Day Eleven - Back to Ivoloina

I awoke at 5am again to the sound of the indri. I’m going to miss them! Today we leave Betampona and return to Ivoloina.

I went out on to the veranda and saw the bamboo lemurs in a clump of bamboo right next to the hut. I tiptoed back into my room to get my camera. Unfortunately just as I came back out the research centre’s very elderly dog, Puppy, saw the lemurs and hobbled excitedly towards and then right into the bamboo clump. Unsurprisingly the lemurs were not impressed and shot off through the trees, alarm calling vigorously. When Puppy emerged he looked most pleased with himself!

Too soon it was time to leave Rendrirendry. Ingrid was also leaving with us and we sadly said our goodbyes to the Malagasy staff and to Lana before following the porters on the long, steep walk back down to Fontsimavo.
The water level in the river we had crossed so many times on our way up was visibly lower but it was still necessary to wade across in some places. Sadly, all the way down there were signs of tavy, the destructive slash and burn method used to clear land for agriculture. Looking back up at the mountain the location of the reserve boundary was clearly demarcated by the contrast in vegetation inside and outside the protected area. Degraded habitat goes right up to the boundary. Betampona really is a tiny island of biodiversity stranded in an ocean of devastation.

 

At Fontsimavo we boarded the same taxibrousse that we came up in and had a bumpy, slow ride back to the river crossing at Anosibe. The water level was quite a bit lower and we could probably have waded to the opposite side but the pirogue driver was eager to paddle us across so we clambered in.
At the other side we were met by one of the Parc Ivoloina drivers. It was a much more comfortable ride back than we had experienced on our outward journey in the taxibrousse. The road was of course still appalling and we had to go slowly and carefully.
When we arrived back at Ivoloina I got out and took my bag to my room to unpack. Ingrid stayed in the truck and continued her journey to Tamatave. Jeff wanted a quick look around Ivoloina before he also went to Tamatave so he went off with Parc manager Bernard to see the new Amphibian Conservation Centre. A couple of hours later Jeff and I met up for lunch at the Parc’s cafe, the ‘Thirsty Drongo Buvette’. It was very pleasant to sit overlooking the lake, enjoying a plate of pasta and talking about all the amazing wildlife we had seen.

Bernard had arranged for one of the MFG drivers, Dada, to take Jeff to his hotel at Tamatave and Dada offered to take me along too, so I could change some money and get some fresh supplies in town. Once we had dropped Jeff off we drove into Tamatave and I paid a visit to the money changers. I wanted to change 100 Euros and the clerk gave me all the money in 5000 Ariary notes so it was a very fat wedge of notes to cram into my moneybelt! Dada kindly accompanied me to the supermarket and carried my basket so I bought him a bottle of lemonade and a bar of chocolate to thank him.
Dada needed to pick up some parts from the garage so we went back through a different area of town. There was a huge market with stalls selling a wide variety of wares. I wouldn’t mind coming back for a good look around some time.
When I got home I did my washing and had a bucket shower. Christof arrived back and cooked rice with green beans, spring onion and ginger in soy sauce. It was very tasty. After supper we sat outside for a while and chatted. Christof has earmarked some time tomorrow to show me around the Model Station and explain the projects currently taking place there. I’m looking forward very much to learning about that element of the MFG’s work.

Day Ten - Ruffed lemurs and a froggy paradise

Today we had another full day in the reserve, this time led by head guide Jean-Noel. We headed to a different part of the forest from yesterday, with the aim of locating black and white ruffed lemurs. Again, we have this species at the IOW Zoo (Liberty and Lalaina) so I was especially keen to see them in the wild. We could hear a group calling but they were a very long way away. We headed towards the sound and eventually, with the help of the radio-tracker, we found a group of four animals. They were relaxing in a very tall tree, draping their limbs over the branches.

