Unlike on our way to Madagascar, I knew exactly what we were getting into with two 13+ hour flights (not counting the hours in the Istanbul Lounge between flights). It was going to be two extremely long flights punctuated by meals, beverages and attempts to sleep. Business Class on Turkish Airlines includes the Wifi Access, but really – who can’t do without internet connection for a few hours?

There are two lounges in Tana – one for Air France and one for all the other airlines. It wasn’t much of a lounge, just a few seating areas, a bar and a vertical cooler with a variety of drinks. It did provide me with an opportunity to insure that my electronics were charged, just in case there were outlet problems on the flight. I did no shopping; we used our last bit of cash to buy one more candy bar. Should have purchased outside the airport, of course where things were much, much cheaper.

tBoarding consisted of hiking along the barriers, across the tarmac and up the steps onto the flight.

Oh, wait! I forgot the fun of the other couple leaving the same time as us! Ann and Phillip were booked through Ethiopian Air. Arriving at the airport, they were informed that their flights were Sunday. Excuse me? Our printed reservation says today. And around and around they went. The manager said they could make the change for the small upgrade fee of $1000. It was at this point that they went and got Alain – our in-country group leader. Suddenly, the reservation seemed to be today without an extra charge. But there was this small issue of luggage. Can’t check luggage through when the connecting flight is tomorrow. Hello? They have two hours between flights in Addis Ababa. No reason why they can’t check the luggage through. But the second flight is on a different date…. and around they went till someone in management took over (not the same person who attempted the shakedown) and their luggage was checked.

Made our hours in the Turkish Airlines Lounge seem simple by comparison. Plenty of food, olives, beverages and places to plug in electronics if you looked closely enough. Boarding the connecting flight included a bit of confusion since we wound up leaving almost an hour late. Again, plenty of food, a bit of beverage plus my realization that I still had my Adia cloth but had left the pouch with threads, needles and the like on the first flight. Ah, well, sleep and solitaire on the iPad were good enough.

I was through immigration, customs and had the luggage before George made it through the line. If you are a US passport holder/permanent resident and haven’t downloaded MobilePass – I strongly recommend you do so. Faster than Global Entry and doesn’t cost a thing.

BART to home. Time to sleep….

This morning, have breakfast while listening to the peculiar call of the endangered Indri, the largest living lemurs, reaching up to three feet tall! Andasibe is an ideal place to observe the Indri, as there are some Indri families there who have been habituated to humans. Considered a sacred animal in Madagascar, the Indri is the focus of several origin myths. In addition to the Indri, 13 lemur species can also be seen: woody lemur, grey bamboo lemur, diademed sifaka, brown lemur, red mouse lemur, red-bellied lemur, black-and-white ruffed lemur, and aye-aye. These forests are also home to 15 other mammal species, more than 100 types of birds, 50 species of reptiles, and 80 amphibian species. Overnight at Vakona Forest Lodge.

The forest lodge is cool, way cool..

But first you just have to hear this…

This morning, transfer to the airport for the flight to Antananarivo, then transfer to Andasibe. En route admire the large roadside Raphia farinifera palms. Arrive at the hotel late in the afternoon and take an evening walk in the Mitsinjo Analamazaotra Forest Station. Mitsinjo is an important site, and a great place to see the extremely endangered Ravenea louvelii palm in its natural habitat. Explore the flora of the trail system and then as darkness descends, continue walking in search of nocturnal wildlife. With luck, have a chance to observe the locally endemic Goodman’s Mouse Lemur. Common encounters also include the Greater Dwarf Lemur, leaf-tailed geckos, and an impressive sample of Andasibe’s amphibian diversity such as the tree frogs Boophis viridis and Boophis pyrrhus. Return to the hotel for dinner. Overnight at Vakona Forest Lodge.
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Um, well….
we left our hotel this morning and headed to the airport

in plenty of time for our flight. Which happened to be changed to close to 1100. This is Air Madagascar. Prop plane with one engine suspended from each wing and six very wicked looking propellor blades on each. The good thing? Obviously neither the wings nor engines interfered with anyone’s view. The sad thing? The country appeared pretty desolate in our 90+ minute flight.

On arrival, we were met by new van and driver. Loaded up to drive to the hotel. It was only 87 miles but took from 1300 till after dark. We made one stop along the way –

at a place that had most excellent coffee which we all needed plus offered a variety of western tourist adventures (hiking, zip lining and white water rafting). We had the coffee and looked at the sheep.

It was dark when we arrived, this place is set deep into the forest if the 30 minute practically off road drive is any judge.

Today we venture to Zombitse National Park and witness the results of a widespread environmental problem in Madagascar: deforestation. After a long history of “slashand-burn agriculture” in the region, only a small area of protected forest remains. As a result, it is a particularly abundant with flora biodiversity; baobabs and several orchids are especially common. Time permitting, visit Antsokay Arboretum, created in 1980 by amateur Swiss biologist Hermann Petignat. The 100-acre site is dedicated to conservation of the country’s endemic fauna. Continue to the seaside town of Toliara, situated near the Tropic of Capricorn. Overnight at Le Paradisier.

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Actually, another day from Hell on the bus made much better by the stop at Zombitse Park

with the

the massive baobab trees

and then there was the fun of these guys …..

