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Madagascar

5/12/2018

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I was walking through the small shops in the Antananarivo airport looking for my one must have souvenir, a patch of the country I've just been to.  I found it in a tiny shop selling wooden carvings of Boabob trees, hair combs made from Zebu horns and key chains with lemures on them.  The Malagasy woman taking the last of my local currency, called ariary, asked me how I liked her country. "I loved it!" I said.  "It was so special and beautiful."  The smile on her face disappeared and she looked a bit confused.  She then said to me, "How can you love it?  We are so poor. We have nothing."  I immediately felt guilty and embarrassed about my response.  It's true, Madagascar's people are exceptionally poor.  For most people, things like shoes, education and proper housing are a luxury.  She then put her hand on my arm and kindly said "I'm happy that you liked it. Now tell all your friends to come too."

Madagascar is among the worlds poorest countries despite its biological and cultural richness. They have a very corrupt government, lack of infrastructure and major environmental degradation. If there is a decent road to be found, it's because the Chinese or Japanese have built it to better serve themselves for their transportation of fish and Zebu. 

Ecotourism is where it's at nowadays and Madagascar prides itself on it. If you want to see lemurs, you need to come to Madagascar, Now.
The largest and most extreme destruction of the lemur habitat, the forest they live in, is due to slash and burn agriculture. It's what makes way for cattle and rice fields.  This has been the only source of income for many people. Over 90% of Madagascar's forests have been decimated due to this.  It's been, "Feed my family or protect wildlife," for many years. 
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Now whole communities are being educated and slowly seeing the benefits of ecotourism which can be millions of dollars each year. It's not the most ideal remedy but it's a start. The money you spend here goes to your tour guides, personal drivers, guides in the national parks, the animal trackers in those parks, vendors outside the parks, local restaurants, and bars. Your entry fees into these parks are also helping the communities build schools and pay for teachers.  The men who used to hunt lemurs are now making more money leading groups of tourists. The hunter has now become the conservationist. 

Yes, I loved Madagascar. To me, it was magical and special. It's the ultimate road trip. I wouldn't consider it a vacation, it's more like an epic journey.  It was like taking part in a daily 8 hour, up close, high definition documentary of how the people here live. You have to see it for yourself. One of my friends on our trip said it best. "These types of trips are "Course Correctors." Meaning that these trips really help remind you to get back on course for what's important in life. We can be so trivial about unimportant things in our daily lives. There is no place for complaining about anything here.  I'm fortunate and grateful to be able to travel to all wild and wonderful places that I do.  It's not a place that can be explained in words. This place has to be shared and seen by the rest of the world.

This is mostly a photographic blog I put together for those of you who may have a desire to see this wonderful island. Maybe it will be the final nudge you need to plan your trip.
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I planned this trip with the help of my one and only, bestest travel gal, Dori Peterson with Candene Travel.  We used Jenman Safaris who specialize in Madagascar travel and we couldn't have asked for a better team taking care of us. For our 13-day tour, we had a private guide and driver with us every day. Toavina and our driver Mamy, worked their butts off to take care of us. Mamy sat behind the wheel like a race car driver, expertly maneuvering us along the terrible, windy, potholed roads allowing us to watch the beautiful and dramatic scenery and daily activity throughout Madagascar.
This is Mamy and Toavina.
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Mamy even dressed like a race car driver.
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                          So here are my top reasons you should come to Madagascar.

