Pablo Picasso
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| Another sign in the Miracle Mile District Built in 1960, the hotel took a sleazy turn in 1995 when it was converted into a porn theater, adult bookstore and sex-prop shop Demolished in 2004, except for this sign |
Eddie Vedder
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| All that is left of the 1953 Tucson Inn The only two-story motel in Tucson at the time Miracle Mile District |
Ernest Hemingway
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| 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.
Chief Red Eagle
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| 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.
Mary Engelbreit
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| 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.
