Tolear and De L'Isalo National Park- Madagascar

This place is written on the map as Toliara, but Malagasy don’t seem to pronounce the vowels at the end of a word- so it’s pronounced ‘Tulear’. People who don’t live there aptly call it ‘the cooking pot’. It’s a dusty, spawling coastal city- in the mangrove sense, with one bitumen road through the middle, serviced by hundreds of colourful ‘pous-pous’ – brightly painted carts with a seat and shade roof, powered and steered by a man. Except for the pous-pous operators, the city appears to suffer from acute lethargy- no doubt from the oppressive heat, and barely wakes up even in the evenings. It reminded me strongly of Joseph Conrads ‘Lord Jim’ I wonder if Conrad ever visited Madagascar?







travelling pous-pous style. (forground-my bag held together with a trusty nappy pin, generously donated by little William).

My new friend who loved his photo.
Street scene.

I didn’t like the idea of being ‘carried’ around in the pous-pous by a black man running in the scorching heat. It felt really wrong, but it seemed to be the prefered mode of transort by the local Malagasy women and I figured the poorer pous-pous drivers needed the money more than the taxi drivers who could afford the car…

In Tolear I was also became aware of the huge tourist sex trade in this country. Almost everywhere I stayed (and I moved several times in a vain attempt to not patronise such establishments) were seedy old men with beautiful young Malagasy girls on their arms. I was assured that the Malagasy girls have ‘no trust’ and would have their own Malagasy boyfriends and were therefore equally ‘using’ the tourists for money…but …its still wrong. It makes me so angry that people travel to use and abuse. It really made me look at my own motives for travel- what was I hear for? To enjoy…what? And at who’s expense?

Ranohira
Ranohira is a few hours taxi brousse trip from Tolear, and is right next to one of the most amazing national parks I have ever seen: Parc National de L'Isalo. wow. the guide book says: 'the flat grassy plains of the hauts plateaux near Ranohira are abruptly broken by the towering sandstone massifs sculpted by wind and water into gorges and scraggy bluffs.' I stayed at 'Chez Alice' and had stunning panoramic views of the park. As they say- a picture is worth a thousand words so I'll quit writing now.

The small cottages at Chez Alice

The view from my cottage door...

Elephants foot 'boabab'- that actually isnt a boabab at all.

The cutest little cameleon!

Paradise?! pretty close!

I think I may have found the 'King of the Lemurs'!!yellow for poisonous I was told

Madagascars own Grand Canyon

Not so cute cameleon

I felt like I was in the Pilbara!

Ok...so I like lizards...but ya gotta admit- this is a good shot.