Because of fear, we lose what we have.
Because of expectation, we don't see what we have.
Tulku Lobsang Rinpoche
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| 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 |
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| The Mozambique Channel from Laguna Beach Resort |
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| These small fishing pirogues go 2-4 miles (3-6km) out nearly every day in the Mozambique Channel to fish |
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| Pirogue with outrigger - on Laguna Beach Woman walking by to give you a sense of its size |
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| The plain version, no colors, stripped of anything |
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| Some rest upside down with palm leaves spread on top As protection from the sun |
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| Interestingly, their mast doesn't touch the bottom They rest on a side bar padded with roping |
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| Rocks balance a couple of simple handmade buoy markers |
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| She came running then laid next to this pirogue Not sure if she was hiding from someone or just having fun |
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| Early morning, returning from what looks like a poor night of fishing Seeming despondent, sad |
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| Two radiated tortoises (Astrochelys radiata) - endemic to Madagascar They kept pushing one another in this small enclosure at the resort Critically endangered due to habitat loss and poaching |
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| Some interesting carvings on fenceposts near ATM machine in small town The fencing seemed to be protecting a very large banyan tree |
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| Black zebu with calf near numerous termite mounds |
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| Bags full of small red onions, ready to be picked up Madagascar has the best red onions I've ever had, they have a lot of flavor The ferry you see in the background is stuck on a sandbar We are waiting for its release before we can cross - it may be a while |
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| Since it wasn't too deep where the ferry got stuck, the vehicles got off so that it would be easier to release it from the sandbar Manpower finally brought it back to our side of the river |
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| Small version of ferrying a motorcycle on two pirogues tied together |
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| They used to have a ferry large enough for five vehicles The last cyclone destroyed it so you have to wait a lot longer for crossings Madagascar is hit by an average of 1.5 cyclone per year, the most in Africa |
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| Carrying one of the red onion bags to a bus - heading to a market |
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| How close we had to park on the ferry to fit three vehicles |
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| One of the needed heavy metal ramps fell in the river It took seven people to bring it back up and put it on the ferry Made of solid metal, they are very heavy |
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| Life continues as if nothing is happening to the ferry The river is the lifeblood of this area |
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| Going down the narrow ramps - our two drivers are excellent |
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| A large baobab - two people dressed up to attend some festivity The reason I took this picture is that the name Marie is written in red on its trunk You can't tell from this picture but it's there |
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| Wood for cooking Driven by a QLN walking tractor - people are resourceful (one you normally walk behind, not so much hitch a heavy trailer to) |
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| Another type of baobab, very squatty and fat Madagascar Baobab (Adansonia madagascariensis) |
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| Per our guide, the circular patterns on the trunk suggest a disease The bumps on the right side are where locals put wooden spikes to help climb the tree when it's time to harvest the fruits |
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| Pool at Olô Bé Lodge Near lagoon protected from the open ocean by fringing and submerged barrier reefs |
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| I thought these hand-carved birds were used to indicate wind direction at the bow They are thought to ensure safe journey and bring good luck on the water |
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| Using ribbons for ??? wind direction ??? |
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| Cut like lace rocks near the beach |
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| A hole in this rock, a pirogue passing by |
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| Another bird but this time a colorful one |
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| I love these small carved birds |
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| Each bird different |
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| Looking for a sim card? This is where you can get one Portable store |
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| Many carts are painted I like that transport was misspelled |
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| Nice day beds by the beach at Mikea Lodge |
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| Desperately starting to add rocks and retaining walls to protect from the onslaught of the ever rising ocean |
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| A very interesting type of succulent with heart-shaped leaves Alluaudia Ascendens (Fantsiolotse - local name) Looks a bit like an ocotillo from a distance |
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| Thorny Silver Thicket (Euphorbia stenoclada) - endemic to Madagascar Found all around the spiny forest at the southern end of the island This one with cyathium clusters (false flowers) |
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| This sand is so fine, it's difficult to drive through it |
