I had heard that traffic is a pain here and that I should get a small car to reduce the stress of driving in the city. These photos

were taken early in the morning when not many people are out, but they give you a feel for how narrow the roads are and how people just walk along the side of the roads. Often cars have to pull off to the side to let an oncoming truck pass. Some just honk and expect the pedestrians to move, and generally cars are often passing within centimeters of hitting someone. I have not seen any accidents so far, so it seems like another case of controlled chaos, but driving in Antananarivo is definitely more challenging that in La Paz, Addis Ababa, or Tokyo.

Anyway, the upside of this is that you can see all of the people, and shops, and animals from a car because life is happening all along the streets and in some cases, in the middle of the streets. My little morning commute provides some nice surprises of people carrying goods, selling wares, and heading off to school or work. I’m glad I don’t have to drive myself yet, so I can just enjoy the view!