1. The Wildlife, obviously.
2. The dramatic scenery and geography.  
3. The National Parks.  

4. For me, the best part of any Madagascar trip is The Road Trip.
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The Wildlife
The absence of monkeys has created a niche for lemurs. It's the only place in the world outside of zoos where they can be found.  It has 2/3 the world's chameleon species and the list of endemic species goes on and on.
​Peyrieras Reserve or Madagascar Exotic is a privately run zoo that is a fantastic stop between Antananarivo and ​ Andasibe-Mantadia National Park. It is one of the only places where you will easily be able to see many of the chameleons, frogs, insects, butterflies and other reptiles that Madagascar is so famous for.  
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Lemur Island is a private lemur sanctuary at the Vakona Forest Lodge. The island is accessible only by paddleboat, where rescued lemurs clamber for food and petting from their visitors. The story goes that these lemurs are supposedly rescued from the captive wildlife trade, and as they had been in the presence of humans so much, they could not be fully released into the wild. There are plenty of negative thoughts about this place like, the Lemurs are getting excessive and unnatural interaction with humans and that makes them anything but wild. ​ So you can make your own decision.  You are guaranteed to see lemurs and even touch them here.  When you go to any of the national parks, your experience with the lemurs will be much different. The hikes are legitimate, sometimes hard and the lemurs will be doing the very opposite of trying to get closer to you. They will be wild and in their natural habitat and not wanting to be bothered. We went and enjoyed our time spent there.
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The dramatic scenery and geography. ​
Here you will find some of the most diverse and unique landscapes anywhere in the world.  You'll come across Jungles, spiny forests, dry forests, rain forests, high peaks, terraced rice fields and miles upon miles of spectacular coastline and beaches.
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The National Parks. ​
We were told that if you don't visit any of the 25 national parks, you haven't visited Madagascar.  So for all of you who just come to their beautiful islands and beaches, it doesn't count.  It's here, in these protected parks where you will find some of the highest biodiversity on the planet.  Besides the fact that 80% of the flora you will see here is endemic to the island, the majority of the wildlife can also only be viewed on this island as well. Madagascar is home to 100% of the world's lemurs and half the worlds chameleons. You may want to get here soon. There are no guarantees that some of the species won't be extinct in the next 10 years.  The destruction of their habitat is a grave problem.
Some of the National parks we visited were,
​Natural Reserve of Andasibe
Ramomafana National Park
and Isalo National Park.​
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4.  The Road Trip. 
 This, for me, was the best and most spectacular part of the trip.  It needs to be shared with others. There is just too much to see and process.  You will constantly hear yourself saying "Did you see that?"
 "What? What did I miss?"
Life is lived along the roads you travel along in Madagascar. The images you see are indelible. The 6-year-old boy standing in a large pothole in the middle of the road, filling it with dirt with a stick and yelling at the truck drivers as they passed within a foot of him that they needed to give him money for filling their potholes. The Zubu wading chest high through the rice patties while young boys bailed buckets of water from one field to another.  Children riding in Ox carts downhill as if they were boxcars with no breaks. Women washing their clothes in the rivers and laying them out on the hillside to dry making it look like they were putting together the worlds largest quilt.  A little boy pushing his infant sibling in a wheelbarrow with a makeshift canopy as if it was a stroller. The miles and mile of golden and green terraced rice fields. 
The long hours spent in the car every day were sometimes tiresome. The roads are bad. They are constantly winding and are full of potholes and people.  There are no turnouts, rest stops or bathrooms. Photography is difficult from a moving car so many of my memories are just that, memories. I did capture hundreds of blurry random shots. I finally told myself to put the camera down and just sit back and enjoy the high definition documentary out the window. ​
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    I started this blog so that I could document and share my adventures in travel, photography, food and the things that inspired me.  It's a work in progress as are most things in life.

