capital city, Antananarivo

loonngggg road trip from Antananarivo to Mahajanga

one of numerous backyard chameleons

neighbors gate

family walk through the neighborhood

enjoying cirque rouge… a beautiful mountainous area with a steam running through it that runs to the ocean. the sand in this area comes in all shades of pink, red, purple grey and even yellowish/green. it’s quite incredible!

cirque rouge at sunset

friends climbing trees while waiting for our Malagasy/English church service to start

Malagasy/English church service in the gazebo at the Sarobidy Maternity Center

jamie leading the relaxed atmosphere church service

hand-tied satrana or windmill palm thatched roof of the gazebo

sunday night is “happening” at the boulevard in Mahajanga– a favorite place to hang out and “strut your stuff”…

homemade cotton candy machine at the boulevard

what kid doesn’t love balloons, a horse carousel and bounce houses?

“prizes” on display

the little engine that could… go around and around and around in a 50 foot circle

tickets for sale…

dinner at the boulevard… mosikiki or beef shish-ka-bobs… usually entails 10-20 diners sitting in a U-shape around the cook who is preparing and cooking these little nuggets on a small charcoal grill

along with the shish-ka-bobs, mangohazo or yucca root, samosas, fried bananas, green papaya lasary or salad, fish shish-ka-bobs, and a flat bread similar to a tortilla

working in the living room after the kiddos are asleep

Sarobidy Maternity Center and Eden Reforestation Projects

Eden Projects dry deciduous nursery at the Sarobidy Center

hazondrigitra seedlings

one-year old Mangharahara tree planted on the Sarobidy Maternity Center property

flying the drone and capturing aerial footage for Eden Projects

Eden Projects employee, Sitraka, learning to catch the drone

madagascar day gecko (approximately 6″ long)

solar cooker in use at the Sarobidy Maternity Center

Eden Projects current seed bank at the Sarobidy Center Dry Deciduous nursery

baobab fruit

sharing the dirt road with a sarety or ox-cart on the way into town from our house

a few of the ladies we purchase fruit from… bananas, mandarines, avocados, melons, and mangoes

buying bread at the bakery… most of the croissants and pastries aren’t anything to write home about but their palmiers… those are fantastic!

bazar-be… our regular tuesday morning open air market shopping for fruits, vegetables, beans, eggs and beef

inside bazar-be…

regular stop for onions, garlic, ginger and beans in Bazar-be

small but spicy!

artisan market at bazar-be

pousse-pousse‘s waiting for clients

botry’s or Malagasy sailboats sitting in port… raw raffia in foreground

walking the plank to get onto the botry

Marolaka market… bubonic plague still pops up in this place from time to time.  dried and salted shrimp and small fish for sale

dried and salted fish

beans, peanuts, corn…

side of the road furniture sales… we purchased all three beds for the Maternity Center from this place

type of euphorbia that’s endemic to Madagascar

one of the hundreds of frogs at our house

handmade beads in our women’s artisan project

common brown lemurs that live in the trees at and around our house… we’ve rehabilitated them both but the one on the left is the “matriarch” and is quite territorial when it comes to children in her space (they’re on the kids’ play structure here)… we’re planning on catching and releasing her at one of the Eden Projects reforestation sites within the next week

sharing a meal with good friends and Malagasy family at Maman’i Aby and Dina’s house. on the menu, squash and coconut, ground beef with carrots, green beans and potatoes, grated carrot salad and rice.

lakana or outrigger ride to the one of the Eden Projects mangrove planting sites– lakana sail against an amazing African sky

fisherman heading home in his lakana after a day of trapping crabs

mangrove reforestation

kids after a good ole’ fashion mud fight

lakana ride home… the beauty of this never gets old

sharing the experience with missionary friends from the UK

neighborhood on the edge of the ocean and mouth of the Betsiboka river in Mahajanga

the paradox that can be Madagascar… enjoying the beauty at Antsanitia hotel

the extreme difference in the high and low tides of this stretch of coastline is phenomenal

lakanas on the beach in Antsanitia

flying high

follow the leader jumping contest

taking a break and warming up poolside

lunch before… 

lunch after!

lemon meringue tart anyone?

remnant forest outside of Antsanitia… absolutely beautiful and how Madagascar should look!

Eden Projects dry deciduous nursery at Antsanitia

pamba seedlings

waiting for seedlings to sprout

hazo mafana… literally translated, “hot tree”

protecting precious baobab trees that have been successfully propagated and are growing

to these two characters who were behind the lens in all these photos and who graciously allowed us to see and share Madagascar through their eyes… thank you!