AFRICA 2007B (South Africa and Madagascar)

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1 AFRICA 2007B (South Africa and Madagascar) 01/01/08 Des & Charlotte Kelly As I noted in the previous travel report, we spent the night in a hotel in Belo-s-Tsiribihina after our 3-day trip down the Tsiribihina River. The next part of the tour was North on a very bad road to the Tsingy Reserve. Our driver, Christian, was a very pleasant and considerate young man. His driving was excellent and even though we were sitting at the back of the LandRover we hardly felt one bump on this 80 km track. There was a ferry over the river Manambolo to hotel L'Olympe du Bemaraha <olympedubemahara@yahoo.fr> up on the hill. Wooden beams across 3 steel canoes were sufficient to transport 2 vehicles. The hotel was brand new and consisted of a large dining room surrounded by a balcony overlooking the valley and surrounded by a number of very comfortable chalets. 1/8

2 My bronchitis was still troubling me so I decided to lie low that evening. The next morning I still lay low and Charlotte went off with our guide to visit the Petit Tsingy and took some good photographs. Tsingy is an area of extremely sharp stone pinnacles set in a forest. After 2 nights in Tsingy we set off back to Belo-s-Tsiribihina crossing the Manambolo River again. We noticed an armed soldier on board who was constantly staring into the river. We were told that someone was the victim of a crocodile the previous night and he was looking for the crocodile. Fishermen were dragging their nets in the hope of finding the body. On arriving in Kirindy we were told that the body had been found. From the injuries on his neck and leg it must have been a small crocodile. After one night Belo-s-Tsiribihina we crossed the Tsiribihina River. Our next destination was a Reserve called Kirindy. Prior to leaving Belo-s2/8

3 Tsiribihina Lalaina and Christian went to the market and stocked up with meat from freshly slaughtered Zebu (local cattle) for a few days on the road without any shopping facilities. This part of our tour was about 60 km through flat countryside mostly covered with bush. Out of the blue we turned off at the sign Kirindy and 3/8

4 drove down a narrow road through the trees. The definition of a reserve is often where trees are not felled to the benefit of birds and lemurs. On arrival the LandRover was unpacked and our tents were installed in the forest. We had a comfortable tent to sleep in with a smaller toilet tent nearby. We carried our chemical toilet in the LandRover. In a clearing near our tents was a type of bandstand but it was designed as our dining room. About 50 cm off the ground with table and benches where meals were cooked and served by Lalaina and Christian. We spent 3 nights in Kirindy and had our first intimate contact with lemurs. The attractive animals must have thought that they were invited to all our meals too. Late afternoon and evening we were joined by a fossa which did not come too close. 4/8

5 The fossa is one of the few carnivorous animals on Madagascar. It is the size of an Alsation with over dimensioned hind legs and moves like a cat. It climbs trees and lives on lemurs. At night we discovered the fossa sleeping behind our bandstand On guided walks in the forest we saw some small nocturnal lemurs in their sleeping quarters, birds and frogs. 5/8

6 On the second day we were joined by a Swiss couple with whom we became very friendly. Lutz is a pensioned teacher specialising in Botany and Zoology. This was our opportunity to learn something from him as he apparently enjoyed imparting his knowledge. 6/8

7 Lutz and Vreni were to stay longer in Kirindy but due to an error in the organisation they would have had no vehicle go back to civilisation. Lalaina and Christian decided that we should pack them into our LandRover. 7/8

8 Lalaina rode back to Morondava on top of the luggage in the back of the vehicle and we all fitted in. After an art shop in the middle of nowhere we stopped at the embracing Baobabs, an unusual sight. We then continued to the Baobab Alley. The alley is approximately 3 km long and particularly beautiful at sunset. Unfortunately the locals chose to burn sugar cane in area that afternoon but the sight of the Baobabs was nevertheless beautiful. We continued to Morondava and soon turned onto a tarred road. What a shock! The road had huge potholes and progress was slower than on the previously driven dirt roads. In both directions drivers were zig-zagging back and forth to avoid potholes, sometimes a metre deep. The road condition improved somewhat the closer we were to Morondava. Quite close to the Mocambique channel we turned South along a peninsula to our hotel where we spent 2 nights. Lutz and Vreni were booked into a hotel a few hundred metres from us a little further down the peninsula. On the full day spent in Morondava we had a look around the town, visited the market and spent some time buying TeeShirts for those back home. The following morning we packed and were driven to the airport. Lutz, Vreni, Charlotte, Lalaina and the 4 tourists boarded an aircraft and flew to Tana leaving Christian to drive back solo. Des Kelly, Switzerland, 01/01/08 8/8