Sub-Saharan Africa, Australia

A 136-day adventure by skip's retirement travel Read more

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Sub-Saharan Africa, Australia skip's retirement travel
Sapphires!
May 1, 2018 in Madagascar ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C
Madagascar has become known for precious and semi-precious stones, mostly sapphires. Mining is done both in open pits and deep shafts. All the work of digging, sifting, sotring, etc. is done by hand--not a machine in sight.Read more
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Sub-Saharan Africa, Australia skip's retirement travel
Multiple use of water resources
May 1, 2018 in Madagascar ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C
I admit that this isn't what I would normally think of when talking abut multiple use, but it is about the first thought that popped into my head. If you look closely, you will see people panning for gold, digging and sifting for precious stones, doing laundry, bathing, swimming, even washing cars.Read more
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Sub-Saharan Africa, Australia skip's retirement travel
More lemurs
May 1, 2018 in Madagascar ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C
Ring tails again. This time they're even mating
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Sub-Saharan Africa, Australia skip's retirement travel
Traditional paper making
May 1, 2018 in Madagascar ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C
Raw material, boiling, pounding, spreading on frames, decorating and sun drying
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Sub-Saharan Africa, Australia skip's retirement travel
Some of the paper products
May 1, 2018 in Madagascar ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C
Some dried, but uncut work, the workshop and, as a bonus, the tree from whuch the paper is made
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Sub-Saharan Africa, Australia skip's retirement travel
Fianarantsoa old city
May 1, 2018 in Madagascar ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
Founded by the Merina dynasty as the southern capital atop a hill. Pictures of the city, architectural detail and, given it was a Sunday, a look at the folks going to church.
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Sub-Saharan Africa, Australia skip's retirement travel
Traditional Betsileo village
May 1, 2018 in Madagascar ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C
The Betsileo are another Malagasy tribe whose home is around Fianarantsoa. An overview of the area, a look at the housing and crops. It is rice harvest season.
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Sub-Saharan Africa, Australia skip's retirement travel
Betsileo tradition
May 1, 2018 in Madagascar ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C
The kitchen in a traditional home where we had lunch and the food was prepared. The houses a 3 stories, usually 2 rooms per floor--ground floor generally for animals, first floor for living and where we at and top floor for cooking and living. Notice that the kitchen roof is black with soot. This both preserves the thatch and keep down pests. The last pic is a group of Betsileo musicians laying traditional instruments and sings local songs.Read more
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Sub-Saharan Africa, Australia skip's retirement travel
Market day
May 1, 2018 in Madagascar ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C
Various pictures of a traditional market.
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Sub-Saharan Africa, Australia skip's retirement travel
Perth
May 1, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C
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Sub-Saharan Africa, Australia skip's retirement travel
Wood Inlay
May 1, 2018 in Madagascar ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C
Hand inlay of wood in a small workshop. The first pic is a home made saw. The blades are the steel from steel belted radial tires (or tyres, here) that are removed and serrations cut into them. The craftsman took 2 types of raw wood and fashioned the key chain in a few minutes and gave to one of the group. It was extraordinary that he cut both pieces exactly to fit without glue. The last 2 pics are of other pieces done in the shopRead more
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Sub-Saharan Africa, Australia skip's retirement travel
Andasibe National Park
May 1, 2018 in Madagascar ⋅ 🌙 15 °C
First is a view of the forest followed by more lemurs. The last pic is an ants nest. It seems that the soil in the rain forest is too wet and floods during rains. So ants cannot create nests below grade. Therefore, they build nests in trees like this.Read more
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Sub-Saharan Africa, Australia skip's retirement travel
Lemur Island
May 1, 2018 in Madagascar ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C
Rescued and rehabilitating lemurs are brought here until they can be released. Some learn to get pretty friendly. And some get acrobatic
Travelerhey I have that hat :)
7/1/18Reply
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Sub-Saharan Africa, Australia skip's retirement travel
Brickaville
May 1, 2018 in Madagascar ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C
River port where produce, mostly bananas, are floated down on bamboo rafts.. The fruit is removed for further transport and the rafts are disassembled, The bamboo is sold for various purposes as lumberRead more
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Sub-Saharan Africa, Australia skip's retirement travel
Reptile sanctuary
May 1, 2018 in Madagascar ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C
Just what the name says. Chameleons, Geckos, snakes and more. The last pic ate the best shots I could get of a chameleon shooting his tongue out to get a cricket
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Sub-Saharan Africa, Australia skip's retirement travel
Ile Ste. Marie
May 1, 2018 in Madagascar ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C
End of the tour. Views out the front of the hotel, including some fisheremen
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Sub-Saharan Africa, Australia skip's retirement travel
Perth
May 3, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C
Finally, it's Oz. Perth is a wonderful city, located on the Swan River, just upstream from its main port at Freemantle. I enjoyed some of the best restaurant meals I've had anywhere. And the sunsets aren't too shabby, either.Read more
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Sub-Saharan Africa, Australia skip's retirement travel
Rottnest Island
May 3, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C
The name comes from early dutch sailors who mistakenly thought the native quokkas (1st picture) were rats. They are actually small marsupials related to kangaroos. The 2nd pic is a black skink, a native reptile. There are several views of the island, including one of one of the lighthouses.
The island was a prison for many years, and most of the structures were build by convicts. The island is now mostly a tourist destinations, and sometimes called the playground of Perth. There is a church on the island,and the last picture is that.Read more
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Sub-Saharan Africa, Australia skip's retirement travel
Botanical Garden
May 4, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C
Located in Kings Park with views over Perth and river.
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Sub-Saharan Africa, Australia skip's retirement travel
Alice Springs
May 7, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C
Sitting in a pub in Alice Springs as I get caught up with y posts, finishing up Madagascar and starting Australia. So far, Oz has been everything I expected.
Alice Springs is the jumping off point to visit Uluru or Ayres Rock. A small city larger than Rutland, smaller then Burlington. The pictures are all taken from atop ANZAC hill, a place that has been sacred to the aboriginal people and has become a war memorial.Read more
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Sub-Saharan Africa, Australia skip's retirement travel
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Uluru
May 9, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C
Spiritual center for the Anangu aboriginal people, the tribe in this area. The spiritual is almost palpable here. The first 2 pics are at sunset. The 3rd is sunrise. The rest are views taken during the walk around "The Rock."Read more
Traveler wow
7/1/18Reply
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Sub-Saharan Africa, Australia skip's retirement travel
More Uluru
May 9, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C
Uluru (aka Ayres Rock) is said to be the largest rock in the world--more that 340 meters above ground and 6 kilometers (not a typo) below ground. All very dense sandstone in a single, unbroken piece. To walk around the Rock takes several hours. These are various close up shots from the walk around.Read more
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Sub-Saharan Africa, Australia skip's retirement travel
Kata Tjuta
May 9, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C
While Uluru is a single huge rock, nearby Kata Tjuta is conglomerate. It is a diverse geologic formation, with many shaopes and views. This is a sampling.
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Sub-Saharan Africa, Australia skip's retirement travel
Kings Canyon
May 10, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C
Large natural canyon formed at the same time as the events that created Uluru and Kata Tjuta. The 1st pic is as the sun is rising into the canyon. The others are various views. The picture with the tropical vegetation and water hole is of the area they call the Garden of Eden. It is in a deep crack in the canyon where water accumulates and tropical vegetation has been preserved for millions of years since the area was a subtropical region.Read more
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Sub-Saharan Africa, Australia skip's retirement travel
Joey
May 10, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C
A rescued young roo who mother was killed by traffic
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