Misaotra

Two weeks are hardly enough to understand the culture of a country, especially so, if you travel a little upscale, which I kind of did compared to the way I usually try to travel. But with the little that I’ve seen, I’d have to say that Guatemala has a rival for the nicest people. I’ve been getting a “Bonjour” and a big smile from almost everyone I cross on the street. Not to mention that Madagascar is a country where the flora and fauna has been able to develop almost freely and uniquely due to a lack of many predators. That itself makes this country very special.

But, surprisingly, I’ve been most charmed by Antananarivo, the place where I reached first and spent 3 days catching up on sleep. I went for a walk around the city this morning, and it’s really pretty. One of the prettiest African cities I’ve seen, I think.

The last two weeks, I’ve gotten exactly what I wanted and needed. Relaxation, and barring a few spells of rain, mostly blue skies.

Pics of Madagascar

L’île Sainte-Marie

I’ve re-learnt how to do nothing. The last few days, at l’île Sainte-Marie, off the east coast of Madagascar, all I’ve done, is work a little bit, cycle around the island, read and write, and look at the ocean. It's been wonderful.

Once, while walking on the island, I saw two whales swimming by the ocean, and then later that day, I saw two more (I suspect the same ones) from the balcony of my room.

Yesterday, I went whale watching, and a baby whale decided to jump out of the water. My first thought “Shit, I couldn't get a picture of it!". I wish that thought didn’t cross my mind and that I would have enjoyed the moment more fully. But so be it. When the whales swam right next to the boat, and we managed to see a part of the body of the mother whale, my body momentarily froze. It’s huge. It’s very impressive, and graceful for such a huge animal.

According to the guide, around 12000 humpback whales visit the oceans around Madagascar every year between June and September. They swim here from the Antarctic to mate and then swim back after September. They come here to mate and breed because there are no predators here (i.e. the Orca).

A fire and a bumpy boat ride

From Andasibe, I went to Tamatave for one night before taking a bus and a boat to l'Ile Sainte-Marie. There was a huge fire right next to where I was supposed to take the bus from at 6am. A crowd gathered in front of the fire, but besides that, everyone was oblivious to it and continued on with their business. It was a pretty big fire. There was only one fire truck and while I was there, I think it had to return to the fire station for a refill. After 45 minutes, the fire was still as big as when I had reached, but I couldn't see what would happen because my bus had come and was ready to leave.

After 4 hours, we reached the port and boarded the boat. It was a very bumpy ride and a poor girl kept puking the entire time. Suddenly, someone on the boat shouted “Baleine!” We all looked in the direction he pointed, and I had my first whale sighting…I hadn’t even reached the island. The whale exhaled through its blowhole.

Yesterday, from my room, I saw two more whales.

Andasibe

The guesthouse I was staying at was in the middle of a forest. Nothing in sight except trees and plants. When we reached, my mind was racing. I didn’t know what to do.

I had forgotten the art of doing nothing.

In the book I was reading, there was a part where the main character went to a bar to drink so that the elves in his head would sweep away all his thoughts. I needed exactly that. Trust a PSP to work wonders sometimes. After my mind was clear, I sat and looked. I looked for a long time.

I’ve noticed that a perfect moment generally involves certain elements that are identical wherever it may happen. It usually leads to my heart feeling overflowed with fullness, muchness. The elements that usually make up my perfect moment are:

-          Silence

-          I’m witnessing something new, something that I find beautiful and usually, something that is natural

-          I know that it won’t last

-          I feel that I am in the present

In Andasibe, I was looking up at the trees where Lemurs were caressing each other, eating, hugging trees… a perfect moment.  

We were lucky to spot 5 species of Lemurs (according to the guide, there are 12 species existing in Andasibe). We saw the Indri, i.e. the biggest lemurs in Madagascar, bamboo lemurs, sifakas, a family of lemurs hugging and sleeping that are nocturnal, and a family of lemurs that is rare to spot because they are constantly moving.

A worthy two hour walk in the forest.  

Madagascar - First impressions

Upon reaching the airport, I read that 72% of all plants in Madagascar and almost all animals are endemic, i.e. they are found only in Madagascar and nowhere else in the world.

The last few months in Pune have been hectic with the combination of everyday events and work, and so, I feel like I’ve been sleep deprived. When I reached Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar, which is also called Tana, I had a quick lunch, and slept for 16hrs straight. I also passed out immediately upon boarding the flight from India, and slept throughout the flight. Last night, again, I slept for close to 12 hours. I have to admit, it feels good to catch up on sleep. My body seems to appreciate it.