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| Ambatomilo Cove Untouched beauty - great place for disconnecting Fishermen pirogues slowly appearing through the morning's lifting fog |
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| Ambatomilo Cove White Egret (Egretta dimorpha) |
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| Ambatomilo Cove White egret - fishermen returning from night's work |
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| The sun is slowly coloring the clouds above the fog Fishermen closer to their village a little further south |
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| The fog is finally lifting Nearly 250 miles (400km) of reef protects this white sand beach and beyond World's second largest reef coral system but practically unknown |
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| Ambatomilo Cove Raking the seagrass or seaweed to keep the beach pristine |
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| Ambatomilo Cove Local women, one with sandalwood face mask, one without |
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| Ambatomilo Cove Simple outrigger without sail Look at how blue and clean the water is |
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| Plain Tiger Butterfly (Danaus chrysippus orientis) Often mistaken for Monarch butterfly |
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| Desperately trying to stop erosion as the waves come higher and higher |
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| The Mikea people - hunter-gatherers in SW Madagascar Though hard to count, population estimated at 1,500 At times called forest-scavengers |
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| Dioscorea bemandry, a species of yam From a perennial vine, important food staple of the Mikea It is considered an 'underground treasure' for obvious reason |
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| Mikea mother and daughter They never spoke for the half hour that we asked questions Their diet mainly consists of wild honey, 'yams', small animals & birds |
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| The whole Mikea family, two boys, one girl With no built shelter, they sleep around this fire at night It is believed to be a place where their ancestors are located |
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| I was surprised to see they have greyish eyes Here the father is talking about the rainy season, not sure what the stick represented but it seemed important to the story They don't recognize seasons, only dry and wet times of year |
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| One of the very few things they trade for - tobacco I love the look of his daughter as he lights a pipe |
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| Always living around a fire and its smoke, they cough a lot He is very animated when he answers our questions They never go in the ocean or the river, they depend solely on rain water |
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| It goes without saying that we are as much of a curiosity to them as they are to us This whole time, the mother stared intensely at me but not in a way that made me uncomfortable |
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| She is expressive in her own quiet way Is that blood on her right leg? |
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| The father often looks up when he speaks |
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| Linking back to the lead photo at the top of this post Here's the pirogue with outrigger we are sailing on for half a day I am in the middle, my guide behind me, also a lady who will be scuba diving The other two are the people getting us to the reef and one island |
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| The Coton de Tulear dog - rare and from this area of Madagascar Super friendly while a good guard dog As its name suggests, its fur feels and looks like cotton Considered the 'Royal dog of Madagascar' |
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| View from the pirogue to the white beach we are parallelling |
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| Ready to throw a line to the person at the stern |
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| Can you believe this water? I can't Outline of the sailor at the bow |
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| Plastic bottles to help lift lines where they grow red and brown algae They are grown for the cosmetic and food industries Cultivation and harvest are good jobs for women |
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| Total production estimated at 1,500 ton per year (dry weight) |
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| Prone to diseases, algae needs a lot of attention and care |
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| Returning to the resort, watching small boys playing in the water One has a miniature replica of a pirogue with outrigger like the one we are on |
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| As we approach the reef, particular attention is paid to the bottom in front of us |
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| We will also go to the island you see at the front Considered a sacred place, we had to make an offering of local rum in order to walk on it |
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| Red knob starfish |
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| No wind, time to use a paddle |
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| Putting the main sail back up after visiting the island Done the hard way - need muscular youth to do this |
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| Squatting on the outrigger to pee - - - my guide wasn't impressed I didn't mind |
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| Just as the sun was setting, I followed these mystery tracks for 0.25 mile I wanted to figure out what made them |
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| I was finally rewarded - a hermit crab!!! When I first saw him it retreated inside its shell I had to wait another 20 minutes before it had the courage to come out |
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| Just in time to watch the colorful lights of a fabulous sunset My last night in this small paradise |
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