October 1: In the morning we took a walk through the Berenty Private Reserve.
We observed flying foxes (large fruit bats) roosting in trees
and flying around on courtship missions,
and had our last glimpses of the Verreaux's sifaka
and ring-tailed lemurs.
After lunch we boarded our bus for the long ride back to Fort Dauphin through the sisal plantation, passing a zebu-drawn cart
and a village market.
These women must think we're as exotic as we think they are - and they have much better posture from carrying water and most everything else on their heads.
Zebu graze in the sisal fields, tended by a young man with a spear (off stage left).
Bringing in the sisal leaves for processing. This is one of the few tractors we saw.
Green buds on one of the plants in the spiny bush.
Vendor at a road-side craft stand.