This species is officially classified on the IUCN red list as being critically endangered. They are such a ubiquitous sight in zoos that we can sometimes perhaps forget that there are only very few left in the wild. And here I was looking at some! It brought home to me how precious each of these individuals is, and how critical it is that we protect the few places where they are still found.
We spent a pleasant hour watching the lemurs and our guides kindly shared some of their deliciously sweet bananas with us. Just as we were about to leave the lemurs suddenly broke out into a territorial vocalisation - a loud, piercing call that travels a very long distance. It is a sound that I hear every day at work, but somehow, here in the forest, it sounded different: more poignant.
Jeff of course is really an amphibian enthusiast. He had been very patient and was just as excited as the rest of us to see the lemurs but he also knew that a couple of years ago a team of herpetologists had carried out an amphibian survey at Betampona and had discovered 27 new species. He was itching to visit the survey site and Jean-Noel, who also happens to be very keen on frogs, agreed to take us there. He warned that it was a long, steep trek but it was too good an opportunity to miss so we set off right down into the bottom of the valley. Jean-Noel has, like all good guides, very keen observational skills and as we followed the path he spotted a tiny pygmy chameleon. It was a perfect miniature version of this fascinating lizard and was about 4cm long.

By the time we arrived at the bottom of the hill my knees were really creaking. It was definitely worth the trek though. A sparkling river ran through a glade of trees and as the sun shone down through the canopy the leaves cast a wonderful green light across the floor. Frogs were everywhere. Jeff and Jean-Noel were like excited school boys as they gleefully caught and photographed large frogs and small, of so many different colours.

 

 

Several species were not known to exist anywhere in the world except this small, isolated valley. The air was full of frog sound, too, including the call of one of the critically endangered Mantella species. Once again I was reminded how important it is to conserve this wonderful forest.
We had a leisurely picnic by the river then reluctantly left this little bit of paradise and slowly made our way back up to the track before returning to camp and a much needed shower.

The afternoon was rounded off perfectly as dusk fell: a group of bamboo lemurs came to feed just a few metres from my veranda. Ingrid and Lana joined me to watch their exploits and we had a job to smother our laughs when the little lemurs left, one at a time, by launching themselves at the nearest ravenala. Each tiny animal landed with a huge thud, sending tremors through the whole plant!

We had a few extra treats for dinner tonight. One of the herps team, Angelica, had stayed in camp an extra day when her team left because she had sprained her ankle and wanted to rest it a bit longer. She brought some Italian treats to share so our rice and vegetables were supplemented with olive oil and parmesan cheese. In addition Charlotte, the cook, had used the potatoes I had brought with me to make a few chips. After dinner I brought out a bar of chocolate and there was just enough for everyone to have a square or two to round off the meal. Lovely!
After dinner Angelica, Ingrid, Jeff and I donned head torches and went up the main track for a bug hunt. We found a number of interesting creatures including one solitary stick insect, shiny copper beetles, a mantis and a fantastic net-throwing spider. We also came across a striped baby snake, several geckos and a tree frog.

It was late when we finally got back and I slept really well.

 

Day Nine - The Song of the Indri

I was woken at 5am by the song of indri echoing across the reserve. What a start to the day! I sat on the veranda watching the sun come up and listening to the sounds of the rainforest.

After a quick breakfast Ingrid, Lana, Jeff and I were soon accompanying our guides into Betampona reserve.
It wasn’t long before we saw our first lemurs. A group of white-fronted brown lemurs were feasting on pink flowers high in the canopy. One was carrying a tiny baby. We have this species at the IOW Zoo (Mork and Isabella) and it was so exciting to see their wild cousins in their natural habitat.
A little further on we came across some grey bamboo lemurs with very cute faces. A noisy vasa parrot was feeding high above them and a large pill bug had curled up on the path near our feet.
By now we were quite a long way into the reserve and the guides switched on the radio-tracking equipment that Lana uses to locate her study animals. They soon picked up a signal from one of the study’s diademed sifaka and we followed as the signal grew stronger. Lana indicated that the lemurs were off to the right so if we wanted to see them we had to go ‘off-piste’. We plunged as quietly as possible down a precipitous slope, grabbing tree trunks and creepers as we went, to slow our descent. As we neared the animals the guide raised his hand to warn us that we were close and we all froze, holding our breath. Then I saw them. There were two sifaka clinging, one above the other, to the trunk of a tree. They were exquisite. I tried to take some photographs but it was difficult to focus the image because there were so many branches and creepers between us and the lemurs.

