Madagascar

Nosy Be

We dropped anchor in Nosy Be harbor on our eighth evening at sea. Madagascar was the island I had most anticipated on the itinerary, and it was exciting to finally arrive. The next morning we set out on our prearranged tour. Our guide met us at the dock and we were on our way. The first stop was the bustling central market in Hellville (not named for its semblance to eternal damnation, but rather in honor of the former French Governor, Admiral de Hell). The market quickly proved to be a sensory overload, as the sights, sounds and scents were somewhat overwhelming. The most impressive items were the vast array of fresh fruit, and we were fortunate that mangoes had just come into season. Equally interesting were the various spices and essential oils native to the island. Scents of ylang ylang, vanilla and nutmeg wafted through the air.

(l-r): locals selling fresh fruit by the ship; Hellville market

Our guide picked out some freshly picked lychees as snacks for the road. Next up was a visit to a holy tree where the local animists believed the spirits of their ancestors dwelled. The expansive mangling of trunks, shoots and leaves was actually the symbiotic fusion of a ficus and banyan tree. Then we came across a beautiful chameleon clinging to a low-hanging tree branch. We stopped along the roadside to sample some fresh jackfruit, which tasted like an interesting combination of banana and pineapple (think stringy banana!) We next stopped by a typical Malagasy village (a collection of thatched-roof huts) and handed out some pens to the wide-eyed children who were present. We continued to the northwestern tip of Nosy Be to the beautiful beach village of Andilana for a delicious grilled seafood lunch. On the way back to port, we stopped at Mt. Passat, the highest point on the island (329m) for a bird's eye 360* view of Nosy Be.

(l-r): The sacred tree, cashew nuts, chameleon

(l-r): Eating a mango; our guide holding ylang ylang flowers; local children

I was somewhat taken aback by the abject poverty in Madagascar. In all my travels, this is one of, if not the poorest country I've ever visited. The humble conditions in which the locals live is amazing, but they lack the economic stimulus to better their lives. Truly sad. This is also the first trip which clearly demonstrated to me how the economic prowess of the United States has faltered overseas. While the locals would accept dollars, euros or the local currency, their clear preference was for euros, as they lamented, en francais, how much the value of the U.S. dollar has fallen. Thanks a lot, Mr. Bush!

Nosy Komba

On day 2 in Madagascar, we went on an excursion to nearby Nosy Komba island to view a colony of resident black lemurs. The 10-minute speedboat ride (sans transfer via Hell-ville) was great. Upon arrival, we passed through a typical Malagasy island village and climbed up the path in search of lemurs. The gang of black lemurs - a couple of adult males and females - was a welcome sight. Their inquisitive nature, coupled with their intense orange eyes and their hunger for bananas as lure, proved to be a crowd pleaser for our tour group of ten. A couple of us were asked if we wanted the lemurs to sit on our shoulder, and Erik, Garry and I were only to happy to volunteer. Cute fuzzy creatures with amazing long tails. Prior to the shore excursion, we had been told specifically not to feed the "semi-tame" lemurs, so my expectations for any contact were quite low. However, the lemur interaction proved to be one my fondest and most memorable events of the cruise. We saw some additional animals near the lemur colony - tortoises, snakes, chameleons and geckos. Then we meandered back through the village, stopping at a few shops selling Malagasy handicrafts. I picked up a beautiful hand-carved wooden mask with a lemur and chameleon etched into the surface. Then it was back to the ship for some lunch and a relaxing afternoon of sunbathing.