Mabamba Swamp, a wetland of extreme importance and a designated RAMSAR site by the IUCN. Located close to the capital city, Mabamba Swamp is a testament to Ugandan’s commitment to conserve this biodiverse ecosystem.
Read MoreMy Friend, the bread baker
Wood Fired Ovens, hand-shaped loaves, locally milled flour …
artisanal bread loaves
Curious as to the inner workings of a wood fired bakery I rode my bike out to the country one morning to the bakery my friend manages. Touds bakes the daily bread, biscuits, quiches, pizzas, and other assorted treats at a school north of town. He arrives to bakery well before sunrise to start the wood fires and proof the loaves for the day. After a few wrong turns, I arrived mid-morning in time to document his work and the aromatic loaves as they emerged from the oven.
sweet treats made with eggs from the farm
head baker
Touds is a phenomenal baker. Despite his hectic schedule, he is also a farmer and an electrician, he allowed me to shadow him in the bakery and ask questions all morning. Thank you friend!
Thank you for taking time to share your work story with me, it was a wonderful morning in the bakery.
waiting for delivery van
These are images from the school bakery my friend works at. It is a non-profit enterprise that provides meals to their students.
A popular retail bakery
that I spent many cups of coffee at, in Anstirabe is Chez Jeannette. There you will find a tight selection of hand-formed loaves, including their chewy, crusty baguettes, and delicate pastries all baked in the classic French tradition.
Traditions hold true during Harvest Time
Harvest season along RN-34
In rural Madagascar, as in many countries around the world where the cost of a family-owned car is simply unattainable, walking is a common form of transportation. People walk on and alongside the roads to get to their fields, school, the market, visit friends, or work.
One day, As I rode further and further from town, I noticed that there were more people walking than usual. It seemed as if entire villages were heading to a rice field. Yes, it was harvest time!
Rice is the major staple crop and contributor to food security in Madagascar
RN 34
Harvest time is a special part of the year for all agricultural communities. In my northern Midwestern community, everyone worked from sunup to sundown during harvest. Farm kids were excused from classes for a few of those especially crucial days to work with their parents. It was critical that crops were harvested at the peak of ripeness and before storms settled in.
The same principals hold true in rural Madagascar. Families were working alongside each other, harvesting and processing the rice as quickly as possible. A sense of relief was present, relief that there was an abundant harvest and relief that families had the capability to bring their harvest in together. The principals of a successful harvest are true here as they are in Northern Indiana.
rice distribution from Antsirabe
I never took pictures of farmers working in my U.S. American community. They would have had little patience for such frivolity when important work needed to be completed. My Malagasy hosts were patient with my requests to photograph them. A few farmers requested that I not take their photograph, but most were quite indulgent and let me shoot away. Thank you to all of the hard working farmers, just west of Antsirabe, who shared some of their time with me in April 2023.
a great travel advisor for exploring Madagascar is Wild Madagascar
For a clear summary of how global climate change is impacting agriculture in Madagascar check out Climate change risks and adaptation options for Madagascar (2021) published by Ecology & Society.
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Neighbors in Tsarasaotra, Antsirabe
daybreak in Antsirabe
I reach for my fag, ½ smoked from last night. That first drag clears the fogginess of sleep. I throw back the heavy acrylic blanket, head to the kitchen slowly as to not awaken anyone. Soon enough my son and another’s grandson will be stumbling into the kitchen, expecting their pot of steaming vary (rice). The apartment next door is quite still. It’s always been reserved for American Peace Corps volunteers. Nine different volunteers have lived next door since 1998. The current volunteer is a tall woman named Michelle. She seems nice enough, she’s often seen walking around town and at the various food markets. I wonder what it’s like for her to sleep and eat in the apartment all alone, how lonely.
entry into my neighborhood
I smell the cigarette smoke even before I open my eyes. I glance at my phone to check for messages. It’s 4:30 AM. No messages. Gawd that smoke. I sleep for another hour with a man’s cotton undershirt over my head to block the smell. As light emerges through the shutters I pull back the curtains, carefully prepare my morning coffee, then pump up my bike tires. Gleefully I wheel my government issued bike out the gate, waving good morning to the neighbor lady, Adeline.She is there everyday, standing at her kitchen window feeding the coal fire cooking vary for her grandson’s breakfast. At times some of her adult children live with her and the boy, leaving when they find short term work elsewhere. Somehow she isn’t irritated by the assumed roles of cook, washerwoman, and housekeeper placed upon her.
