Friday, January 4, 2013

2013 seems like a better year to finish a bridge...

The long and winding road to the bridge site...







 Happy New Year everyone!  As we say here in Madagascar, Tratra ny tombaovao!  We took a little break from bridge building to ring in the new year with friends and family, but in a few days we will begin construction in what will actually be the last few weeks of work. The work that remains consists of laying the madriers (the smaller pieces of wood)  across the stringers, building a small railing on the bridge, and building two sets of stone stairs on either sides of the bridge.  We should be able to finish this all up in the next 3 weeks or less, as long as we don't get hit by a cyclone (or run in to any of the other infinite potential problems that could occur here in Madland).  Here are some pics from the last few weeks of work--Mazotoa! Enjoy!


The villagers accepted the responsibility of carrying the stringers to the bridge site surprisingly well..

...and were pretty ecstatic when they were done with the haul.

New Malagasy fashion, cement bag shirts.




Setting the stringers.


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