On our fourth day in Madagascar, September 22, we took our bus from Antananarivo on the central plateau to the Perinet (Andasibe) Reserve in the humid rainforest near the east coast of Madagascar.
(Click photos to enlarge them.)
At first we passed rather dry-looking rice fields (rice is the staple food of Madagascar)
and eucalyptus plantations where families harvest the young trees to eke out a living by turning them into saleable charcoal - a major fuel in the country, but a practice that has contributed to wide-spread deforestation and environmental degradation.
Further on,
the rice fields became more distinct and fertile
as we passed a village situated in the foothills of the mountains separating the plateau from the coastal region.
This woman, with two of her daughters, talked to us (through our guide/interpreter) about her life as a farmer and mother.
We reached the Valkona Resort in the Andasibe-Perinet Reserve in early afternoon. After a couple of hours rest, we went on an evening walk along the road through the forest. Our skilled local guide was able to shine his flashlight on a variety of critters.
Leaf-tailed gecko
Tree frog
Orb-weaver spider
Nose-horned chameleon
Panther chameleon