The female suddenly leapt from tree to tree and her mate followed each time. They were incredibly agile and very fast - we couldn’t keep up with them and eventually they were out of sight. It dawned on me then that we had to retrace our steps back up the steep hill to the path. It was definitely worth it though. I had never seen sifaka before so this had been such a treat.
Next we picked up the radio signal from one of the indri that are also in Lana’s study. Indri cannot be kept in zoos so it is only possible to see them in the wild. They are the largest lemur species and, like so many other species, are endangered. I hadn’t dared to hope that I would ever see one, so now my adrenalin was running high with excitement. We followed the signal and before long were again scrambling downwards through the dense forest. A female indri and her mate were sitting high in the trees and we crouched in the undergrowth so as not to disturb them. They were not in the least bit bothered by our presence and they calmly picked leaves and popped them one after another into their mouths. Again photography was difficult. The camera kept hunting for focus and this was actually a problem throughout the day. So I concentrated on watching the indri through my binoculars and capturing the images in my memory (and indeed in my heart). Eventually they moved on, leaping easily through the trees and leaving us far behind. Lana had another treat in store for us though: she suggested that we try to locate another pair in her study, one of whom has a young baby.
Again we climbed back to the track and continued until we picked up a new signal. Before long we were off down the mountain again. This time the descent was even steeper and the terrain was treacherous. I soon learned to glance at the tree trunks before grabbing them after inadvertently grasping a couple that were studded with sharp thorns! All pain and discomfort evaporated the instant we found the indri though. 
 

The baby was enchanting, practising little jumps watched indulgently by his proud mum. We sat in rapt silence for more than an hour. Another indri group started calling their strange, eerie song elsewhere in the forest. It was a magical experience. Then suddenly our pair began to call back, just a few metres from where we were sitting. It was the most beautiful, haunting sound and I am not ashamed to admit that it moved me to tears. In fact I can feel a lump forming in my throat even now as I write about it. We were truly privileged to share the forest for a short time with these wonderful animals. When the indri finally moved off we shared our experience like excited schoolchildren, not believing how lucky we had been. We celebrated by eating our picnic (rice and vegetables) before making the tricky climb back to the track.
Once on the path most of the group headed on back to Rendrirendry, but Ingrid and I decided to amble back very slowly, savouring the experience of being in such an extraordinary location and taking time to look carefully for hidden treasures. We had a lovely couple of hours finding and photographing geckos, unusual plants and invertebrates. We found an enormous millipede and I couldn’t resist picking it up, feeling its hundreds of feet rippling like a Mexican wave across my hands. It was rather like holding a living nail brush and it was so big I needed two hands to hold it.

Nearing Rendrirendry we came across a group of brown lemurs including one called ‘Mr Blue’ whom Ingrid and her team had radio-collared a few weeks ago. Mr. Blue had unexpectedly reacted badly to the tranquilliser and Ingrid had been worried that he might not wake up again. She had taken him to her room and sat up holding him wrapped in a blanket all night. The other lemurs from the group had stayed close, calling from the trees. Thankfully by the time morning arrived he was recovering and it wasn’t long before he went back to his group. Ingrid has developed a soft spot for him so was delighted when we saw him.
On our return I went to the one spot at the camp where it is possible to get a phone signal and sent texts to my family. After dinner the herps team went off to carry out a night survey near the camp. I decided not to go in case I got in the way so instead I settled for a quiet candlelight read on the veranda. I didn’t read much though - I was too distracted by the fireflies dancing in the starlight and by the sounds of the forest at night.
The last entry in my diary that evening was....A FANTASTIC DAY!

Day Eight - Journey to Betampona

The taxibrousse arrived almost on time this morning, and it was great to meet Jeff. Although he is fairly new to his post with Durrell he has been involved with several field conservation projects in the past and is a seasoned traveller. He has previously lived in Madagascar and speaks some Malagasy so I felt a little less nervous about our forthcoming journey.

