October 2015
Met at Antananrivo Airport by Chris Scarffe and taken to lovely guest house, La Maison du Pyla, in 'Tana' for an overnight stay before heading north to Lac Alaotra
View of the City
Picked up by our fantastic driver, Frankly, who then drove 8 hours to Lac Alaotra, good sleep then off to the Lake to start filming. Plenty of photo opportunities, people and places but not too much wildlife.
'Young' Chris and 'Wise' Chris start filming
One of the many fishermen on the Lake return after a night fishing
Checking the fish cages
Fish wife?
Could that be a Lemur?
Yes!
One of the many ways of taking fish
Have to wear the right sort of hat to gut fish
Catch ready for distribution
Up and off to the west
side of the lake, “a couple of hours drive”. Took a while, with a stop for
lunch before stopping off at our accommodation, a decent enough self-contained
room with shower (bucket and jug). Filmed fire in marsh before heading up to
Richard’s house, a retired army general about 80 years old and main man of the
village that looks over the marsh. Filmed some shots of a fresh water tap being
installed in a nearby village before heading back to Richards to watch Chris,
Fidy & co play a game of cards, while all the kids watched us through the window!
As dark fell we were off down to the lake, after a heavy fall by Fidy, to go
out to try and film Brown Mouse Lemur, in a very unstable pirogue.
Paddy fields encroaching on natural marsh, home of the Gentle Lemur
Waiting for custom
Up and off by 0715, with breakfast on the way, watched by enormous spiders! Stopped off at a town as we reached the
This little beauty was the size of my hand!
The beach
Up and off at 0515
getting to the river crossing where we had to send the fuel for the ferry over
in a pirogue so it could come and get us. A huge drive, not getting to Nosi
Volo until 1845, nearly 14 hours. How Frankly managed to get us through is
anyone’s guess; some major bad areas of road. Took 9 hours travelling to see
any primary forest, at which point the road was perfect, no erosion, drainage
ditches in good nick and cobbles looked like they had just been laid. River
system is impressive but lots of silt and the habitat is knackered. All in all
a very depressing site, which left us all a bit deflated. Once we arrived at
Durrell offices we had a chat about the
next days activities before heading up to the Catholic seminary to meet Pere
Alfredo who, after checking we were married, showed us to our rooms – single beds
mind!! Kay had mosquito net, but mine did not, but did have some friendly
fleas! Back down to the village for a lovely, simple and tasty meal in the
store room of a house, complete with kittens.
Our vehicle plus impressive erosion
Our hero, Frankly
Village gossip?
Woke at 0515, just
before the church bells – loud and large! Down to the village by 0700
for breakfast of dough balls and rice-flour cakes – a bit like crumpets. Off to
Durrell offices for a briefing and to meet the rangers who patrol the river
– working one day each per week. Down to the river, through
streams to film from flat rocks, rangers doing their
thing, finding illegal fish traps with crayfish, crab and shrimp in them.
Rangers
Fish traps
Funky chicken
Up at 0500 but cloudy
with rain at times, which got heavier over a long breakfast of fresh banana
fritters and coffee. Eventually we got going just after 0800,
down to the river to film illegal gold mining and then interview Roger, Dezy
(including a trip to his house) and head of Durrell Nosi Volo offices. Between
filming mining and interviews the river rose, so it was pirogues back across
instead of wading.
Panning for gold
The Gold Diggers
Dezy's wife pounding the rice
Dezy and family
Nosi Volo River
A rare bit of primary forest
Up at 0430 but not on road until 0545. A very long trip with roads worse than on outward trip.
Got bogged down three times and stopped to do various filming on the way. A
night time crossing of the river on the ferry was enjoyable and we finally got
to the Indian Ocean hotel by 2030. This time
we stayed in beach huts rather than the hotel. Got to Ansidebe by 1630 following day where we met Leah, young Chris's girlfriend. At 1830 went for a night walk and saw 5
species of lemur and 3 types of chameleon.
Elephant Chameleon
A great nights sleep.
Woke at 0500 by dogs barking, then again at 0600 but this time by Indri call in
the forest – that’s more like it. Breakfast of banana fritter and then off for
a walk through the forest to find Indri. Spent some
time filming them, perched next to us and calling right above our heads –
fantastic sound! Saw a very well-disguised gecko. After that, off on the last
part of our road trip with Frankly and Fidy, arriving at Tana in time to watch the rugby semi-final.
Indri, largest species of Lemur with distinctive call
Spot the gecko!! Leaf Gecko
Up at 0430 for a nice
breakfast of yoghurt, honey, jam and bread before piling into two taxis to the bus depot. Loaded up and met Chloe. Another long journey with a lunch stop, but at
Ankarafansika by 1600. Settled into Durrell gite, shower and walk down to the
lake where we saw Sifaka and Brown lemur feeding. Up to the restaurant where 4
Sifaka were feeding in nearby trees.
Coquerel's Sifaka
Madagascan Scops Owl and Broad-billed Roller
Cool Dragonfly!
Milne Edwards Sportive Lemur (or Ewok to you and me!)
Sun-bathing!
Kay, young Chris and
Leah off early with Mamy in the truck to film the fire-break; 6km long and 10m
wide. A very hot day with no shade in 38+ degrees of full sun. Chris and Kay
knackered when they got back! They saw a Sifaka in a solitary tree about 1/2km
away from the nearest forest.
Fire-break rangers with Mamy and random dog
Trip out to a village
about 10km from the park entrance, where some of the residents had not seen
whites before. Filmed Mamy doing a presentation about the work of Planet Madagascar
A villager - the tenderness with which he held the baby was quite overwhelming!
Madagascar Buzzard
Snake attack!
Up at 0545. Met up
with Mamy and Gildas at 0630, another interview in the sweltering heat.
Breakfast and then off with Ernest and three tortoise to film in the savannah.
Plough-share tortoise
70 year old Plough-share tortoise
Coquerel's Sifaka watching me watching him
A fantastic trip and feel privileged to be involved in helping to make 4 short films to help educate the people of Madagascar to look after and protect what they have left of their unique environment.