North of the Tsarasaotra neighborhood
Herding cattle to feed on an empty lot, North Side of Antsirabe
Agricultural lands on the R7, a favorite bicycle route on Sundays
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Morning Sounds
May 2023
I know exactly where I am, the first wafts of cigarette smoke from next door clearly place me in Antsirabe. It’s pitch dark. Soon, at 5:30 AM, I’ll swing my tanned legs out of bed, prepare my morning coffee and get my bike ready for the day.
Waiting
Waiting
Waiting
…for the sun to explode (Carreras)
At morning’s first light, on certain weekday mornings civil servants march up and down the of streets of Antsirabe singing in unison. Their melodies drift over the neighborhood.
Then I ride for meditation. If I’m up for socializing I’ll walk instead. If I feel especially bold I’ll take my camera. Pousse-pousse drivers especially love having their pictures taken leading to general joviality on the street.
I don’t have to be here alone. (Carreras)
May 2024
In Denver, I wake to the incessant sound of traffic. The drone of highway noise begins around 5 AM as coffins* are maneuvered to work. I sing to myself as I pour coffee. Imagine if the City of Denver employees agreed to greet their work day in song and march down 15th Street occasionally. A friendly thought.
A few months ago a friend, with incredible insight, blurted from across a crowed room “Michelle you’re going back to Africa aren’t you!” I laughed. How easily she knew before I even knew myself.
Heading to Market
Coffee Time
Saturday Morning in Antsirabe
Diners line up at local hotely for breakfast
The stringy little boy nestles next to his granny under the tarp. Last night they set up behind a non-descript hotely on the side street around the corner from the Alliance Francaise complex. They were begging on the corner last night, well into the dark morning hours, as hundreds of bar-hopping revelers streamed past them without a glance. Popular neighborhood karaoke bars competed with the thumping speakers of the all-city block party held on the central boulevard, just past the Carrefour supermarket. The promise of an almighty hangover only seemed to extend the party until, finally, the generators run out of electricity.
A hotely on the way to the market
When Joslyn arrives to open her hotely for breakfast, the revelers had just left a few hours ago. She recognizes the tiny, huddled frames under the tarp in the back. Her hotely is supported by a few odd boards with pieces of tin nailed together as a roof. As customers stream in and out of Joslyn’s place, she will set a bowl of white rice and weak coffee on the ground for the woman and child.
I walked by this scene every day, unprepared for their consistent schedule. Impossible to guess their ages, the boy underdeveloped due to his diet of rice and coffee, and the woman is prematurely aged for the same reason. I feel the intensity of their stares when I walk by.
There is little to be said.
Savuti Channel - Safari in Botswana
Savuti Channel Botswana
There wasn’t water in the channel that year but we watched a pride of lions all morning playing and relaxing in the Savuti.
Sub-adult lion playing with Cape Turtle Doves and eventually catching one
farm lodging
Cycling through the Garden Route, South Africa
The Western Cape of South Africa has been on my radar ever since I owned my herbery - garden shop. Invariably my favorite species to sell originated from South Africa, specifically the Western Cape region. This incredible terrain hosts 3% of the world’s plant species, translating to a mind blowing 1300 species/ 10,000Km. We can thank the 19th century English explorers for putting this region on the naturalist’s world map as wealthy Victorian adventurers clamored throughout the Western Cape harvesting plants for their Queen at home.
Funny how social media has made these far off places suddenly seem so attainable. One day last December I saw a Western Cape gravel grinder promoted on my Insta feed. Suddenly I was transported to pristine mountain passes, cycling through lush valleys with the hot sun on my face. I wistfully mentioned the tour to my husband and he generously signed me up. With only 3 weeks to ready myself I was off to South Africa on my dream vacation.
The tour did not end up being what I expected at all, four words, Corrugations and more Corrugations.
