Building canoes

Some The canoes used by the Vezo are dug out of the trunk of a tree called farafatse. Once the wood has been left to dry for a few weeks, it becomes soft, light and extremely supple. The first task in constructing a canoe is to fell a tree and carve out the trunk; what emerges as a hull is called roka. Once the wood has dried out, the roka is transported to the village. If the roka is for a inolanga, there is little further to be done on it; if it is needed for a laka, a second major operation takes place.