The taxibrousse had certainly seen better days and I hoped it was up to the task! The first stage of the journey was from Ivoloina to Anosibe, a distance of approximately 24km. The road was very rough, with huge potholes. The vehicle broke down twice. Each time the driver took it all in his stride, simply climbing underneath with a length of rope and tying together whichever parts had come adrift. We passed through several villages. It is very humbling to see how people survive this extreme level of poverty. Yet they always seem to be wearing a smile, cheerfully returning our waves and shouting ‘Vazàha!’ as we chug past.
After almost two hours we slowed yet again to a halt, this time in a village. It took a few moments for Jeff and I to realise that we had not broken down again but had actually arrived at Anosibe. Porters jostled for the privilege of carrying our backpacks as we counted out a large wedge of notes to pay the driver. In the distance I could hear the most joyful gospel choir singing as the villagers gathered for Sunday worship.
Although the road continues beyond Anosibe this vehicle could not take us any further because the bridge which used to span the river has long since collapsed. We therefore needed to cross in a pirogue and join another vehicle once on the other side. We slithered down the steep sandy bank to the river. There hadn’t been much rain lately so the water level was low and we had to wade out through the shallows to get to the boat. The vessel was a simple canoe which had been carved from a tree trunk and didn’t seem to be very stable so we climbed in gingerly. There were no seats so we had to crouch in the bottom of the boat, keeping the centre of gravity as low as possible. I kept very still as we were paddled across, the pirogue wobbling precariously from side to side. I certainly didn’t want to be the person responsible for tipping us all in! On reaching the opposite bank we climbed out, paid the porters and scrambled up the bank where we hoped there would be another taxibrousse awaiting us. The MFG office had booked the vehicle in advance as a ‘special’ which should have given us exclusive use. However when we reached the road there were already half a dozen people crammed hopefully in the back. The driver assured us this was the correct vehicle so we shrugged and got in - we didn’t mind sharing.
Our new transport made the previous taxibrousse look like a Rolls Royce! In my misspent youth I used to take part in banger racing and I can honestly say that I have driven cars in demolition derbies that were more roadworthy than this incredible minibus. All the corners were rounded off by previous impacts and there were no lights left at all. A crude roll cage had been bolted together from scaffolding poles. The handbrake was a lump of wood wedged under the rear wheel - the driver’s mate grabbed it then leapt in as we moved off. And the fuel tank was an old plastic five-litre oil can stood behind the driver’s seat:  once he had stowed away the handbrake block the driver’s mate had to crouch alongside the can and hold two plastic pipes in the top. Amazing!

The next road was also in poor condition so the 12km journey to Fontsimavo took almost an hour. We were met there by an official from Madgascar National Parks, who examined our permit and helped us secure the services of a couple of porters for the last leg of our trip. This was to be a 4km hike to the research station at Rendrirendry because there is no road.

4km doesn’t sound far, but by now the sun was high in the sky and I knew that the last part of the walk was a long climb up a very steep hill so it was not going to be a picnic. It started well though - through villages and alongside agricultural land with lovely views on every side. The track was crossed regularly by the meandering Fontsimavo River and we had to wade across it each time.  This was deliciously cooling for hot feet!

Before long we reached the start of the ascent to Rendrirendry. The track seemed never-ending and climbed up and up and up. It was extremely hot and there was no shade and, despite the training I had done over the previous weeks, I got slower and slower. Jeff insisted that we stopped to give me a rest a couple of times and I think the porters were probably thankful for the opportunity to take a break and share our water.