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      • Chinese Chicken Salad with Red Chile Peanut Dressing
      • Lemon Vinaigrette
      • Strawberry Spinach Salad With Chicken
      • Skillet Mexican Quinoa
      • Rosemary Chicken And Peach Salad
      • Grilled Greek Chicken Salad
      • Herby-Lemon Orzo Salad
      • Sugar Snap Pea Salad
      • Garbanzo, Tomato and Feta Salad
      • Greek Panzanella
      • Potato Salad with Pancetta, Rosemary, and Lemon
      • Pasta Salad with Cherry Tomatoes and Green Olivada
      • Chunky Crunchy Heats of Palm Salad
      • Asian Chicken Salad
      • Orzo Chicken Salad With Tarragon Dressing
      • Grilled Vegetables with Sun Dried Tomatoes and Goat Cheese Pasta Salad
      • Corn, Chickpea, Tomato & Feta Salad
      • Power Protein Bowl
      • Greek Quinoa Salad
      • Broccoli Slaw
      • Baby Potato Salad with Radishes and Celery
      • Kale & Brussels Sprout Salad with Lemon Mustard Dressing
      • Bacon and Egg Salad
      • Curry Chicken Salad
      • Italian Chopped Salad
      • Tangy Herb Sesame Slaw
      • Greek Avacado Chicken Salad
    • Soups >
      • Spicy Pork and Refried Bean Soup
      • Mushroom and Wild Rice Soup
      • Lasagna Soup
      • Sweet Potato and Corn Chowder
      • Chipotle Chicken and Avocado Rice Soup
      • Salsa Verde Chicken and Rice Tortilla Soup
      • Short Rib Chili
      • Zucchini Soup
      • Curried Lentil, Tomato, and Coconut Soup
      • Hot And Sour Soup
      • Gingery Chicken Noodle Soup
      • Lemony Chicken Orzo Soup
      • Instant Pot Black Bean Soup
      • Thai Shrimp Soup
      • Pasta e Fagioli #1
      • Italian Pasta and Bean Soup ( Pasta e Fagioli #2)
      • African Sweet Potato Soup with Peanut Butter & Quinoa
      • Slow Cooked Verde Pasole
      • Posole Rojo
      • Classic Posole
      • Broccoli and Cheddar Soup
      • Very Green Broccoli Soup
      • Hominy Stew with Bacon
      • Tuscan Bean Soup
      • Sausage, Potato & Fennel Chowder
      • Spicy Chicken & White Bean Chili
      • Spicy Sausage, Escarole & White Bean Stew
      • Black Bean & Sweet Potato Chili
      • Chicken-Corn Chili
    • Cocktails >
      • East Eight Hold Up
      • Jalapeno Margarita
      • Jasmine Green Tea & Blueberry Paloma
      • Lemon Marigita
      • Farm Watermelon Julep
    • Cookies >
      • Gochujang Caramel Cookies
      • Salted Peanut Butter Cookies
      • Kentucky Butter Cookies
      • Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies
      • Nancy's Peanut Butter Cookies
      • Red Velvet Cookies with Cream Cheese
      • Brown Butter Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
      • Glazed Lemon Cookies
      • Ube brown butter chocolate chip and toffee cookies
      • Monster Chocolate Chip Cookies
      • The Food Lab's Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
      • Meyer Lemon White Chocolate Chip Cookies
      • Ruby Chocolate and Cranberry Cookies
      • Brown Butter and Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies
      • Chocolate Chunk–Pumpkin Seed Cookies
      • Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
      • Nutella Stuffed Cookies
      • Ruby and White Chocolate Chunk Cookies
      • Pumpkin-Oat Chocolate Chip Cookies
      • Dried Cranberry and Chocolate Cookies
      • Soft Batch Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies
      • Raspberry ChocolateChunk Cookies
      • Lemon Cookies
      • Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
      • Double Chocolate Oaty Coconut Salty Thirst Traps
      • Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie
      • Hilton Hotel Chocolate Chip Cookie
    • The Fun Food >
      • Same Day Focaccia
      • Grilled Naan Filled With Herbs And Cheese
      • Parathas
      • Triple Pumpkin Crumb Muffins
      • Pumpkin Cheesecake Swirl Bars
      • Whipped Brown Butter
      • Lemon Olive Oil Cake
      • Brown Butter Carrot Cake
      • Ube Marbled Basque "Burnt" Cheesecake
      • Easy Moisty Brownies
      • Tres Leches Cake with Strawberries
      • Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
