Sunday, September 23, 2007

Mixed Up Mondays

One of the cuties following me around in the forest!
My Bungalow!
Everyday is laundry day on the beach! But how do clothes get clean when washed in salt water and dried on sand?

Week 5:

So, I am safely back from expedition and ready to begin another week of research in the disturbed forest. Unfortunately, I come out of the dining room at 8am on Monday, and low and behold people are packing my gear again for expedition. I have to go explain to everyone that I am not leaving again for another week! My guide knew this, because I told him the 30th and not the 23rd, but does anyone listen, no!

Tuesday, my technician and I were followed by a group of Propithecus (sifaka). We were so close and they were just bounding around everywhere! This is why I came in the first place!!!

I decided to squeeze my week's worth of research into three days and visit the coast on Thursday and Friday. Mananjary is about about a five hour drive from Ranomafana, and is a quaint little beach town. So, Thursday morning I squished into a Taxi-Brousse, the main method of transportation in Madagascar. I was in one equipped with four rows of seating meant to house around 12 people total. We broke down and had to wait half an hour while the driver fixed the car. At one point there were 24 people inside, including three nursing mothers (infants not counted in total) and a chicken.

I get to Mananjary and find my way to the hotel amidst much "vazaha-ing" as I am the only white person around. I am in this cute little bungalow right on the shore. As I am leaving my room, I am accosted by a Malagasy who wants to learn English. I politely talk for a few minutes, but he won't leave me alone! After two hours, I attempt to lose him by going to dinner. As I am waiting for my food (my usual: legume sautee et du pain), who should enter but crazy Malagasy man with three Americans. Turns out they are peace corps volunteers and he's been following them around. We have dinner together and talk in English. This little vacation has made me realize how much I miss having people around! I can't stay here by myself and enjoy it, so I am going with them back to Fianarantsoa, where there is a Peace Corps House. We do wander around the markets and have lunch, but there isn't a whole lot to do in Mananjary!

In Fianar, I meet some other volunteers, who all miss the states alot. It is very cool that they can get to know a country like this over the course of two years, though. The next day we check email, go around to the markets, and I hunt down some delectable pastries (my new addiction - can't wait until Paris). I get back Saturday and veg out, watching this horrible movie with Orlando Bloom and writing about my adventures.

Weekly Tidbit:

The Malagasy: People actually only settled on the island of Madagascar aroudn 2,000 years ago, but they came from an array of places. Indonesian, Mainland African, and some Arabic lineages and customs all play a part. The language is the biggest tie for the diverse population, but even that is split into many dialects. It was interesting as I went different places, that I could see differences in people very clearly. Many people looked clearly African and others very Asian, while some had this most exotic aura of a mixture. I find this pretty amazing for an Island twice the size of Arizona!

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