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February 2023

februar 2023 - juni 2025
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Sailing to Africa, rounding the cape, & crossing the Atlantic! Les mer
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  • Namibia
  • Sør-Afrika
  • Mauritius
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  • Madagaskar
  • Seychellene
  • Maldivene
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Verden rundt, Par, Cruise skip, Kultur, Natur, Selvoppdagelse, Sightseeing, Ferie, Dyreliv
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  • ReisendeFebruary 2023

    Holy Tree in Nosy Be

    11. februar 2023, Madagaskar

    If you remember the plot to the first “Avatar” movie, then certain aspects of the story behind this tremendous tree may sound familiar! Read on:

    In 1836, the Queen of the Sakalava tribe planted what has become an enormous banyan tree.

    Every year, the current queen conducts a ritual here during which a zebu is sacrificed in exchange for blessings to the Sakalava people.

    According to our guide, Philippe, his people come to this tree all throughout the year instead of going to a church. This tree is their holy space.

    In fact, the Latin name for “banyan tree” is “ficus religiosa” since the Buddha attained enlightenment while sitting beneath one. (Many banyan trees around the world are treated as holy spaces. Makes sense to me!)

    “My people believe this tree contains the souls of all our ancestors, and just as we cannot tell where the roots begin and end, so are our souls connected in the afterlife. We come here to feel that connection. Here we can communicate with our ancestors.”

    Philippe told us that as they sing and dance at the tree, “People can have a trance. Trance is very important to us.”

    People go barefoot during rituals at this sacred tree and Philippe showed us how the men wear a colorful wrap around their legs.

    In addition to his tribe, Philippe said that people journey from all over the world to meditate and pray beneath this tree. I certainly enjoyed a few quiet moments beneath its tremendous branches.

    “Many people tell me they feel an energy from this tree,” Philippe told us. “We believe it is our ancestors. When we come here to ask them for help, we leave offerings of coins, rum, honey, and red or white cloth.”

    “No zebu?” Larry asked.

    “Of course, zebu!” Philippe laughed, “But only for big requests, such as a marriage or funerals. We come here to make offerings, and we must drink a lot of rum to please our ancestors. We don’t like rum, but we must drink it for them.”

    I noticed that anytime the subject of rum came up, Philippe would deny liking it, but say his people had to drink it to appease their ancestors.

    There are many elaborate taboos in Madagascar, and for Philippe’s tribe, it may be taboo to say that you like drinking rum, but I’ll write about the complex “fady” a.k.a. “taboo” system in another post.    Les mer

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  • ReisendeFebruary 2023

    Feeding a Wild Lemur!

    11. februar 2023, Madagaskar

    We saw many different kinds of lemurs in Madagascar, but whatever kind is pictured here, are may absolute favorites!

    There was no need to squint at them from afar, because these furry fellows hopped through the branches and shimmied right down to eye level.

    Our guide had brought some little bananas, which are a favorite treat for lemurs.

    When I held out a piece, one of them immediately hopped over. He delicately grasped my hand and raised it to his mouth so he could take it. (If you look closely, you can see the moment he let go of my hand in one of the photos.)

    The lemur was cute and his little hand so gentle that he absolutely stole my heart!

    One of our friends had an enchanting lemur encounter, too: After playing peekaboo with one of these fuzzy primates, the creature offered the human a piece of fruit, as if to say, “Thank you, friend!”    Les mer

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  • ReisendeFebruary 2023

    Snake Dancers

    11. februar 2023, Madagaskar

    As we wandered through the beautiful grounds, we came upon a group of locals singing and dancing.

    As you can see, one guy had a snake around his neck. He kept quite a grip on the creature’s neck, which made me wonder if it was venomous. (Maybe it was just not in the mood to dance!)

    The dancers all wore shirts labeling them as staff, so I’m not sure if they were holding a snake simply to impress tourists, or if it held more significance than that.

    I would have liked to ask questions about the whole scene, but we’d lost our guide at this point, so I wasn’t able to do more than just observe.    Les mer

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  • ReisendeFebruary 2023

    Madagascar Tortoises

    11. februar 2023, Madagaskar

    They keep three kinds of Madagascar tortoise at the Ylang Ylang farm.

    The first photo shows a Star Tortoise. Their shells are so pretty!

    As you can see, male Soc Tortoises have a bony protuberance in front. They can fight each other with this, although I imagine it must be a very slow paced fight.

    And lastly, you see a Bell Tortoise named Napoleon. According to our guide, Napoleon is more than 220 years old.

    Sadly, he was shot during a war (stupid humans!) You can see the damage to his shell. This wound caused him to go blind when he was around 200 years old.

    Our guide says they make sure Napoleon stays well fed, and that he continues to thrive despite losing his sight.    Les mer

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  • ReisendeFebruary 2023

    Balancing Acts

    11. februar 2023, Madagaskar

    It would never occur to me to go for a stroll with beach bag on my head, but here in Africa people carry many things this way!

