17 May - first day on the Bike

First rider meeting yesterday. Amongst other things, this is the itinerary for the first three days of riding at which point we get a day of rest and the opportunity to visit the national park at Isalo...

It was a short day to ease us into the routine, so 0800 breakfast for a 0900 departure. The owner of the hotel and some of his staff were up at the road wishing us well on the ride. Hotel Belle Vue in Ifaty if anybody is motivated to spend some time in a nice establishment on the beach completely out of mainstream western life.

In this photo, the flagging tape that TDA uses to mark turns can be seen behind Ursula's right shoulder. The bus is one of our support vehicles setting out to mark the route and to get lunch ready - yes, we're looked after.

The road was a terrible one when they scouted the route a year or so ago. Then it got paved and is the best road we've been on in Madagascar. The ladies on the left of the photo were breaking up rocks using larger rocks on smaller ones by hand.

Probably more ox carts on the route than motorized vehicles...

 

We were never far from the sea as we followed the coast to the south to Toliara - south of the equator so sun behind us.

Some mangroves along one stretch of the coast...

If anyone has gone back a couple of blogs to the one in the nature reserve, you may notice that my brother has kindly added some comments identifying the birds. Thank you Bruce. To make sure you have something to do today, here are a couple more, one sort of pigeon-shaped on top of a cactus (cactus by the way are not endemic, rather they have been imported from the Americas), and the other a darkish heron with some Egrets near the shore.

 

Here some of us together as we get near to Toliara - Annegrete who we've known on three previous rides, Michel who we know from Bamboo Road, Fiona from Australia on her first TDA ride, Bill who we rode with in NZ last year.

 

The hotel tonight is the Victory, the same hotel we were in during the two previous stays in Toliara. Swimming pool appreciated by all.

That's it for day one. Next post who knows when as we will not always be connected to the world.

May 13-14 - Anakao – Toliara – Ifaty

Overnight on the 12^th at Anakao at the Auberge Peter Pan. Low voltage lights in the bungalow. Regular electricity to charge computers, cameras, cell phones at reception. Wifi available. No hot water but a beautiful ocean. Simple life, adequate.

In the morning, back onto the speedboat to return to Toliara. Ox carts again to shore.

Check into the same hotel as three nights ago, same room, then to the Arboretum d’Antsokay, a botanical garden with the flora and fauna of the dry country of Southwest Madagascar.

More Baobabs

  

 

 

and a turtle that just laid an egg and is trying to cover it

and birds

 

 

 

 

 

 

 ...and chameleon and iguana

  

and butterfly

Back to Toliara

...and an evening trip to the market... an amazing quantity of fish...  

The following morning was a stop to visit some family of Colegue, our guide...

...then on to Ifaty where the cycling begins. Nice bungalow on the beach...

Fishing is the main local food and everybody is on the beach when the boats come in...

...and the kids are right there pulling little fish of of the nets... 



 

Great atmosphere - the kids are pleasant. Sunset at 1730 from our patio... we're posting this on the 16th...tomorrow we start out on the bikes...

 

 

May 11-12 - Tsimanampetsotsa Natural Reserve

An afternoon visit to the Tsimanampetsotsa Natural Reserve after lunch on the 11th and again in the morning of the 12th.

Lake Tsimanampesotse is a large shallow lake and part time home for Pink Flamingos which nest here and migrate to Ngoro Ngoro crater in Tanzania at other times.

The reserve advertises 112 species of birds, but the time to seen them is October, not now which is fall here. Also, probably better to get up really early in the morning rather than our somewhat more leisurely pace.

 

It is also home to a species of blind fish, found only here. Apparently they were left behind in this cavern when the seas receded some thousands of years ago and they subsequently evolved in the dark. It is maybe 10 cm long. Also some martins living in the cave.

When we got to the cave, there were maybe a dozen ring-tailed lemurs taking turns drinking the water. Our local guide said we were lucky as he usually sees them in the late afternoon, not in the morning.

...and skin from a Boa!

And Baobad trees - there are six species in Madagascar, but beyond my expertise to try to sort them out here.

Not far from the blind fish cave was a sink hole with a massive banyan tree at the side with roots going over the edge and down into the water. The hawk was on a tree in the sink hole.

 A few photos of other bird sightings with some partial identification - we're hoping my brother will do his usual scientific work to be more specific.

 

Hoopoe

Madagascar Kestrel

 

 

 

Harrier

Now back to Toliara....