March 25, 2015  Taolanaro, Madagascar

Today we were in Madagascar proper as opposed to one of the Islands we visited the other day.  We were docked and when we left the ship we had to take a shuttle to the end of the pier.  There was a band playing and they had set up all little booths to shop.  We had a tour so we did not have too much time to look around but we knew they would still be there when we returned from our tour.  We went to the Nahampoana Reserve to see the Lemurs.  We were in vans and it was about a 30 minute ride.  It was not that far but the road conditions were awful.  There were mud holes as big as the vans and the driver had to go around these plus the livestock on the roads.

We went through a village with some very nice houses.  Our guide told us that they are housing for the people who work in the ebony mines.  The owner of the mines own them and build them and employees get the housing.  We then continued and came to a village of where the ordinary people live.  There were live chickens running all around.  The houses are straw huts with no running water, electricty or much furniture.  All the people especially the children came out to wave to us.  Some of the children did put their hands out begging for money.   We had been warned not to give it to them because they would come from near and far in a matter of seconds.  The stop in Madagascar the other day was a far cry from today.  They were rich in comparison to today.  They grow their own vegetables and most of the kids were dressed.  We did pass a few women with their laundry on their heads and some who were having out their wet laundry.

We arrived at the reserve and their were peddlers all over.  We went through the gate and started our walk.  We were hardly into the park when we saw the Lemurs.  They are really cute and cuddley things.  They were putting on a show for us and we got to see 4 of the 5 species as the last species only comes out at night.  We then saw the special turtles that only live here and our guide even found a baby one for us.  As we walked on farther there were a couple of guys holding Chameleons and Bill got to hold one.  No thank you not me!  we saw a snake but I didn't get close to it either I gave Bill the camera.  As we kept walking we could hear the drums and Bill hoped we were not going to be on the menu that evening.  As we got closer we were given a coupon to get a drink  they had sodas, bottled water or beers and some other things.  We each got a bottled water  They had the natives playing instruments and dancing.  They also had some stalls set up to shop.  After all this it was time to leave on the way out to the vans were all the peddlers and they were not like the other day if you said no they kept pushing it in your face.  I did buy one thing but had to tell about 5 people No  and they had me surrounded Bill had to get me out of there!  As we were getting in the van two little girls asked us for our half empty water bottles.  They don't have clean water so of course we gave it to them.  Wish I had known I would have brought water from the ship.  Loved the whole day but it is so sad to see how these people live.  We complain about pot holes these people hardly have roads we complain we have slow internet these people don't have electricity  we complain we don't have enough bathrooms these people don't have running water.  It certainly puts things into perspective!

what a cutie

Yummy

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And I have the headache

Homes for people who work in the mines

RING TAIL LEMURS

Homes for the natives!