Turns out gravel grinding in South Africa can. be intense. I arrived in Cape Town with my Surly Travelers Check, two days before the tour was to begin, allowing myself a couple of nights to acclimate and build my bike. My B&B hostess gave me a giant bear hug and sent me off with best wishes for the week ahead.
Schedule:
Monday: “Quick” misty evening ride outside of George. A test of our wits perhaps?
Tuesday: George to Oudtshoorn - 70K (approx) - Outeniqua Mountains
This proved to be one of my favorite days. We rode through indigenous forests of the Witfontein Nature Reserve then into mountain fynbos terrain. It was a cloudy, misty day perfect weather for strenuous climbs. Montagu Pass was the climb of the day, here we encountered 4 mountain bikers and 2 vehicles. Blissfully low-key compared to Colorado traffic.
late afternoon in the Klein Karoo
Wednesday: Oudtshoorn to Eagle Falls - 84K (approx) - Klein Karoo
A blazing hot day with a lot of long ascents through farmland. I got swept but after a quick break in the car I hopped back on the saddle to finish the ride. We reached our lodge by climbing 1000 feet from the main road and then braiied with a rainstorm brewing around us.
Thursday: Eagle Falls to Uniondale 70k (at least) Klein Karoo
We cycled through the Holdrif Valley farmland. I remember being very relieved to reach our accommodations located on a very tidy sheep farm.
Friday: Uniondale to Knysna 70k (approx)
Crossed the Langkloof Mountains from the Klein Karoo to the Garden Route. We completed several passes including Prince Alfred’s pass. The descent into Knysna was paved and fast!
Saturday: Knysna to Wilderness 76k Garden Route
We accomplished the Seven Passes Road this day although we were told that we only completed 5 of the 7 passes. I was too hot and tired to go to the beach, which Wilderness is known for.
This was my first time joining an organized bicycle tour and there were some frustrations along the way.
I rode much slower than the men, initially making me feel inadequately prepared but soon enough I realized they were drinking beers while waiting for me to catch up!
The distances and terrain took me by surprise, but isn’t that the best kind of day?
What I learned:
Embrace the unknown once in awhile
Allow yourself to be uncomfortable, these are the conditions in which we find our strength
Grow your health when given the opportunity
Don't worry what others think about your abilities, they are too busy thinking about themselves
Remember the good moments when you feel discouraged.
This tour was a wonderful introduction to a region of the world that has peripherally intrigued me for a long time. Sure I bit off more than I could comfortably chew but I pushed myself harder physically than I have for a long time. Now that I have had a generous taste for what South Africa has to offer I am sure to return.
below are quick links to my photo albums of Kirstenbosch Gardens and Table Mountain NP of this tirp. When can I go back?
An afternoon in Cape Town before the bike tour
An afternoon in Cape Town after the bike tour
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Living with Wildlife requires community
With foresight and resources, we can address the ever-increasing incidents of human-wildlife interactions. Fortunately, there are inspirational stories of communities who choose co-habitation with wildlife instead of the destruction of it.
Read MoreTo Market To Market
Nina was my first language teacher, shopping for food was my second.
Read MoreAntsirabe Street Shots
I lived in Antsirabe for 8 months It was never boring.
The influence of France still observed in architecture and manners.
I compiled a few of my photos which may illustrate just what I mean.
evolving, modern, connections.
Weekend Morning
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Student's Action in Language Learning
Scene along the RN7 Roadway
She’s there! My favorite vendor was standing at her roadside-stand, a bicycle ride away from my apartment in Antsirabe. I recognize her as a sister. She always greets me with a smile just I used to do when I was a retailer welcoming customers into my store. She wears sturdy shoes, to support her through the day with a knitted wool stocking hat pulled firmly down. The type of hat with little crocheted flowers attached on the crown, the hat style that young American women gave to each other 10 Christmases ago. This well-worn hat is Camille’s defense against the damp cold breeze of the Central Highlands.
There, in front of her stand, we eagerly bantered back and forth, she always gave me the best price on freshly harvested watercress and ginger root. My sister encouraged me to continue with my Malagasy* lessons.
My Malagasy Kitchen
Language acquisition is a fickle thing. 17 out of 20 of my American cohorts seemed to learn Malagasy quickly, conversing in relative ease within two months. My style of learning involves introspection, observation, and motivation. Motivation seemed to be my last barrier.
