Blind, Expressive, Village Chief and Largest Indri Lemurs - Madagascar

Critics are men who watch a battle from a high place

then come down and shoot the survivors.

Ernest Hemingway

Zafimaniry Tribe Chief, small village of Antoetra
Blind and about 80 years old - doesn't know his true age
Had to have two translators to have a conversation with him

It is with trepidation and sadness that I am about to leave Madagascar.  Trepidation because I don’t know if my flight will depart or if the coup will prevent me from going away?  Sadness because of leaving all the absolutely wonderful people I have met along the way.  I finish this trip visiting the chief of a village and then heading to a forest in the NE to see the very elusive Indri-Indri Lemur.  I lucked out and saw some pre-monsoon blooms as well.  A great way to end this adventure.

Raw Silk, Colorful Market, Baby Lemurs on the Loose - Madagascar

Angry people want you to see how powerful they are.

Loving people want you to see how powerful you are.

Chief Red Eagle

These colorful hats are made of papyrus
Each one sells for $0.50!

My second Malagasy market.  I never took pictures of the first one as it was too crowded.  I had better opportunities to see the local wares in this market.  Madagascar is known for its high quality chocolate, vanilla, raw silk, and wood carvings.  Almost every dinner ended with a chocolate based dessert.  Restaurants often served chicken with vanilla sauce – actually quite good though unexpected.  Sadly, homemade rum and tobacco are cheap escapes for the populace and are commonly found throughout Madagascar.  However, filled with wonderful colors and smells, I enjoyed this weekly market.

Ringtails, Wrapping Tails, Three Tails at Sunrise - Playful Lemurs - Madagascar

Don’t ever save anything for a special occasion.

Being alive is the special occasion.

Mary Engelbreit

Ringtail lemur with little one
They always seem so alert, in the now

Betsileo means ‘the many invincible ones’ they are the third biggest Malagasy tribe.  They are specialists in terraced rice cultivation.  On the other hand, Bara means ‘those of the interior’. They are the largest of the island’s zebu-herding people.  On one side of Chameleon Mountain, which I hiked, live the Betsileo with their rice paddies.  As I topped the mountain, I could see below me zebus being led by the Bara.  These two tribes often interact at this border.  As I was coming down from Chameleon Mountain, I saw women and men bringing what they had exchanged with the other tribe.  This place is also a haven for watching playful lemurs.

Isalo Park, Feather-Like Bug, Rainbow Killer Locust, Blue Sapphires - Malagascar

 Society tells us to buy more.

Wisdom tells us to need less.

Joshua Becker

Relais du Masaola near Isalo National Park
Beautiful sunrise despite the cloudiness

Isalo National Park is a stunning natural reserve.  It is known for its unique runiforme sandstone formations.  It features dramatic landscapes, deep canyons, and hidden oases – from pristine clear water to finely cut, colorful, rocks.  This is where I saw my largest chameleon and some very distinctive insects.  On the way here, we drove by where was found the largest sapphire in the world. 

Call of the Ocean & Back in Time with the Mikea People - Madagascar

Because of fear, we lose what we have.

Because of expectation, we don't see what we have.

Tulku Lobsang Rinpoche

Changing the tension of the side-stay (rope from top of mast to outrigger)
This sailor is super agile and comfortable moving around this vessel
Going for an 8 mile (13km) sail in the Ambatomilo Cove (third largest lagoon in the world)
On the Mozambique Channel

With over 10,000 pictures taken on this tour I needed nearly two months to sort them.  I kept roughly a quarter.  You are looking at what I believe are the best ones.  At the end of this post, I have photos of the Mikea, the last true forest scavengers (aka nomadic tribe) in Madagascar.  What a tough life it must be.  Nonetheless, they seem to be very gentle people.  Difficult to find, I was lucky to encounter them.