After two hours I felt that I might not be able to make it much further but at that moment we rounded a bend and I could see the vivid hues of an enormous bougainvillea tree ahead. We had arrived at Rendrirendry. Hoorah!
And what a location for a research station! Views across the hills stretched as far as the eye could see and extending across the valley was the precious primary forest of Betampona.
Ingrid hurried over to greet us. We last met at the MFG meeting in Zurich the previous year and it was so lovely to see her again. She made us very welcome and arranged for our bags to be taken to our accommodation while she gave us a tour of the camp. Surrounded by secondary forest there are offices, a simple kitchen, outdoor dining area, bucket showers and bungalows built in traditional Malagasy style from bamboo, wood and ravenala leaves. The view from my veranda took my breath away - right across Betampona. There is a cook - everyone eats together - so I handed over my meagre supplies and had a welcome bucket shower before lunch. The showers are built on concrete bases that originally formed part of the temporary cages from which captive-bred black and white ruffed lemurs had been released into the reserve. The project had been featured in a documentary featuring comedian and lemur-enthusiast John Cleese several years ago. I was showering on a piece of conservation history!
Lunch was rice and vegetables, washed down with vanilla tea. Ingrid told us about some of the radio-collaring of lemurs that she had been coordinating over the past couple of months. We also met PhD student Lana, who is living at Rendrirendry while she carries out her research on the indri and sifaka population in Betampona. An international herpetology team carrying out a reptile survey were also present - they had just spent the first of three sessions camped in the forest and were back at Rendrirendry for a couple of days to catalogue their findings and service their equipment before returning to the reserve for the next stage of their survey.
Some of the MFG team had brought up with them some toys and books for the local village children and during the afternoon these were presented. The children had great fun blowing bubbles and they were very excited by the colourful books. Later that evening it was lovely to see several children sitting on the step of their hut gathered around their mother and sharing a book together.

After supper of rice and vegetables (this was to become a recurring theme) everyone turned in for an early night. Ingrid told us that unfortunately there was a rat problem at Rendrirendry so it looks like sleep may be disturbed by gnawing and scuffling as at Ivoloina. However I was pretty exhausted after today’s trek so I don’t think it will be too much of a problem. Tomorrow we are going into the forest to track lemurs!

Day Seven - Saturday School

 

This morning Parc Ivoloina was full of the sound of chattering voices. It was the first day of term for Saturday School and children were arriving, full of excitement. I met several of them on the path and they were very giggly when I greeted them. White-skinned tourists are still quite unusual in this part of Madagascar and the reaction of children on encountering one is often to point and shout ‘vazàha!’ which means ‘foreigner’. It can be quite unsettling initially but they don’t mean to be rude -it’s just that they are surprised to see you.

The MFG Saturday School programme provides environmental education for primary-age children and also provides lessons in mathematics and French to improve the children’s chances of passing the entrance exam for secondary school. It is a very highly-regarded and successful programme and has recently been involved in a partnership with Unicef in their ‘Connecting Classrooms’ island-wide project.
The environmental education centre has a teaching classroom plus two exhibit rooms that are open to the general public. I began my visit in the exhibit rooms. Here there are displays about Madagascar’s  different ecosystems. The displays are quite old but have some great artefacts (including elephant bird eggs). The education team are currently working with Jana, the Austrian intern whom I met in Tamatave, to update the exhibit space and they have some very good ideas about new ways to communicate their key messages.
While I was exploring the centre I was joined by one of the MFG’s junior staff, Flavien. He took me for a tour of the exhibits and used the artefacts very skilfully to bring Madagascar’s natural world to life. In the garden outside the centre he demonstrated how water can be obtained by puncturing the natural reservoir at the base of ravenala leaves (hence the alternative name ‘travellers’ palm’) and how local people make a simple cup from the leaves in order to catch and drink the water. He also pointed out some tiny reed frogs (Heterixalus madagascariensis) sitting inside nearby flowers. He explained that the frogs drink nectar from the flowers.  Flavien’s English was very good and his enthusiasm for nature shone through. He confided that he has a dream of opening an environmental education centre far out in the countryside so he can teach rural communities to understand and to protect the environment. I discovered later that Flavien had a very difficult start in life and that the MFG has supported and nurtured him through his school years and now employs him part time.

 

I could hear that there was a lesson taking place in the classroom so went to see what was going on. The classroom is open on two sides and the children are seated on benches at tables set out in rows. There were about 75 children present - it took ages to take the register! Another of the education team, Rostain, told me that the children learn French, mathematics and ecology in the morning. They are then provided with a healthy lunch and in the afternoon they go outside to carry out practical activities. These include learning environmentally-friendly farming methods, observing wildlife, and tree planting.

