WEATHER: Low of 15C and a high of 32C
HIGHTLIGHT OF THE DAY: Getting to see some Lemurs on my second last day
BUMMER OF THE DAY: Can’t think of a single thing
BUYS OF THE DAY: Some local crafts for 5AUD.
WORD OF THE DAY: Namaza – friendly
ANIMALS SEEN TODAY: LEMURS!!! Red fronted lemurs, Ring-tailed lemurs, spiders and a raphich vanga
Up at 6am this morning, and to think this was ‘normal’ time in Africa. As my bungalow is so far down the resort, I decided to take my pack with me to the main building so I would have to go back down there after breakfast and it gave me some extra time in my bungalow. As I walked out there were porters all walking around ready to pounce on doors that opened with people and their luggage. I didn’t have any small notes left to tip, so I carried my backpack for the first time in I rekon 3 months further than 2m. OMG and it’s not even full. Lord I think I have gone backpack soft!
I had to pay my bill this morning and my coke and beer only came to 6,000AR (#AUD), but lunch yesterday was 40,000AR, which is like 20AUD, which has been the most expensive lunch so far here. In saying that it was a 3 course affair in a 5 star restaurant, so it wasn’t such a bad price really, just expensive in Malagasy terms.
We only had to travel 15 minutes down the road to the village and to the entrance of Isalo National Park. We collected out guide here, Rivoo, checked in at the rangers office and then we headed by car down a dusty bumpy road the 4km to the start of the hiking trail. We were the only car in the car park at 8am. Where is everybody else. I know both the big groups last night at the resort had done their hikes yesterday. Oh well, I’m not going to complain, it means no people in your photos and nobody else talking and ruining the serenity. So with a wave to Alan who was sticking around to look after the luggage we set off just after 8am. Isalo National Park is 81,000 hectares and was opened in 1962. The section that we were going to visit today was the Canyon of Namaza, which is a natural canyon that has been carved by wind and rain into strange shapes. As we descended into the canyon and made our way in you could hear the running water pretty much straight away and this sound stayed with us the whole 3.5 hours we were in the canyon. We followed the river, named Ranama River, all the way to the source and we crossed it 4 times in and 4 times back and I didn’t fall in once! There has to be something said about hearing running water gurgling over rocks. Our first stop was only 15 minutes in at the camp site of the camp and this is where we spotted our Lemurs. They were certainly more people orientated as we walked in there were campers eating their breakfast below where the lemurs were. Knowing what lengths we went to in Ranomafana National Park, these guys were just sitting in trees over the camp sites BBQ and sitting areas. There are 7 species of Lemurs in this park, of which 4 of them are nocturnal, so we had 3 on our list to see today and we knocked 2 of them off within the first 15 minutes! The last one was one that I have seen before in Ranomfana so really we could have turned around right there and gone back to the car, but now it was off to just enjoy what nature had created over millions of years and to be honest I am not a massive nature lover, but this walk was amazing and definitely worth the 3 hour effort. I have taken so many pictures of streams, moss covered rocks, sandy beaches, tree lined streams, rockeries, the steps we walked on, more streams, more plants, waterfalls and sandstone worn away with the passage of time. It was a great morning and we only saw one other couple on the first circuit and they were leaving as we arrived and the 2nd circuit had 2 big groups of 20 arrive into the pools as we were leaving as well. So it certainly was a great idea to start out early to miss all the people. Good call Alan. I rekon the 150 photos I took could rival national geographic I’m telling ya!!!
So after 3 hours in the sandstone canyon and having walked around 6km, back past the now sleeping Lemurs on the way out is was a great way to start the day. It was starting to also heat up and it was only 11am in the morning. So we travelled back the 4km back to the ranger’s office and to drop off Rivoo. I remembered this morning hearing a stamp getting used as we got our paperwork done. I only have one more day in Madagascar and it is a Sunday, so guessing the post office will be closed, I was yet to get a stamp in my Globetrotters Book. So I got Rivoo to come in with me and asked if they would stamp my book, which she did with no hesitation. It is a groovy NP of Madagascar stamp with a Lemur, perfect.
