My day started early, breakfast at the hotel followed by a walk through the woods on Kirindy Reserve. It was our second visit to this reserve as we did a night walk here yesterday evening. It was my first sighting of a lemur leaping through the trees and I watched in awe as a Red-Tailed Sportive Lemur leapt from tree to tree – a lasting memory. We were also treated to a rare sighting of the fossa, the lemurs only predator. This cat-like carnivore was raiding the dustbins behind the dining area. It seemed to be oblivious of our presence. As we clamoured to take photographs, we were advised to maintain a healthy distance from this strange creature’s retractable claws and sharp teeth. A relative of the mongoose, this strange creature is unique to the forests of Madagascar. An adult fossa can be up to six feet long from nose to tail tip. It bears little resemblance to its mongoose cousins looking more like an elongated, smooth-haired cat. The fossa is the largest carnivore here and feeds on lemurs, wild pigs, mice and any other creature it can get its claws into.
Soon after starting our morning walk, we encountered tribes of two different species of lemur, Verreaux’s Sifaka Lemur and the Red Fronted Brown Lemur. The white Sifakas were easy to spot as they leapt from tree to tree. I just stood still and gazed up at the canopy of trees above me as one after the other they jumped from tree to tree heading for some pre-determined destinations. It was pointless trying to capture their rapid movements with my camera. But, occasionally, one of them would pause to cast curious eyes in my direction.
The Brown lemurs blended more with the trees and were more subdued this morning so it was possible to get some interesting images. These fascinating animals seemed to be as interested in us as we were in them. It was hard to drag myself away as I could have watched them all day but we had a long journey ahead of us to our next destination, Bekopaka.
Madagascar is not blessed with long stretches of smooth, tarmacked roads and the rutted, unmade tracks have to be negotiated with care in our four-wheel drive vehicles. However, this did give me time to enjoy the landscape surrounding me. It took me back to the time I was driving a four by four in the Masai Mara National Park when I took part in a conservation project there. The island of Madagascar has a similar landscape but lacks the wildlife so prevalent in other African countries. We drove past small settlements of wooden shacks. Children ran out of these settlements to the roadside to beg for empty plastic bottles which they could sell to the many stall holders we had seen selling their wares along the way.
Today featured my first river crossing in Madagascar. As we approached the banks of the Tsiribihina River I could not see anything that remotely resembled a ferry. After being asked to get out of our vehicles I scrambled up to the top of the sandy bank and looked down on the river below. All I could see was a large, empty, wooden platform. Was this the jetty? My question was answered when I looked across the water and spotted another wooden platform on its way towards us carrying four vehicles. Mystery solved – these wooden platforms were the ferries, powered by two very basic diesel engines at one end.
We were travelling in a convoy of four vehicles and they were lined up at the top of the slope waiting to drive down to the ferry at the bottom. Now it seemed there would be complications due to the arrival of a second ferry with vehicles on board. Despite that, loading started and three of our vehicles negotiated the ramps and were positioned on the ferry before the other ferry, now moored to it, began unloading. Despite being encouraged to wait at the top of the slope our fourth vehicle was already bouncing down the sandy slope. There was no way back and he was soon on the ferry but directed to park in a corner to allow the arrivals to disembark across the loaded ferry. Once this was done our fourth vehicle managed to line up with the other three – it took a while.
After the outside ferry had cast off and drifted away the engines on our ferry erupted into life and we set off in a cloud of diesel fumed smoke.
By this time, I had found a nice perch on the edge of the wooden platform at the other end. Looking down river I have a great view of the landscape around me as we chugged down the middle of the Tsiribihina River. The rusty red colour of the water in this and all the rivers in Madagascar is due to large amounts of sediment picked up on its journey to the sea. This sediment comes from the iron-rich red soil here intensified by large-scale deforestation along the river banks – the majority of the population burns wood for cooking and warmth. I was amused by the sight of some carts, still attached to the zebu that pull them, being washed in the river.
Further along the bank, women are doing the washing while their children play in the water. It was so peaceful and calm on the water I felt very relaxed and a bit sad when we turned towards the ferry ‘terminal’ a flat stretch of sand.
Docking a car ferry in Madagascar is very labour intensive as it has to be manually manoeuvred into position by several men before it can be secured and the ramps put in place.
Disembarkation at Belo sur Tsiribihina was quick and easy for us as there were no vehicles waiting to board and we were soon on our way to our next adventure.
Getting There
Ethiopian Airlines offer a regular scheduled service to Madagascar via Addis Ababa. This airline has the accolade of being the best of the African Airlines and also highly rated worldwide. It offers 3 categories, Economy, Preferred (eg guaranteed empty neighbouring seat) and Business Class (comfortable individual cubicles and first-class service). The latter two can be selected on booking but there is also a bidding system after booking.
Valery Collins is the Experienced Traveller. An excellent raconteur, Valery has been writing about her experiences on the road since she started travelling 27 years ago. After publishing four books she turned to online travel writing and now contributes regularly to other travel-related websites.