 

This afternoon I went to look around the Model Station (where the ecoagriculture training takes place). While I was in the fruit plantation I located a tiny area where I had phone coverage, so was able to text home. I received some replies almost immediately, which was lovely. Several exotic fruits were growing here, including pineapples, carambola (star fruit) and oranges. It is fascinating to see what they look like when they are growing - I am just used to seeing them stacked on a shelf in the supermarket. 

Tomorrow I am due to go on up to the rainforest at Betampona so I headed back to the bungalow quite early, to allow time to pack my gear before the light goes. It gets dark quickly here and it is quite hard to see what you are doing by candlelight.

Tomorrow’s trip is promising to be a real adventure. I will be staying at Rendrirendry Research Station, directly outside the reserve, for three nights. As at Ivoloina, facilities are basic and I need to take enough food for my stay. I will be travelling up with Jeff Dawson, Durrell Conservation’s new Amphibian Programme Officer. We haven’t met but have been in contact via email. One of the MFG drivers came this evening to deliver the permit that we will need to gain access to the reserve. Betampona is a strict nature reserve and is off limits to everyone except researchers with permits and the MFG. It is a real privilege to be able to visit and I am very excited to be going. It’s a shame that Karen won’t be there to show us around but the MFG vice-chair Ingrid Porton is going to be our host, assisted by a PhD student currently carrying out research at Betampona so we will be in safe and knowledgeable hands.
The reserve is very isolated and tomorrow’s journey involves two taxi-brousse drives, several river crossings and a 5km hike. I decided that an early night was called for so I would be ready for what lay ahead.

 

Day Six - First impressions of Ivoloina

 

I slept reasonably well, although I must have awoken 100 times in response to scurrying sounds in and around my room. I kept reminding myself that there are no large predators or venomous snakes in Madagascar so I was quite safe. I was pretty sure that most of the disturbances were rats, borne out by the discovery of little calling cards on the mattress of the (vacant) bunk above me. I was glad I had elected to sleep in the bottom bunk – I didn’t relish the thought of black rats running across my face in the night!

I was suffering from tropical tummy this morning so decided to take it easy and not to venture too far. The heat and humidity were considerable even very early in the morning so keeping hydrated was essential and my filter water bottle became my new best friend.
It was so peaceful at the training centre. Christof had already gone out at first light so I had the place to myself. All I could hear were insects and birds. I packed my camera and lenses into my day bag and strolled down towards the lake which sits in the centre of Parc Ivoloina.
It is a beautiful setting. I decided to take a look at the zoo, then to continue on the lakeside path. The zoo is very small and most of the enclosures are pretty basic, but the animals are well cared for and the collection plays an important role in conservation breeding programmes for several species of endangered lemurs. There are also some free-ranging lemur groups living in the trees. All the species within the zoo are native to Madagascar and as well as lemurs there are tortoises, snakes, frogs and chameleons. The most recent addition is a new amphibian conservation centre. This unit, run by MFG staff, will become part of Madagascar’s biosecure defence against the chytrid fungus which has not yet reached Madagascar but which is wreaking havoc in amphibian populations across the globe. I chatted to some of the keepers, all of whom seemed to love their work, then carried on my walk on to the lakeside path.

The path was shaded by ravenala palms, with plated lizards scurrying among their roots. Sunbirds, bulbuls and crested drongos flitted across the track and everywhere I looked enormous butterflies in gorgeous hues of blue and purple bounced as if on invisible elastic. I stopped frequently to admire the ever-changing view across the lake.  I came across a small waterfall which tumbled into a pool next to the path. It seemed like a good place to take a rest so I sat on a bench in the shade and reflected on how lucky I was to be here. Huge dragonflies darted across the water then perched on grasses, their enormous eyes scanning for potential prey.

Unfortunately I was beginning to feel even more queasy so I reluctantly made my way back to the bungalow with the intention of having a short rest. I actually slept for most of the afternoon but did feel a little better when I awoke. It was still very hot indeed so I drew a bucket of cold water from the rainwater tank and had a refreshing ‘shower’. It was my turn to cook so I rustled up a vegetable risotto which didn’t turn out that well, but Christof politely ate it anyway. He and his wife have spent many years working in developing countries in Africa and know how precious every bit of food is. Consequently Christof will not waste food and anything that is cooked must be eaten or given to someone else who will eat it.