      • Nutella Swirl Pound Cake
      • Cranberry Lemon Curd Tart
      • Lemon Poppy Seed Scones
      • Blueberry Cheesecake
      • Lemon Icebox Pie
      • Tiger Almond Cakes
      • Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
      • Marbled Pumpkin Gingersnap Tart
      • Pumpkin Cheesecake
      • Thai Red Curry Popcorn
      • Raspberry Lemonade Cheesecake Bars
      • Lemon Cheesecake with Lemon Curd
      • Lemon Bundt Cake
      • Cream Cheese-Filled Pumpkin Bread
      • Pumpkin Bread with Salted Maple Butter
      • Dutch Oven Sourdough Bread.
      • Dutch-Oven Jalapeño Cheddar Bread
      • Spicy Palomitas (Popcorn)
      • Rustic Blueberry Cheesecake
      • Basque Cake
      • Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Blondies
      • Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Toffee Bars
      • Chocolate and Peanut Butter Ice Cream Cake
      • Simple Lemon Tart
      • Meyer Lemon Danish Braid
      • Meyer Lemon Loaf Cake
      • Mexican Popcorn
      • Carrot Cake Cheesecake
      • Icelandic Skyr & Blueberry Cake
      • Mint Chocolate Chip Gelato
      • Red Wine Chocolate Cake
      • Red Velvet Cherry Cake Roll
    • Veggies >
      • Roasted Broccoli with Olive and Almond Pesto
      • Mexican Pickled Onions with Lime Juice
      • Border Pintos
      • Mexican Street Style Cauliflower
      • Roasted Fennel with Parmesan
      • French Flageolet Beans
      • Roasted Beets and Carrots with Goat Cheese Dressing
      • Mexican Street Corn Salad
      • Vegetarian Chorizo Tacos
      • Chipotle Quiona Sweet Potato Tacos with Pomegranate Salsa
      • Thomas Keller's Creamed Pearl Onions
      • Spaghetti Squash & Black Bean Tacos with Queso Fresco From the Smitten Kitchen Cookbook
      • Warm Winter-Vegetable Salad
      • Miznon's Cauliflower
      • Roasted Butternut Squash Casserole
      • Bacon Roasted Roots with Rosemary Honey
      • Summer Squash Gratin
    • Chicken >
      • Coq au Vin Blanc Meatballs
      • Peanut Butter Chicken
      • Chicken and Plum Sauce
      • Tandoori Spiced Chicken Thighs with Herbed Yogurt Sauce
      • Creamy Gochujang Chicken & Bacon Pot Pie
      • Hot Honey Chicken Thighs with Lemon-Oregano Potatoes
      • Cashew Chicken
      • French Chicken Casserole
      • Sichuan Bang Bang Chicken
      • Pollo Asado
      • Sweet-and-Spicy Chicken
      • Kung Pao Chicken
      • Spicy Chicken Stir-Fry With Celery and Peanuts
      • Instant Pot Butter Chicken
      • Stewed Chicken Legs and Thighs with Fresh Herbs and Olives
      • Chicken Satay With Peanut Sauce
      • Simple Chicken Tacos
      • Greek Chicken
      • Cashew Chicken Stir Fry
      • Korean Chicken Bowls
      • Korean Chicken Kabobs
      • Baked Chicken With Potatoes, Cherry Tomatoes and Herbs
      • Jalapeno Dijon Grilled Chicken Thighs
      • Crispy Mustard-Roasted Chicken
      • Coq au Vin in the Instant Pot
      • Caramelized Black Pepper Chicken
      • Chicken Buddha Bowl
      • Greek Avocado Chicken Salad
      • Chicken & Broccoli Quinoa Casserole
      • Pretzel-Crusted Chicken
      • Orzo Chicken Salad With Tarragon Dressing
      • Creamy Dijon Chicken Quinoa
      • Chicken Tikka Masala
      • Cheesy Chicken Quinoa Mexican Bake
    • Meats >
      • Mongolian Beef
      • Shepherd's Pie
      • Filipino Pork Adobo
      • Swedish Meatballs
      • Birria Tacos
      • Pork Adobo Tacos
      • Filet Mignon with Mustard & Mushrooms
      • Pork Adobada
      • Sartù Di Riso
      • Turkey Meat Loaf with Sage Gravy
      • Tri-Tip Steak With Tiger Bite Sauce
      • Pork-and-Ricotta Meatballs in Parmesan Broth
      • Red Wine Braised Short Ribs.
      • Beef Bourguigonne Potpie
      • ​Turkey and Sausage Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
      • Seared Steak with Brussels Sprouts and Almonds
    • Fish >
      • Cajun Honey Butter Salmon
      • Bang Bang Shrimp Tacos
      • Grilled Salmon with Lemon Relish
      • Grilled Glazed Salmon Sandwiches with Bacon
      • Cedar Plank Salmon with Blistered Tomatoes
      • Slow-Baked Salmon with Lemon and Thyme
