THE LAND OF THE ROCK-BIRD
A Continent Island, a Passion Island, or lately an Authentic
Island, so many colourful terms when introducing Madagascar.
Even Commandant Cousteau, this great man, calls it
Island of Spirits and Bird rock land in reference to
the mythical bird of the arabian "thousand and one
nights" tale. He assimilates it to the Aepyornis,
the eggs (of a phenomenal countenance of 8 litres) of
which are kept intact in the sand of the Malagasy South.
BETWEEN
LAND AND OCEAN
Tourism has much to do with the treasures of a destination
that surfs between Earth and Ocean, between the living people
and the Ancestors, between the blood-red of the laterite and the luxuriance
of the rainforest, between diversity of the ethnic
groups and uniqueness of their Malagasy belonging. So
has it developed a far inheritance, that of Gondwana
which, while vanishing, left the print of its latest
step. From geology to men via flora, fauna or even
culture, all prove that Nature has carried out its
creations safe from any nuisance.
CINNAMON, LITCHIS AND WHITE
BOATS
In Madagascar, it is the warm and carefree brightness
that the traveller notices first. It is everywhere, as
to underline the contrasts. On the oriental coast offered
to the powerful swell, following each other, deltas,
lagoons and beaches set in the thick vegetation. It is
the coast of cinnamon, litchis, vanilla, and memory of
pirates. Completely different is the one turning toward
Africa the sea of which, safe from the trade winds,
is familiar to sailboats, dugout canoes and cruising yachts.
SOMETHING NEW AT EVERY PAGE
In the interior, from the North rich of its differences
to the South of endless spaces via the entanglement of
the Center’s reliefs and the flow of rivers, Madagascar
is an encyclopedia that one thumbs with interest. Pictures
are strong, and the unusual is met at every page. Its title
could be “Lemurie”, while knowing
that these gracious primates are but an emblematic possibility
among many others, such as the 120 millions years old
Takhtajania for the flora, or the sculpted rocks of Isalo
for the geological marvels.
IN
LOVE FOR EVER
Nepenthes, one of the strangest plants of Madagascar ,
has the particularity to jail under its lid insects
roaming near it. Not different is the country : go there
just for curiosity, you will fall in love for ever…