It is common for language teachers to emphasize the importance of learning technical linguistic rules in conjunction with learning associated societal customs. But customs are not stagnate. They vary according to region, generation, social-economic status; the variations are infinite. It was the culture of local food that was my inspiration to learn. I needed to actively barter for my daily sustenance. And as an avid home cook I wanted to ask about cooking techniques, the growing conditions of the local produce, and I was curious about the business experiences roadside vendors have in Madagascar. I needed to acquire language tools to hold these conversations.
Author Deoksoon Kim (2020) wrote an insightful paper about the importance of intercultural learning to new language acquisition, stating that “Educating the ‘whole person,’ when teaching language, requires engaging with the cultural ways of life within which that language lives.” Every student has a different motivator to learn. The trick to my language learning was to find aspects of Malagasy culture that resonated with me.
Activity Points for Language Learning
As a retailer in Colorado I enjoyed engaging with my customers,, I saw that my Malagasy sister has this trait too. My interactions with Camille along the R34 roadway were more than trying to find the right Malagasy words. I approached her with an open heart and a warm demeanor. My attempts to speak in her language delighted Camille, but our mutual trust and respect for one another were paramount in our intercultural relationship. I just needed to take the first step by pausing to listen to her story.
*Malagasy is the language spoken throughout Madagascar.
RN34
Reference
Kim, Deoksoon (2020). Learning language, learning culture: Teaching language to the whole student. ECNU Review of Education. Vol 3(3) 519-541. DOI: 10.1177/2096531120936693
Mantadia, My Visit to an Old Growth Forest
Forests can be replanted but the biodiversity of the old growth forests cannot be replaced. The authors of “Primary Forests are Irreplaceable for Sustaining Tropical Biodiversity“ Nature, (2011) successfully argue “…when it comes to maintaining tropical biodiversity, there is no substitute for primary forests.”
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Father with young Indri Indri in the rainforest canopy
Association Mitsinjo a community-run protected area
During my brief visit I was moved by the beauty of Andasibe, the variety of wildlife and unusual botanicals was astounding.
Read MoreAnalamazaotra National Park, a holiday in the eastern rainforests of Madagascar
…I asked to arrive to Analamazaotra N.P. promptly at 6 AM the next morning, so eager to see what the forest had to offer…
Read MoreEscape to Le Palmarium - Ankanin’ny Nofy
I worked for a private language learning institute in Antsirabe, Madagascar for 9 months. It operates year-round, so I did not enjoy a 3-month winter holiday as most teachers do, but every once in-awhile I caught news that the institute would be closed for a short break. Without much notice, I would quickly have my friend and travel agent, S. Cocchiarella, organize a Madagascar adventure for me.
One such adventure was to Le Palmarium, a private reserve on Lake Ampitabe. Access to Le Palmarium is by boat through the Pangalanes Canal system, paralleling the Indian Ocean before entering Lake Ampitabe.
My private bungalow, situated on the lake shore, was absolutely private since most guests chose to stay in the forested part of the reserve where lemurs visit their tree-top rooms and balconies. Whether one chooses the sound of lapping waves on the lakeshore or a birds-eye view of lemurs, Le Palmarium is far removed from the hustle of Eastern Madagascar.
Lemurs at Ankanin’ny Nofy
The lemurs are habituated to humans, they literally pose for photographs because they are accustomed to being fed my humans.
Many of the lemur species living here are not endemic to Eastern Madagascar.
The privately managed hotel and reserve maintains close relationships with the local villages. I spent a day walking with my guides to their homes, visiting their families, and learning a little bit about their lifestyle. Later that evening we canoed the shoreline, enjoying the lush landscape from a new angle.
Sunset from the canoe
Village Visit
Le Palmarium is a wonderful family getaway especially since it is fairly accessible from Antananarivo. Children are able to run, play, and swim while their parents watch with a refreshing beverage. I especially enjoyed my perfect breakfast overlooking the lake, escaping city-life for a few days.
Wild Madagascar arranged all of the details of my trip ensuring that I could pursue the activities that interested me.
Deforested hills outside Le Palmarium boundary
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Wild Madagascar Tour Operator arranged my travel plans to Le Palmarium