Wednesday, 28 December 2016

Parc National Marojejy


by Daniel

Amazing. Stunning. Breathtaking. Otherworldly. Unforgettable. And many more such attributes. Parc National Marojejy was definitively a highlight on that trip to Madagascar. It is remote, it is pristine, you are quite lonely yet you don’t have to go beyond your limits for an exciting adventure.

As a matter of fact Marojejy is that little visited that you have to inform the National Park in advance. If you just show up there’ll propably be nobody to receive you. We were lucky that we stumbled across the tourist information in Sambava so they did  the reservation for us.

The next day we took an early Taxi-Brousse to Andapa and asked to be let out on the way. The NP office is right beside the street. We paid the entrance fee (45.000 Ar p.P. per day) and our guide (30.000 Ar per day) and set off.

There’s only one trail leading into the national park, so you will have to backtrack on your way back. First we passed  two villages and stunningly peaceful pastoral landscapes with small terraced hills filled with rice paddies and the vast Massif de Marojejy hiding behind foggy mist in the distance. Crystal clear streams flow from the mountains and fruit-laden lychee and mango trees line the path. Every now and then there’s the sweet scent of vanilla that is grown as a cash crop by many local farmers and in the plants supporting the vanilla beans chameleons in all sizes and colours can be spotted.

About five kilometres from the office you reach the actual boundaries of the NP. Our guide, Moses, was a very knowledgeable person. He would explain historical, geological and botanical wonders to us and every now and then joke about his name (like Moses being one of the first guides in history) or anything else. A truly great personality and although he wasn’t the youngest of persons he was remarkably fit.

When you enter the jungle, you really enter a different world. The jungle in Marojejy is completely untouched, it is thick and absolutely impenetrable be it not for the well kept trail. You need a trained eye for spotting animals since they are masters in the art of camouflage – from the myriad of frogs (you always hear them but rarely see them) to tiny and monstrous insects.

There are three basic camps in the park at different levels of altitude and each set in a spectacular location near rivers that are clean enough to unproblematically drink from. Since we arrived really early we had enough time to dip into a natural pool under a small waterfall (a welcome refreshment after a long and sweaty ascent) before having a break at the first camp. After some coffee ramen we continued to the second camp.

One of the reasons for visiting Maagascar was Frieda’s curiousity abut meeting Tenrecs. Tenrecs are best compared to what we know as hedgehogs and while there are two species of hedgehogs worldwide, there are around 30 species of Tenrecs on Madagaskar. Although we were told that the time of the year was not good for spotting them (and they are also shy as hell) we stumbled upon a mother and her two babies. And it was Frieda who spotted the small family. The babies immediately followed their instict and ran off but the mother stayed where she was ready to defend her babies even against those huge and evil human creatures. When we tried to snatch some pictures she would turn out her spiky backside and attack everything that came near her. What courage! And what an encounter.

We reached the second camp in the late afternoon. The second camp is on a steep slope bordering a different kind of mountaineous rainforest with amazing views of the towering cliffs of the surrounding mountains. From here the path becomes more like a climbing expedition if you decide to make it to the summit.

On the second day we woke up very early because Moses had told us that we might be able to see the Silky Sifaka, a big silk white lemur also called the Angel of the Forest. It is an endangered species and the group that lives around camp inhabits an area of more than 60 hectares – a sighting is by no means guaranteed and we prepared for another long walk. However, less than a kilometer from camp our guide heard their distinct noises. High up in the trees they were swinging in the branches but away from us. So we ran down a muddy slope trying to catch some more glimpses. Eventually they rested in a treetop and we could get some spectacular photos. Standing there amazed and excited as we were we did not see that one of the Sifakas approached us from behind. It had silently climbed down a tree and watched us. When we turned around our eyes met. It looked at each of us intently from a distance of maybe three metres. Nobody dared to breathe. When we finally made a slow move it merely changed the tree watched us for another 30 seconds and then disappeared into the heights – a moment of intensity that really is a privilege. Dazzled and happy we returned to our camp for breakfast. Even our guide was silent and each of us deeply moved by that encounter.

Still, we had to return in order to get back to Sambava on the same day. With a little detour to impressive Cascade Humbert we came into a tropical rainstorm that not only left us soaking wet but also battling with an extremely slippery path, clouds of mosqitoes and dozens of leeches that tried to make their way to some sweet human blood. After a breakless five hour walk we came out of the national park (and out of the rain) and hurried back to the main road where we caught a late Taxi-Be back to Sambava.

1 comment:

  1. Your writing is wonderful, vivid and skillful. Your adventures and experiences truly come alive! All the best and keep on moving!
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