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28 april 2004
Madagascar 2004: Primary Rainforest Ranomafana (day 10)
DylanL2006-04-25 19:17:26
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Straight after breakfast we go on our way to Ranomafana. The first part of the road is in a reasonable state and twists through the mountains. Zebuherds are walking everywhere and their owners step out of the way carelessly after continuously honking. At a certain point we pass a truck at the side of the road, like anywhere else, but here there are eight men giving us important instructions on how to pass the truck in the proper way. Bust only 20 meters further down the road we almost hit a couple of roadworkers who are, without any warning signs, working in the middle of the way.
In front of us drives a completely worn out japanese van. It's lost all of its windows which are replaced by plastic curtains. The trunk waves back and forth dangerously, there's an immense load of baggage tied up to the roof and carries at least 15 people. Even Dina has to laugh.
We stop on the way to eat baguette with cheese and we see children race down the road on small wooden cars loaded with branches.
At the gate to the park - or, the beginning of a 32 km bumpy road to the actual forest - we are stopped by the gendarmerie. The man, dressed in an army suit, asks Dina for his papers and the contract of our tour, which was formulated by Rija earlier. He takes at least five minutes to study the document and starts making problems; we can't get in. The reason for this is that destination Ranomafana is not listed by name in the contract. For us it's another act of inconceivable bureaucracy and it takes Dina a lot of effort to get the guy letting us through. Once at the entrance we take a guide and start our 3 hour walk through the rainforest.
Not long ago, in 1989, here in Ranomafana a new species was discovered: the Golden Bamboolemur. The mammal lives only in this place of the world and was considered so rare that it's habitat was promptly promoted to national park. Researchers and biologists from all around the world come here
...
See photographs from:
Madagascar Gallery