    This trio of young men, for instance, looked like guys you might see anywhere as they checked their cell phones, talking and laughing… except for the bundles of fabric they casually carried on their heads.

    At one point, I noticed a woman gracefully carrying a box of bread on her head, as well as a baby in a sling on her back.

    As I admired her balance, another woman waved her over. The bread lady casually weaved through traffic, then knelt in front of her.

    After this customer chose a loaf and money changed hands, the bread lady rose to her feet and continued on her way!    Les mer

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  • ReisendeFebruary 2023

    Nosy Be Dancers

    11. februar 2023, Madagaskar

    When our tender boat reached the dock at Nosy Be, it was a chaotic scene.

    As passengers rushed up the gangway, I peered into the azure water and saw that it was thick with fish! Most appeared to be silvery herring, but these were punctuated with bright orange and yellow fish, as well.

    Unfortunately, the throng of impatient passengers prevented me from being able to stop and get a photo of this wondrous sight.

    Locals greeted our ship’s arrival with an energetic dance as tuk tuks zipped by, taxi cabs called out to us, vendors hawked their wares, and tour vans parked willy nilly.

    The dance was really something: One woman casually balanced a bottle on her head, while the other women took turns writhing face down on the ground and twerking!

    Add a hefty dose of heat and humidity to this and you have one hectic scene!    Les mer

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  • ReisendeFebruary 2023

    Ylang Ylang Farm

    11. februar 2023, Madagaskar

    We visited a Ylang Ylang farm near Nosy Be, Madagascar. See that tree I’m standing under? It’s Ylang Ylang.

    And see how the trees are hunched over? They are pruned this way so that the blossoms can be picked without a ladder.

    Ylang Ylang blossoms are a lighter green than the leaves, nor do they look like a traditional flower blossom.

    At the entrance to the factory, they had a framed photo of Ghandhi with a wonderful quote, “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”

    Must confess that we were melting from the heat and humidity at the ylang ylang distillery.

    I much preferred our trek through the neighboring forest, where we saw bananas growing, and so many gorgeous plants.

    I smelled Ylang Ylang everywhere we went that day. It wasn’t until I undressed for a shower back on the ship that I realized I was the culprit; a little sprig of Ylang Ylang blossoms was snagged in my bra strap!    Les mer

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  • ReisendeFebruary 2023

    Chameleons, Skinks & Sleeping Snake

    11. februar 2023, Madagaskar

    While walking the grounds of the Ylang Ylang farm, Philippe took us on a hunt for chameleons. Along the way, we also saw a skink, geckoes, and some crocodiles.

    Chameleons blend into the vegetation so expertly that each one we found was a thrill.

    At one point, Philippe gently lured a chameleon onto a stick so we could have a closer look at the beautiful creature.

    He also pointed out a boa constrictor coiled up in the leaves nearby!

    “This one’s a baby,” Philippe explained. “We are safe because they sleep all day.”

    I love snakes, but after that, I watched my step!    Les mer

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  • ReisendeFebruary 2023

    Madagascar Canoes

    11. februar 2023, Madagaskar

    No sooner had our ship set anchor near Nosy Be, than a dozen or so dugout canoes paddled right up to us.

    One man sold fruit directly to passengers as they sat in their tender boats. Others sold handmade souvenirs.

    A few, however, seemed to be visiting our ship out of curiosity more than anything else.

    We also saw single sail boats. Having grown up with one, I have a soft spot for that type of water craft. It reminds me of many happy hours sailing with my dad.    Les mer

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  • ReisendeFebruary 2023

    Zebu

    11. februar 2023, Madagaskar

    Zebu are extremely important animals in Madagascar and we saw them everywhere we went.

    Zebu are a type of bovine, but unlike cows we have in the USA, these guys have a large hump between their shoulder blades. This special adaptation enables them to endure famine.

    Every guide we met emphasized the importance of zebu to their tribes, although the exact nature of this importance varied.

    In Nosy Be, Philippe told us that until recently, a man could not get married unless he could offer at least one zebu to his bride’s family in exchange. (Nowadays, money will do, as well.)

    In Toamasina, Lachaka told us that in the southwest part of Madagascar, a man must steal a zebu before he can marry. (This theft is a ritual to prove his courage, and the zebu is returned to its rightful owner afterwards.)

    Later, when Lachaka proudly told us that he owned two zebu, Larry teasingly asked if he had stolen them. Lachaka laughed and said, “No, no! Only in the southwest!”

    Zebu don’t produce much milk. They are mostly used for labor and meat. They are a part of every major event here, from weddings, births, religious rites, funerals, and holidays.

    I apologize that my zebu photos aren’t the best. As we passed them pulling carts on the roads, the windows of our rattletrap van were so cracked and dirty that photographing anything was a challenge.

    Even so, there were many intriguing sites whizzing by. Madagascar fascinates me!    Les mer

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