Today we leave Fianarantsoa and head south to visit the Papier Antamoria in the town of Ambaloavoa. This town makes the most beautiful hand made paper with pressed wild flower mixed into it. We had been given a sample by our friend in Tana as a gift. We planned on picking out some for gifts at home. We arrived at lunch time and the papermakers were at lunch. Fortunately there was a restaurant right at the factory. We sat outside and had a nice little lunch under the umbrellas. We bought our gifts prior to the store closing for siesta time. Things tend to close after lunch in Madagascar. You need to plan for that.
After a restful lunch we headed south in the Nissan south of town by about 40 minutes to the Anja Private Reserve Park.
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We picked up a guide while at lunch and he came with us. This is the home of many ring tailed lemur.
There are also interesting rock out cropping of massive granite that form caves. Some are used by the local tribes as tombs. Malagasy people have very elaborate ritual regarding death. Read about this in Hilary Brandt's Guide to Madagascar which is required reading prior to any trip there.
This is the outcropping that smashed the LED on my camera. It still worked but the display feature is gone until I send it in for repair. You can see the zebu horns in the rocks. That is possibly someone burial tomb. It reminded me of Mesa Verde National Park only with adorable lemurs.
Then it was another few hours down the road until we leave the road
and travel over some of the roughest roads...if you can call them that. At times it feels like we are driving in a stream bed. Eventually the dirt track smoothes out. We meet a few of the locals on the road. They are friendly.
Just look at this place! It looks like Yosemite. In fact this is a famous location for both technical (rock) climbing and parasailing. It is really in the middle of nowhere. All electricity is by generator. The newly built cabins border on luxurious but rustic with nice modern bathrooms and loft bedrooms. The view is sublime. Run to Camp Catta. It is too beautiful for words.
This is the view of Pic Boby the highest point in Madagascar. (um we think anyway)
We went into the village one day to meet the local midwife/nurse and health workers. Since I am a pediatric nurse practitioner we took a little time to talk shop. They could not have been more gracious. We brought stickers for the local kids. Everyone seemed to enjoy them.
We loved this area and the people. Our wonderful driver Willy served as translator for us. Here is Willy mixing it up with the locals pounding rice:
Um Willy the ladies don't look like they trust you to do it right. He is a far better driver than rice pounder.
To be continued next to Isalo National Park