Isalo

This is me on our Isalo rock hike. My legs have been doing things they haven't done in a long time - and surviving. We climbed to the top of one of the rock out crops, walked along the top for some distance and then down the other side with about a million steps. About 8 ks in all and my knees were suffering at the end but it was so amazing.  We did this type of hiking two days in isalo and then back to rain forest land again and some more hiking up and down clay slopes in trees and spotting lots of wildlife. Alan, you would have loved Isalo.

Long drive again today. That's the bit I really don't like about this country.  It is too SCARY.  Narrow road, windy deep ditches on either side and trucks barrelling towards us.  Aarrrgh.

Anyway, we have arrived safely in Antisirabe and another little oasis in the middle of chaos.

We have been so lucky with the weather and the wild life spotting.  In one park a juvenile safika came right down to us within arms length away and was so inquisitive. This was in the wild.  The park guide said he had never even that before.  Got some good shots of him.

Visited a research centre this morning near our cabin in Ranomafana which is the most popular National park in this region.  Erin got to meet the American primate researcher and we purchased her book which she wrote a personalised message to Erin in the front cover.  There was a bug researcher stationed there as well but was absent unfortunately when we visited.

Back to Antananarivo tomorrow with the fumes and the chaos before our trip to the west coast.

So far we have found 15 species of lemur and 12 chameleon in the wild plus several other interesting critters and a million and one plants that I have no way of remembering.

See yuz

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Begin forwarded message:

From: Erin Macartney <elmacartney12@gmail.com>
Date: 9 June 2014 12:27:52 am NZST
To: Mum <helenmacartneynz@gmail.com>

Sent from my iPhone