      • Seared Scallops with Herb-Butter Pan Sauce
    • Noodles >
      • Birria Ramen
      • Thai Coconut Curry Raman
      • Chicken Khao Soi
      • Thai Peanut Chicken Ramen
      • Spicy-Sweet Sambal Pork Noodles
      • Beef & Broccoli with Udon Noodles
      • Crispy Caramelized Pork Ramen Noodle Soup
      • Instant Pot Pho
      • Thai Coconut Curry Noodle Soup
      • Thai Red Curry Noodle Soup
      • Thai Green Curry Chicken Soup
      • Pork Dan Dan Noodles
      • Thai Peanut Chicken Noodles
      • Thai Shrimp Noodles
      • Spicy Peanut Noodles with Chili Garlic Oil
      • Spicy Garlic Butter Noodles
    • Pasta >
      • The Devil's Kiss Pasta
      • Balsamic Mushroom and Sausage Pasta
      • Evan Funke’s Handmade Tagliatelle Pasta
      • Pappardelle al Ragu di Cinghiale
      • Family Spaghetti from The Bear
      • Baked Feta Pasta
      • Cheater Chicken Parmesan Pasta
      • Spaghetti al Limone with Chef Frank Prisinzano
      • Torta di Rigatoni
      • Cheesy Lemony Zucchini Orzo
      • Bolognese
      • Butternut Squash Baked Pasta
      • Cacio e Pepe with Arugula and Lemon
      • Handmade Semolina Pasta
      • Adult Mac & Cheese
      • Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta
      • Pasta with Sausage, Basil & Mustard
      • Greek Lasagna (Pastitsio)
      • Spaghetti with Warm Bacon Mushroom Vinaigrette
    • Pizza >
      • Nancy Silverton's Pizza Dough
      • White Mushroom Pizza
      • Roasted Garlic and Artichoke Pizza
      • Beet Pesto Pizza with Kale and Goat Cheese
      • Caramelized Butternut Squash, Crispy Kale & Fontina Pizza
      • Shrimp Pizza with Spicy Peanut Butter Sauce
      • Walnut Pesto Pizza with Coppa and Roma Tomatoes
    • Sandwiches & Paninis >
      • Grilled Ham & Gruyere Cheese Sandwich
      • Carnitas and Apricot Preserve Grilled Cheese Sandwich
      • Feta, Yam & Candied Bacon Panini
      • PB & J with BACON
      • B.L.A.S.T.
      • Squash, Manchego and Balsamic-Onion Grilled Cheese
      • Beet and Arugula Grilled Cheese
      • South West Spicy Chicken Panini
      • Veggie Sandwich
      • Paninis that need attention
    • Burgers >
      • Greek Turkey Burgers with Tzatziki Sauce
      • Chicken Burgers with Red Cabbage and Apple Slaw
      • Turkey Burgers with Goat Cheese and Citrus Glaze
      • Thai Curry Turkey Burgers
      • Chicken Burgers with Rosemary Mayonnaise
      • Truffle Burgers With Truffle Aioli
      • Chicken Ranch Bacon Burgers
      • Peanut Butter, Bourbon Bacon Jam, Pimento Cheese Burgers
      • Asian Turkey Burgers with Sriracha Mayo
      • Black Bean Burgers
    • Bad Ass Bars >
      • Spiced Banana Date Muffins
      • Tony's Peanut Butter Protein Bars
      • Melissa's Kind Bars
      • Sesame-Peanut Bars
      • Trail Mix Granola Bars
      • Aussi Bites
    • Tarts & Galettes >
      • Mushroom Puff Pastry with Goat Cheese
      • French Onion Tart with Bacon
      • Artichoke Tart
      • Zucchini & Goat Cheese Tart
      • Savory Mushroom & Goat Cheese Tart
      • Curried Squash Galette
      • Mushroom and Leek Galette with Gorgonzola
      • Beetroot & Feta Tart
    • Risotto >
      • Mushroom Risotto with Truffle Oil
      • Beet Risotto
    • Appetizers, Salsa & Sauces >
      • Pico de Gallo Verde
      • Salsa de Aguacate
      • 3 Chile Salsa
      • The Duck Salsa
      • Smoky Morita Salsa
      • Homemade Chilli Oil
      • Michoacan Avocado Salsa
      • The "For Everything" Marinade
      • Jalapeno Salsa
      • Mexican Street Corn Dip
      • Chile Pasilla Oaxaqueno Salsa
      • Artichoke Tapenade
      • Salsa Verde
      • Milo's Mom's Salsa
      • Romesco Salsa
      • KC-Style Chipotle BBQ sauce
      • Green Olive Tapenade
      • Rosemary Roasted Cashews
      • Cilantro Chile Almond Dip
      • Cilantro Hummus
  • Rebecca's Page
    • Introducing Rebecca
    • Rebecca's First Vacation
    • Rebecca's Weekend with Bonnie
    • Family Weekend At Bubble Island (Cabo Azul)
    • Rebecca's Summer Weekend
    • Ezy Rollin Rebecca
    • Rebecca's weekend at Crystal Pier
    • Rebecca's GEC
  • Must See Films
  • World Color Challenge
  • Salsa