 

before driving to the end of the world

We arrived at camp late afternoon –

the main area –

After breakfast, head to the Great South and Madagascar’s most visited park, Isalo National Park. The drive is along some of the best roads in the country and the scenery is breathtaking. Expect to spend most of the day driving. En route stop at Anja Community Reserve, managed by the local community and a vital example of sustainable tourism in Madagascar. The reserve boasts a diverse variety of endemic species, including several families of orchids and saxicolous plants. Explore the reserve then have lunch in a nearby restaurant. After a long day of driving, we check in to our hotel, have dinner, and relax in anticipation of Isalo National Park – over 200,000 acres of beautiful landscapes of sandstones, canyons, fauna and flora, natural swimming pools, and waterfalls. Overnight at Le Relais de la Reine.

—–

It was an extremely long day of driving.
First – sights along the way –

that is just a taste of what driving through a town or city will show you.

But the stars of today were ring-tailed lemurs. Trust me, they are funny, amazing and not at all concerned about humans in their habitat.

and more lemurs both in the trees where they have a tendency to move around like Rocky the Flying Squirrel

There are also Zebu

and more ring tails down at the water and otherwise having an interesting time…

if you click on the picture you will get a slightly larger version. I did limit the size…

After breakfast, transfer to the mountainous Ranomafana National Park, situated on the edge of Madagascar’s High Plateau with elevations ranging from 1,640 to 4,921 feet. Ranomafana contains a variety of forest and is part of the World Heritage Site, Rainforests of the Atsinanana. Ranomafana has served as a model for subsequent parks and reserves in Madagascar and abroad. This evening we have a special traditional Tanala dinner prepared and served in a special pot, family-style. Tanala literally means “people of the forest.” Only 4% of the population of Madagascar are Tanala, so tonight’s meal is a rare treat. Overnight at Setam Lodge

Did I mention driving forever?

Yes, thought I did. The National Park is about 30 years old, give or take. It is the home to about 13 species of lemurs, six or so of which are nocturnal. I am not, so doubt that I will see any of them.

And there are a few birds, we did not see many due to the time of the day.

 

“Explore the capital city – the political, economic, and cultural heart of Madagascar. A local historian enlightens a visit to Ambohimanga, a hill and fortified royal settlement, followed by a family-style lunch with entertainment by traditional dancers and singers. This evening enjoy a welcome dinner and a talk on Madagascar’s unique biodiversity. Overnight at Relais Des Plateaux”

more to follow….

In reality, we stayed completely out of the city and went instead to what was the home of the Madagascar Royalty in the 1800s. Wooden buildings, up on the top of a high hill. Inside very English drawing room appearance complete with the kind of posed photos of Queens in English court dress that you might expect as a result of the invasion of English missionaries in the early 1800s. No photos allowed inside the building.

It too over 90 minutes to drive the 20km from the hotel to the site. After walking the site long enough for the repetition to get to me, we headed off to lunch. Local entertainment. At least we ere told it was traditional even if there was an accordion and western dress involved.

Less than 40 min return in the evening.

Before I forget – and this is being written from the Turkish Airlines Lounge in Istanbul – I just adore flying Turkish Airlines. At least in business class, no experience otherwise.

The plane itself is comfortable, they provide slippers. I don’t have a clue about their entertainment program since I enjoying watching the flight path. The service is excellent, the chefs on board prepare the food to order. The cart comes by with the starters so that you can mix and match. I never go around to desert since I decided that sleep wasn’t a bad idea at all.

But the icing on the cake? Besides the lovely lounge in the airport which is huge, open, airy with multiple snack stations and a full array of munchies, foods, drinks, teas and coffees?

We were parked at an outer location which meant the usual tramp and bus. There was a separate bus for business class. Not just a simple sign in the window, this was decked out with a full elegant wrap clearly distinguishing it from the ordinary white economy class. Business Class clearly emblazoned on the side, gold on chocolate brown.

Since our flight was late getting in. Oh – that was interesting. Apparently going around too many times on approach to SFO make the incoming TK 079 short on fuel. So they landed at OAK. Seriously. Refueled, took off, circled around, then landed on the SFO runway right across the bay. End result was that we were a couple hours late on departure. Fine with me since that meant a shorter time hanging out in Ataturk.

And I underestimated. Apparently the time zone different from SFO to IST is 11 hours… flip my bodies schedule on its head why don’t we.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS:

• Visit Lemur’s Park, a botanical park where nine species of lemur can be observed roaming freely.
• Discover the sacred royal village of Ambohimanga, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Explore the sandstone canyons and waterfalls of Isalo National Park.
• Learn about sustainability and biodiversity in Ranomafana National Park at Centre Valbio, a facility run by Dr. Patricia Wright that is now Madagascar’s leading field research center.
• Experience a taste of Malagasy life while exploring Ambatolampy and visiting a pot factory which are used all throughout the island.
• Investigate Madagascar’s over 12,000 plant species (up to 80% are endemic) , showcasing Madagascar, as one of the most, diverse floras in the world.
• Witness extraordinary biogeography as Madagascar houses 100% of the world’s lemurs, half of the world’s chameleon populations and 6% of the world’s amphibian populations.

I will continue to think about this as we deal with yet another day underway.

SFO-IST arriving today (1 June) then early morning from here to Madagascar.

I did tell you that was where we are going?