Ifaty (the coast)

Sept 24. 

We got in very late to Ifaty so I just crashed.  I woke up the next morning and opened my door.  

The view from my front door

home sweet home, bungalow #9

A few steps to the beach for an early morning stroll.  

My walking companion. 
She is currently lying about 5 ft from me as I write this

The day before, I can't remember when, Coco told us some options for 'optional activities'.  Everyone was very excited about the whale watching and snorkeling but I was all over the Boabab and Spiny Forest walk.  With a Zebu (cow) cart to get us there.  I wanted to go as early as possible so I booked for 7:30.  Two of the other single women, Chris (UK) and Sabrina (Germany) decided to join me.  

Our guide for the walk was Fara and her assistant Jean.  I mentioned I like birds and they both got very excited. Jean has been studying bird guiding!  I will put most of the bird pictures at the end of the post.  I know only Paul cares about the birds.  But there was some pretty amazing animals.  

But first the Zebu cart.  I can't begin to tell you how uncomfortable this was with four adults crammed into a box the size of a laundry basket.  Do not recommend. 

Turns out the park is literally across the road from Bamboo Club.  There is a fairly long path from the road but probably no more than a kilometer (google maps is telling me it is 3 km).

The park!  

Three eyed Lizard

Baobab

Black Scorpion, just waiting in the path.

Madagascar Hissing Cockroach

Tree hole Spider.  Not in his tree hole

Some sort of chameleon

And then this lucky break. Jean is a very good spotter. A White Footed Sportive Lemur.  Not normally around during the day. My first lemur!!!  

Even though we started out at 7:30, Fara said, it's too bad we are here so late.  You've missed all of the good birds.  Ok, next morning at 5:30 booked!  Are there any other lemurs in this park?  Oh yes, but they are nocturnal.  Evening walk booked for 6pm! 

We got back to the club around 10 am.  What to do until the evening walk at 6?  Coco, didn't you mention something about a fishing village.  Yes, you have to go right now! The fishing boats start coming in at 11 am and it's an hour away.   Quick change of clothes and water refill.  Picked up a couple of more women (Jenna Canada, Faith UK) on the way, and met at the beach.  I thought there would be a car.  Nope, sail/canoe. 

One of our sailors. 
He was too photogenic not to take a picture

From front: Jenna, Chris, me, Faith, Sabrina

Sardine harvest

A fish.  Mostly I wanted a picture of the woman 
with the white face.  This is very common here.

unloading the fish from the bottom of the boat

Bonjour

When we arrived at the village out guide suggested we make a reservation at the only real restaurant.  I didn't really want to eat at the touristy place. So I waffled.  I thought there might be somewhere to eat on the beach.  There is not.  Madagascar has not embraced the capitalism of the tourist industry. 

We were followed the entire time by a gaggle of girls asking for our money, jewelery, attention mostly.  Faith said that if we say something that sounds like Monday Hara, it means go away.  She said it worked in Tana.  There are a lot of children begging in this country.  Anyway, we said Monday Hara.  And the girls spent the rist of their time with us chanting Monday Hara, Monday Hara, Monday Hara.  So, it didn't work but it was pretty funny. 

here's the girls finally giving up on us as we got ready to head home

I was starving by the time we made it to the end of the beach.  I was ready to give in to the 'restaurant' but out guide must have thought of a better idea.  A local seafood place.  non-touristy places are called hotels.  

Chris, Sabrina and Jenna had the 'fish' (species unspecified)

I had the langostino (lobster)

Clockwise: me, Faith, Chris, Sabrina, Jenna

Our eating establishment (not touristy)

Yams for sale

Next day.  5:30 am

So this seems a good time to give you a Steripen update.  I have not bought any water yet.  I have been dutifully UV raying my cups of water as I go.  All good until right after I posted the yam picture above.   I can't be sure if my 'situation' is from the water or from the lobster.  But today is our first chance to buy a big water bottle.  I will probably partake.  

Ok, back to Ifaty.  We made it back to Bamboo Club in our little boat.  I don't remember what I did for those couple of hours before the night walk through the Spiny Forest at 6 pm.  Oh I watched the sunset.  

A few extra people joined the night walk.  Me, Sabrina, Jenna, Faith and her husband John.  

This was not like the day walk.  First it was dark and hella creepy.  But this time our guides had specific targets they were going for and if those target animals were not on the main path, then neither were we.  

It was a bit like a reality show about 
ghost hunting, running through the forest
at night with a shaky camera.

Random lizard 

I'm going to have to upload a couple of pictures from my phone.  

Boa Constrictor

Mouse lemur!!!

Mouse lemur with dinner

tiny hedgehog

We stayed out for hours.  Big wins obviously were the mouse lemur, the bao constrictor, the hedgehog and I also got an owl that was so hard to see (picture in bird section).  We got back to the hotel at nine.  Too late for dinner for me so I went to bed.  I had an early morning with my 5:30 meet for the morning walk.  

Ifaty day 2

5:30 am! You'll remember that I got up at 3 that day to finish up the Antananarivo posts.  Wifi in the morning is so much better.  

Daylight breaks, sort of and we are off to the park.

Fara and Jean on the main path.

There are some houses along the road to the park.  I asked if 
some of the fields might get added to the park.  Fara
told me that the hotel owner had to sell the land to cover
his loses and stay in business over Covid.  So, no.  

This is what constitutes a 'path' when you are searching 
for the elusive Long tailed Ground-Roller! (picture in birds)

My first chameleon.  Species unknown (at least by me)

Fara in the middle, Jean on the right.  Hard core birding guy 
on the left.  I can't remember his name. 

We saw a lot on the hike.  I was exhausted at the end.  Get real bird people into the bush and they do not want to give up until they have found everything to find. 

Some pictures below but I didn't get photos of all of them.  I have to say, my three trips into the spiny forest were very satisfying.  And for the cost!  All told, well under a $100 CAD with massive tips for all.  

We got back to the hotel around 9am.  I went back to bed.  I was so tired after my four Ifaty adventures.  All of which included a lot of walking in sand or sandy soil.  I am going to have buns of steel by the end of this trip!

My day after the morning hike was napping, writing, eating and more napping.  

my grey shoes are now brown with the famous 
Madagascar red soil

This calamari salad was to die for!

My waiter say me looking at a picture of a lizard from
the park and decided I was a lizard person.  He showed me all
of the lizards in the bar area.  Here's one.

Here's another

Remember my walking companion from my first morning
He hasn't forgotten our special bond.

Ok, that's Ifaty.  We are heading out in 30 minutes and I need to get my bags to the front desk.  No time to edit so forgive any typos.

Birds: 

Worst picture ever.  This is an owl, species unremembered.

Madagascar Kestrel

Namaqua Dove

Sakalava Weaver

Terrible picture of a Souimanga Sunbird.  
Those things more fast.

Pied Crow (from the fishing village)

Subdesert Mesite.  This was a rare spotting. 
It was still a bit dark

Lesser Vasa (Parrot)

Long-tailed Ground-roller.  We did some serious bushwhacking
to find this guy.  

Madagascar Hoopoe

Running Coua.  Also way into the bush

Crested Coua

Magpie Robin