Happy Birthday Suzie. Fly back to Tana.
Reniala Jardin Reserve
Privately owned by French/Malagassy. Est. 2000.
Happy 75th Birthday to Suzie!
Today we marked the milestone 75th with a visit to a local reserve/botanical garden in Ifaty, Madagascar.
Reniala Jardin Reserve
Privately owned by French/Malagassy. Est. 2000.
Also the Brigitte Bardot sanctuary rehabilitation for the Ring Tailed Maki Lemur. They started with 5 now 125.
Reniala is the species of Boabab – grows to 25 metres. One of 8 species in the world, 6 in Mada. The baobab has a carrot like root and is called the Upside down tree – Baobab. They are slow growing 1cm per year. (In girth we think)
There were lots of boababs that had been used by humans in the past – raided for the water, or the fibrous bark and ‘wood’ or cut into to make a climbing ladder to collect the fruit. Because of the human damage the boababs have grown in interesting shapes. The photos tell the stories of some that Orlando shared with us.
We also saw a few creatures and birds.
Three eyed lizard.
Standing Day Gecko – only carniverous gecko. (Green adult, brown juvenile)
There were many types of tree in the reserve. Many, many with medicinal use and the pirogue (traditional fishing boats) are made from four species of trees.
Guide – Orlando toured us around the garden and explained the plants and animals. Lots of medicinal options – alzheimers, rheumatism, long life. There is something for everyone.
Octopus tree – compass tree it leans to the south. It is spiny and the lemurs like the leaves and can somehow avoid or deal with the spikes. (These are the trees found in the Spiny Forest we drove through a couple of days ago.) Its is not a cactus.
Boababs are not tree it’s fibre.
Balsa wood or Farafatsy is used for the Hull of boat. Grey colour and very light.
Octopus/compass or Spiny tree is the seat for the boat – it’s a very hard wood evidently.
Voavy- mast of the pirogue
Green capped cour. Poor picture.
Magpie Robin male
Common Jerry x 2
Sakalaka Weaver
Boabab fruit. Velvet
Snake – mimophis
Shield bug
Teapot Boabab 1500yrs old.
Standing’s Day gecko.
Boabab- Hammock and head of Rhino.
White latex – sap will cause blindness in an hour. Red latex is the antidote.
Magpie Robin female.
Tree many roots 25 year. Boabab 1 root 100 years.
Climbing boabab 600 years old.
Voavy- mast of the pirogue
Magpie Robin male.
Monongo- Good for gout, good for prostate.
It was hot out there this morning, damn hot, in fact. With the winding paths and closed in by trees with no breeze meant it felt like we were melting.
We returned home after taking in a lot of info about the flora and fauna, in particular about the human impact on Baobabs.
Back to the hotel for a cool drink and a bit of a rest before heading out for birthday lunch. We opted to go back to Chez Freddy as it was so good on our first night.
Phil had carried the candles for all three birthdays and we stuck the 7-5 into the nougat glacé (ice cream) and sang HBD. Benj then added the Malagasy version too.
A long lunch, but it was too hot for anything else.
Hassled by young Ronaldo on the walk home, trying to sell me some wooden lemurs or a little wooden pot or a wooden Baobab – the deals varied and he has tackled us at front and back of the hotel over the two days. I had no money and left him with nothing – feels bad, but you can’t help them all. Benj and Nico both handed over some cash.
Packed up and sat around in the cooler sea breeze, which was nice. At 4:45 we were packed and back in the van for the 45 minute last trip to the Tulear Airport.
We were within the first 15 or so in the queue before 6:30.
The internet was not doing so well which meant a very slow check in and handwritten boarding passes. We all scraped through the weight requirements and it was swift through passport control (domestic flight?) and security screen. Some had to take cameras out but not me this time.
A hot wait in the lounge and no water!!!
We had a 90 minute flight at 8:30 with take off at 8:45 to Antananarivo arriving at:10:14.
Our accommodation for the next couple of nights is upgraded and for Suzie’s birthday present she gets her own room for the next two nights (which by default means I do too). Hotel Sakamanga (blue cat) is a quirky hotel which was established in an old run down Malagassy House with some rooms and a restaurant in 1992, starting with 8 rooms they have purchased some adjoining properties, and expanded to 46 rooms and conference facilities. It’s a rabbit warren but the rooms are good. It looks good. Time to explore some more tomorrow.
Travel adventures with Nicola & co. 