Alan and I decided to have an early lunch so we could just high tail it once we get back onto National Highway 7 and guess what the restaurant was called. Chez Berny! Well it must be a classy establishment. I got Alan to take a photo of me with the menu and when I went into pay, he hand wrote a receipt up and then stamped it with the name and details of the place, so I asked him if I could use the stamp in my Globetrotters book which he said no worries, so it was a successful day all round getting my book stamped.
We now needed to cover 230km to get us to Fianarantsoa, also known as Firana for obvious reasons, and this is one I can’t say properly, even after Alan told me like 10 times. Sorry it was just too hard.
So 12 noon and we were back on the road again. My second last day in Madagascar. So over 5 hours of driving with only one stop at the Papyrus making place to have a look at their shop that was closed a few days ago for a few small purchases and a toilet stop for Alan (and smoko) Being on the road and driving it gives you time to think about what you are seeing through the window of the car. Sometimes you would be in the middle of nowhere, no villages and no shops and you would see a lone bike rider or a walker, it reminds me of the Masai we saw when we were driving to the Serengeti. Same thing, where are they going, how long have they been walking for. They are literally in the middle of nowhere, nothing as far as the eye can see anyway.
They have a lot of roadside police checks through the whole country. Mainly checking paper work for the trucks and taxi’s and I have seen them looking at the 20 people jammed into the local buses ( that should really hold 10) but that doesn’t seem to worry the police here or the passengers getting crammed in like sardines. I guess the other option is to walk and we could be talking 20-30km, so I guess I would take the cram as well. Not once have we been stopped. I guess they see the vazzar (white person) in the front and assume that all the paper work would be in order. I rekon we probably pass through minimum 5 a day, so over the week that is 35 checks passed through. We always hope they pull up the trucks, so it gives us an opportunity to get past the slow buggers, and we got waved through each time!
Alan met one of his colleagues at the last hotel with her group and she gave him her transmitter for the radio, so we could plug in a USB stick loaded with songs and have that playing and not having to rely on my IPod or the reception of the radio stations when we are in whoop whoop. I used to have one for my car back in the ‘old’ days, but it was cassette based (yes that long ago). This one you just plugged into the lighter it plays out of your car speakers. So all afternoon we had The Best of Mariah Carey and The Best of Shania Twain playing for the 4 hours. Better than nothing or French love songs right!?
So we got into Fianarantsoa at 4.45pm and there was an old town city tour that was on the itinerary to be done this afternoon. F#*k that. I have walked for nearly 4 hours thins morning, sat in the car for nearly 5 hours, it was getting cold and it was starting to rain, I think I will forget the walking tour if that’s okay Alan. The look of relief on his face was evident, but I just couldn’t.
The guest house where I was staying the night was really sweet. It was set up cottage style with the main house at the front, with a beautiful garden with tables and garden chairs and lanterns you had to walk past to get to the rooms. My room was on the second level and it looked like an attic room. It was massive with large bay windows and a conch, a writing desk and a TV!!!! IT has been months since I have had a TV in my room and guess what? I didn’t even turn it on. I know right, it normally would be the first thing I would have done pre Africa I guess. It was actually nice to know I didn’t need it on, but in saying that I still had my IPod playing for some noise as I got my blog updated. Something’s won’t change, I always have music playing, I’m a music gal.
After dinner I found out that the accommodations had Wi-Fi, so I jumped on and loaded the last 9 entries of Madagascar, so it was good knowing that they were now up. I am nearly up to the 18,000 hits on the blog, so that is pretty cool and it certainly keeps me encouraged to keep writing. Thanks to all of you who keep coming back – it makes me feel great to know people are taking the time to read my entries.
Well we have a MASSIVE travel day tomorrow – so I will say goodnight.
Goodnight.
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