I didn’t only sleep. Yesterday, I managed to explore a bit of the town center too.  

Tana is really pretty. It’s a very French colonial town. It has small buildings and houses (I've got French windows in my hotel room!!). The town center is in a valley surrounded by the upper towns on each side filled with small brown/beige houses. The people here look like a blend of Africans and Native Americans. I find them very attractive. So far, my interactions with the locals have been very friendly and courteous. I don't feel unsafe as I did in Tanzania. Everybody speaks French. It's been a while since I've traveled to a place that's not France, where everyone speaks French. The last time was Rwanda, but there, everyone spoke English as well as they spoke French. It feels, a little strange...but really cool!

Madagascar does feel poor and reminds me a bit of other parts in Africa. But like in other parts of Africa, the people here have a swagger about them. Which is awesome.

I also figured out my plans for the next week. Am leaving tomorrow to the National Park in Andasibe for 2 days and then, am off to the island île-Sainte-Mairie in the east of Madagascar to relax a bit by the beach and hopefully see a whale or two.

An ode to the remarkable…. and a Batizado

When an individual comes to a foreign country, adapts to that country better than people who have lived there for more than 20 years, uses her love and her passion as a tool to bring a magnificent group of people together, who, in due time, become a single core unit, seem to breathe, laugh, and live together as a family, creating a kind of energy emanating love that is felt beyond the Roda, beyond Capoeira, beyond the class, beyond the music, and this energy becomes an everyday element in their everyday lives, to such a point that they feel that they’re missing something if they don’t have it for a single day, and she manages to keep this together while managing her life and her work… we have to appreciate and value the prominence, ability and character of this person.

She defied a few rules to have a Batizado done here, and went through with it although she had her doubts and uncertainties, making her human, and hence, all the more extraordinary for what she has achieved here.

I do not put much importance to a higher chord, but the Batizado week, the people that we met, the games we had, the energy that was felt, and the experience we had was beyond words can describe.

At times, it could be described as attainment of a higher spiritual level.  

I know that I’m not the only one who would agree that she has given us an incredibly lot in the past year.

Too much… 

And for that, I thank you Ana.

Axé!

Lost….and found!

About four weeks ago, as I went to my parents’ house for my weekly visit to have the house cleaned while they were vacationing, I reached out for my wallet from my bag, and noticed that it was gone. I panicked. I ran down, and checked the car. Three doors were still locked, but the rear left door had been pulled open (it’s an old car, and it’s not too hard to pull open any door). I clearly remembered that I had locked all doors well. The only explanation to me was that after seeing my wallet lying on the back seat, someone had tried to pull open the door, and succeeded, and took my wallet. Or so I thought….

I went back up to the house, checked in all odd places, went back down to the car, and checked once again, asked the family living opposite if they knew anything about it, tried to retrace my steps, etc… to no avail.

I felt panic throughout my body. I called all my banks and cancelled my cards immediately. The thing that bothered me the most was that it was a special wallet. It was given to me by Asia in 2007, and when she gave it to me, I joked with her telling her that I would have it until I’d be 70 years old, which would be when we’d meet and tell each other the stories of our lives.

I didn’t feel ready to lose this wallet yet.

I thought to myself it might be a lesson in attachment and that I’d have to learn to let go.

Fast forward to three days later, I get a phone call from a person telling me that his domestic help had found my wallet. I immediately rushed to their house, which was about a block away from my parents’ house. I was welcomed by a Christian family and their domestic help. I sat on the couch, the woman returned my wallet, and as I opened it, I noticed that all my money was gone but everything else was intact. I didn’t mind and felt really grateful for having gotten back everything else. A few seconds later, the woman took out a bundle of money from a plastic bag and told me that she kept it separately so that nothing would happen to it. She handed over the money and finally, she took out a single Nepali coin from her bag and gave it to me. She had returned every thing that was inside that wallet.

What can I say? The Christian family praised Jesus. At that point, I was ready to praise anyone, but mainly the woman sitting opposite me. I don’t know if I thanked her enough. She reluctantly accepted Rs. 500/- that I gave her.  

Sometimes life just surprises you. This is not the first time that this happened. The same thing happened to Ana a few months ago. 

This maybe says something about the people in this country. The news shouts out corruption, which is evident in everyday life, but if we plunge deeper, there might be something else underlying.

In the meantime, I hold my bulging wallet ever more preciously.