the FAO website. It was about different briquette presses. He said that he bought a press from China to start up a business in Tamatave. He is going to make large briquettes for boilers and ship them to near by Islands. He is going to use sawdust from Moramonga. He should be up and running in a few months. Needless to say, it was not government business, hope I didn’t cause any problems. He was very nice and helpful. I got his contact information and after a short discussion about dried fruit and honey production I was on my way.