After dinner Christof explained about the MFG ecoagriculture programme. Some of this programme (the Agriculture ‘Model Station’) is sponsored by the IOW Zoo so I was keen to learn more about the work. He agreed to show me around the relevant areas of the site after I have been to Betampona. I will look forward to that because I will then be able to better explain it to our staff, volunteers and visitors when I return to the UK.

Tomorrow is the first day of term for the MFG’s Saturday School programme so I am planning to go along and find out more about that. I also intend to explore the Model Station and hopefully meet a few more of the MFG’s Malagasy staff.

Day Five - Arrival at Parc Ivoloina

I checked out of my hotel at 8am, ready to be collected by Maya. I was a little taken aback when I realised the hotel doesn’t take payment by card. It’s a good job I changed some cash yesterday. It’s pretty good value though – 50,000 Ariary a night (about £18).

The MFG site at Parc Ivoloina is a forestry station covering almost 300 hectares of mainly secondary forest. It incorporates a small zoo, an environmental education centre, a conservation training centre and an ecoagriculture research and training facility. It is located approximately 12 km north of Tamatave in the Northeast of the Madagascar.

The first section of road from Tamatave is pretty good. Although it is very busy, and driving is not for the fainthearted, it is tarmac and relatively smooth. All changes after the turning for Parc Ivoloina though. The road is sand, with potholes large enough to lose a mini in. Technically people should drive on the right. In reality everyone swerves backwards and forwards to avoid the worst of the holes and the person with most confidence takes right of way. Visitors to Alton Towers would pay a lot of money for a similar experience!

The road runs alongside the river and initially appears picturesque. However only a little way further on there were some heartbreaking scenes. Lining each side of the road were heaps of rocks. Whole families, including very small children, sat breaking the rocks with hammers into smaller pieces of gravel, for purchase by construction companies. Maya told me that they do this all day, every day, to try to make enough money for food. It was my first encounter with real, desperate poverty and one that will remain with me forever. I have no photographs of this sorry scene because the villagers requested none to be taken. It is, however, etched indelibly into my memory.

When we arrived at Ivoloina we were met by two of the MFG managers, Veronique and Mamy. They were both most welcoming and Veronique showed me to my accommodation in a little, very basic bungalow. My room was great – bunk bed, table, shelf, candle and resident geckos. I had the use of a small kitchenette, which I shared with Christof. He showed me how to store my food to keep it safe from rats. Unfortunately rats are a big problem at Ivoloina. Now don’t get me wrong – I like rodents and do admire rats’ tenacity. However they can carry disease and I didn’t want them in contact with my food. In addition, the rats on Madagascar are black rats and bubonic plague is present on the island: a thought that kept me awake some nights when I could hear them scampering over the bunk bed above me! Toilets were in the nearby dormitory (flushed with buckets of rainwater) and washing was also via a bucket.

 

 

I spent the afternoon exploring. I had free run of the entire forest so could go wherever I wanted. Immediately outside my room was a lychee tree (litchis in Madagascar) and here I saw my first lemurs – a troop of white-fronted brown lemurs visited several times a day to gorge themselves on the ripe fruit. That afternoon I also came across a small thin snake with vivid yellow longitudinal stripes and huge two tree boas. Best of all I found and managed to photograph some amazing invertebrates called giraffe-necked weevils. They were much smaller than I had expected them to be and had made a real mess of the bean plants in the ecoagriculture potager. On my way back a small group of white-faced whistling ducks flew over.

That evening I had my first bucket shower by candlelight. Christof kindly cooked dinner – it’s my turn tomorrow. After dinner I sat outside for a while watching the fireflies dancing among the trees and marvelling at the amazing display of stars. No light pollution here!

Tiredness soon got the better of me though and I lit my mosquito coil, climbed inside my mozzie net and fell asleep to the night chorus of frogs and crickets.