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Published: November 2nd 2008
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Isalo
gigantic sandstone massif Tomorrow I leave Tana, the big city for a the begining of my ISP period (of which I previously posted).
here lies a recap of the last few weeks, since Oct. 23:
We have been staying in the hotel Raphia, a lovely hotel with an Idian theme that serves delicious food, occasionally smells of raw sewage, and we hear the beautiful song of the call to prayer each day.
Many people thus far have been terribly sick. so far, three people have had malaria and my other friend, Danielle, has had both ameobic and bacterial dysentary. Thankfully I have been relatively fine thus far...
The capital city of Tanais both beautiful and delapitated. It is an old city with French archetecture, due to colonization, but it is similar to most nations disabilitated by poverty in the way that is beauty unkept. Buildings are neglected and crumbling with out the money to upkeep, but it is the erosion of time, not the destruction of people. The streets at night are lined with bodies spread out on dirty foam squares, people neglected. What is better? To live in poverty in the city, sleeping across the street from YOUR countries governmental
Isalo
treck to natural spring buildings, the same government that should be looking out for you. Or to live in the rural country, a simple life, far from modern technology and healthcare and education?
I have had my bag slashed twice by people trying to steal the insides.The only thing of which has disappeared so far is my pocket knife, a pitty due to its many uses. Anyways, it is stitched and repaired with little xxxxxxxxx's...sorry kevin, but i am told it looks better now...
I am not sure if I like the city, dispite the easy access to peanut butter and french pastries. I miss the clean simplicity of nature and the mental, physical, spiritual completeness and solidarity i have been able to find.
Today, sunday, there is much time for reflection and thought as everything is closed due to it being both a sunday and all saints day. Zoe and I have been practicing WFR principles.
Before Tana. le tour des parcs nationaux
Parc national de Isalo
sandstone massif, prarie like terrain with wonderful, beautiful orange and red sandstone structures rising up from the ground.
natural pools located in a canyon of sandstone. Maki here as well as everywhere,
brown and ringtailed.
Anja
A comunity run and sustained park. Beautiful and much less visited then anyother of the National Parks due to its smailler size, which was nice to not be around other tourists. A lake and vege garden near camp and at night, fire burning on the mountain star gazing and god talking. maki, rock hiking, peace corps worker here united with the community in this community-based tourism effort.
Andringitra National Park
'Pic Boby' the highest accessable peak in Madagascar, 2860m, more than one-fourth the hieghth of Everest. backpacked to base camp. Base Camp! our porters/malagasy sherpa hike in our food and water supply because we are westeners and that is how we usually do mountains i suppose...the summit took us 7 hours round trip, wonderfulness. here lies granite. moon shadow at night.
Parc National de Ranamafana
Malagasy rainforest quite similar to Costa Rica jungle, just insert lemurs for primates and chameleons for iguanas. green green green with the first real whitewater that I have seen all semester. o freshwater. we saw all three species of bamboo lemur in existance: grey, golden, and greater. There are only THREE Greater Bamboo lemurs left in the wild.
nymphs
the most awesome bugs i have ever seen. your take on that? WWWhat is your conservation stance? to what extent should humans be allowed to further meddle with nature?
Parc National de Andasibe
Rainforest of Madagascar is magical. Indri Indri the largest lemur species currently walking the earth is the size of a lanky child, just dressed up in a bear costume, springing from tree to tree and singing a haunting song, just as humpback whales do to communicate to each other. I would love a recording of this. Also the tiny mouse lemur lives here which we were lucky enough to spy on our night walk. One of the most lovely highways I have ever idly walked upon exists running along side this park. surrounhded on both sides by the greengreen only found in a rainforest, sprinkled with psychedelic colors and the sound of birds bugs and brook.
Back in the city, for this weekend living with The Circle of Friends (Quakers) who, like the Great Bamboo Lemur, there are only three left in all of Madagascar.
and tomorrow I am off to Moramanga(easy mango).
and in two days we will have a new president.
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Laurel
non-member comment
To Feathered Paddles
How amazing! You're exploring and seeing all these wonderful things and holding small reptiles and not getting sick. I'm very happy for you. And you still have yet to go to Paris. At certain odd points I remember very strange things that happened to us or that we did, such as our many "camping" excursions. I'm assuming you've added crazy camping stories from Madagascar. Miss you!