78 days left

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Thanks and love to all.
it is so good to hear from each and everyone of yall, I really look foreward to messages.

Today is the first day back in Fort Daupin from a week long camping trip where we did our first lemur field study project.
The southern redion of Madagascar is mostmy dey desert and this place was no exception. >The national park where we were at was Isofaka, home of the spiny forest (rightly named)
here every tree has thorns, our water had to be broght in on ox cart, and the sun was out and blazing by 8 which by then we were already on our way to study lemur behavior, distribution, and habitat.
Sifaka: the largest of the lemurs, white, and do not drink water
These were the particular species that we were studying due to the fact that they are easy to see. And see them we did.

After Ifotaka we went to Berenty, a reserve that is owned by a rich French family, and if Grandma you were ever to come to Madagascar THIS is where you would want to come. Very nice and the lemur population is habituated to the tourists so that you can came within touching distance of a ringtail lemur with her new born baby (birthing season is september).

Interesting thing that happened: I got my first 'parosy' or parisite, sand flees are nasty little things that burrow into your feet, set up shop and start laying eggs. I decided that I was going to extract my own, being something that everyone should know how to do, and really how hard can it be?
Well, 2 parosy and 30 eggs later I am not sure if that is the best decision as I am still finding eggs in my toe...
The food is good here though, I have never more fully experienced the phrase 'eat local' than here in Madagascar due to the fact that if you do not eat local it is canned food or just rediculously priced. here is my diet:
vary (or rice, the natinal food of madagascar), potatoes, carrots, red beans, white bagettes (the only bread that they have here), peanut butter (a protein necessity), bananas, papaya, guava, coer de beuf, yogart, manioc, et un delicious drink of rice water (which I try to tell my self is tea)
that being said I miss the variety of diet that I can find in the grocery store, I want grainy bread, and I want to feel like I am not eating rice all of the time.
But what does not kill me makes me stronger? or at least appreciate things more.

Host family update:
only my malagasy father speaks french in the family, the rest speak malagasy which makes conversation sometimes a problem, but my sister (samsara) and I have overcome this problem by singing together. Malagasy songs are beautiful, remind me to teach them to you.
My mother is a health worker and my fater works with the local government I think, he also speaks German. I have 2 other sisters, Gladis and Wystallin, 4 brothers (three who live in Tana, and many other relations that I really do not know how they are related to anyone but they are always over.
My family has many facits of income, the jobs my parents have, but we also have the only water faucet in the neighborhood so people come by to fill up buckets for cooking and bathing, paying a small fee for the water. They also sell glacè (ice), though i have yet to see a refrigerator.

a past memory:
Showers here are in interesting thing, if you want hot water, it must be warmed by the charcoal cooking stoves and then taken into the bathing area. a separate cup is used in the bathroom than for anyother function and you pour the water over you in your bucket bath. My family uses our shower as a pee spot, place to hang dry your underwear, brush your teeth, and store the checken for the night. It is not the most effiient way to clean yourself when the whole time you are afraid that a chichen is going to launch itself at you and peck your eyes out. (as a side note the chicken is gone and I beleive eaten for diner)

I think that I lost my memory card that I have been downloading pictures onto so I am not sure if I will be able to upload anymore for a while/save things, but hopefully I will find it.

It is getting dark and I have to get home before that. The streets become desrted quickly after dark which is unsettling.

Love to all

alex

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