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I went to Madagascar with my-now-husband, Christian and my 50 year old mom to try our hands at pirogue sailing. We spent a week learning to sail the pirogue boats and then racing around various islands. It was an incredible experience and the islands were stunning and most were nearly untouched. My mom took charge of steering the boat and Christian and I were in charge of changing the mast (which happened frequently) in order to change direction or catch the wind just right.
We visited a few local villages and ate delicious fresh fish caught straight from the sea each day. We even got to visit the Lemur Island, a small island with several different species of Lemurs. These Lemurs were used to being fed by the locals and tourists and although were wild, several of them were comfortable getting very close to us and a few even sat on our shoulders to get closer to the treats! Once happy with their food they would hop back into the trees and watch us with adorable bug eyes. I must admit, I never really liked monkeys—especially after living in the Himalayas for several months and getting trapped in my apartment more than once due to the vicious monkeys outside my door—but the Lemurs were NOTHING like monkeys! They were small, adorable, polite and not as mischievous or naughty as monkeys tend to be!
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After our pirogue sailing adventure ended we went, the three of us, to the main land for a short trip to a nearby National Park. We took a boat to the Port and caught a bus and took a 5-hour journey north towards the National Park. We eventually arrived and stayed in the ONLY hotel available. It was very simple accommodation and not very clean or nice but as it was the only one available, they charged a high price considering. (About $40 USD per night!)
|  A fully grown "Mouse Lemur!" |
We got a private walking tour at night through a small path in the jungle where we used our torches to spot many local animals. We saw mouse lemurs, chameleons, snakes, frogs, lizards and all sorts of creatures! The next day we went on a long day hike to see the Tsingy Tsingy—which translates as tippy toes. It is a rock formation where the rocks are extremely sharp and pointy, hence the Malagasy name for tippy toes, because if you were to attempt to walk on the sharp stones barefoot you’d have to be on tippy toes! We saw more wildlife and more lemurs-these ones were wilder and kept their distance-and enjoyed a picnic by a sinkhole for lunch. Then we had a long walk back.
|  Christian and his Lemur Friend! |
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We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Madagascar! My mom had been very nervous about going to her first “African Country” but Madagascar had been a big relief to her. The Malagasy people were extremely friendly and the scenery was very “African” but without the big wildlife like lions and zebras. I must say though, that there are a TON of animals that exist ONLY in Madagascar! We were lucky enough to spot a red mongoose, however we did not see the infamous “fossa” or cat-like animal. They are apparently a rare sighting! Overall, we really enjoyed the wildlife in Madagascar and it was even more special to see the animals free and in the wild and not cooped up in cages. For that, Madagascar, we thank you!
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