Trip blogs

Wednesday September 6 – ‘Tana to Kirindy Dry Forest via Morondava

 Managed to wake up in time for breakfast and had a few bites but wasn’t overly hungry given the time.   We left for the airport around 4:45 with the plan to arrive around 5:30.  It was amazing how many people were up at that time and appeared to be starting their day.  The airline we were using was apparently a private airline,  which operated out of a hangar.   We walked in and “checked in” and went through “security”, which consisted of stepping up to the two desks inside the hangar.   Showed my passport and put my bag on the scale.   It was a few kilos over the 18 kg limit but they didn’t seem to care.   I then proceeded to the security desk, where a guy looked through my bags; although he seemed to get tired after looking through a few pockets and just had me pass.  We then watched as they started up the planes and load the luggage.   Looked like they left the door opened!  Given the hangar and the security I was surprised that the seats were assigned given there were only about 24 or 30 seats on the plane.   They finally started the boarding,  which seemed to be boarding by group,  with our group going last.   As we walked up the stairs I was even more shocked to see a flight attendant!  Got on and there was another one! We took off for the 1 hour flight and they actually came around with snacks, which included a bunch of little snacks including a quiche and a muffin.   Flight landed safely in Morondava, where our jeeps picked us up.   Went to the hotel we would be staying at in a few days time and did a walk along the beach.   Was a really nice beach with no one but fisherman and a few locals.  We had lunch at the restaurant where I had some garlic shrimp and fries,  which were also tasty.   We then headed out to see the baobobs at Baobob Alley before heading on to the Kirindy Dry Forest.  The road was bumpy and a bit slow but now at bad as we were expecting.  On the way we stopped to pick up our “road snacks” for our lunch in Grand Tsingy in a few days.  After getting to our camp we prepared for a night walk.   The camp is located in the middle of a very dry forest and is home to a few species of lemur.   The rooms are tents,  which are covered by a bamboo structure, with a bathroom in the back,  which did not include a door so the view from the toilet was into the forest!  The toilet seemed to be a swimming pool used by ants and every time I opened it there seemed to be a few hanging around the bowl! The nocturnal walk was in the forest around the camp and we were able to spot a few mouse lemurs,  which were hiding in the tree.   We also spotted a furry white lemur in the trees above my tent and a few brown ones hanging around the dinner area.  After the walk we headed to the diner hut for some food.  I had the vegetable soup to start,  which was probably a poor choice given the heat and the fish as the main.   It was tasty but given the early flight,  I had a difficult time staying awake.   Headed back to the tent and fell asleep quickly. 

Tuesday September 5 – Perinet to ‘Tana

We started the day off with a morning trek in the reserve to spot lemurs,  including the largest lemur,  the indiri, in their natural habitat.   Trekked around the circuit in the park and saw the indiri, golden lemurs,  various chameleons,  a strange bug,  some birds and a boa constrictor lying in the grass outside the visitor centre.   Fortunately, we didn’t spot that until after the trek!   The indiri were amazing and we had a chance to stand below them and listen to them scream their loud call, which almost sounds like a whale!  Managed to get some decent photos before we headed back to the bus.  We returned to the lodge for lunch and I had the zebu wok,  which was really good!  We then got back on the bus for the bumpy and windy ride back to ‘Tana.  On the way we stopped in a local village called Perinet for a short walking tour.   Was a nice experience to check out how the local people live.  We got back on the bus and carried on to ‘Tana.  Got back when it was dark and we had some supper quickly before heading to bed to get some sleep before our early flight to Morondava.  I had the zebu and pork spaghetti,  which was good.   Set my alarm for 3:30 and headed to bed. 

Monday September 4 – ‘Tana to Andasibe

Wake up around 2:45 am this morning and had a difficult time getting back to sleep – managed to fall asleep a bit before my alarm went off and definitely could have slept longer if I hadn’t had to get up and get my luggage ready for the trip to Andasibe. Met the entire group of us at the group briefing as well as our guide, Sol (short for a much longer name that I have no chance of pronouncing as are most of the words here!).  We then set out in our mini bus on a tour of the city including the palace and some areas high in the hills overlooking the city.   The people seemed very friendly and the views were great.   The road system is very chaotic though as the city has expanded without the roads being planned for the added traffic.   Didn’t see one traffic light and the roads winding through the hills were narrow and it took quite a while to drive up to the view areas.  Afterwards,  we headed back in the bus to head on towards Andasibe.  Getting back down the hill seemed even slower and it must have taken us closer to an hour to get out of town.   Stopped briefly on the side of the road to take some photos of a family making bricks on the side of the road in a field.  We then carried on to our lunch stop,  which was at some kind of little park on the side of the road that offered zip-lining, hiking and other activities,  which we didn’t have time for.   I had a Neapolitan pizza and a local beer.   The pizza was actually pretty good and appeared to have been cooked in a charcoal oven.   The cheese was proper mozzarella unlike the ‘Laughing Cow’ pizza they served in Morocco ?.  Also had a honey crepe for dessert which was tasty.  We then continued east and stopped at a reptile “farm” where they apparently attempt to breed various threatened types of reptiles from around the island.   The chameleon pen was a great opportunity to get some good photos of some different types of chameleons that live in areas we won’t be visiting on this trip.   We also saw a giant millipeed, a big orange frog, some bats, some geckos, a snake and an amazingly large and colorful cricket.   We also got to see the smallest chameleons in the world,  which are very tiny and fit on your finger.  After the reptile farm we carried on to Andasibe, latter than the itinerary planned for so I think our driver was trying to make up time as we motored along at a pretty good clip.   Fortunately the road wasn’t as pot holed as earlier.   We did hit a chicken though as we were speeding through an area with houses along the side.   I guess someone will be having chicken tonight! Arrived at the hotel just after 5 and went to our rooms to prepare for our nocturnal walk.   The rooms were actually little huts with bathrooms,  which were quite nice.   Changed into some long pants and a long sleeved t-shirt for the walk.   We walked along a road not far from the lodge with two guides.   Spotted some chameleons,  some tiny frogs,  a few spiders,  some stick insects and a lemurs with its glowing eyes.   I managed to get a photo but it was a bit grainy.  After the walk we headed back to the lodge for dinner.   I had some vegetable soup and the vanilla chicken with vegetables.   Seemed like an odd combination but it worked.  Then headed to bed and was too sleepy to even review my photos as I kept nodding off.   Tomorrow we’re doing a bit of a hike and then returning to ‘Tana.  Posting a couple of photos but will need to add a bunch more later as I have stop many photos but not enough speed on the WiFi!

Sunday September 3, 2017 – Antananarivo

Had a good sleep and woke up at 7:00 am feeling pretty well rested. Relaxed a bit as I’m sure there won’t be very much sleeping in on this holiday. As I was finishing getting ready the power went out! Fortunately it was back on after a few minutes so it wasn’t too bad. Headed downstairs for some breakfast of a ham and cheese omelet, a fruit salad, which I will hopefully not regret eating later and some bread and cafe au lait. The restaurant looked nice and overlooked the city, which appears to be quite spread out. After breakfast we sat on the terrace, watching the people on the street below and enjoying the sun. It was a bit hazy but not too many clouds. Started to get warm when the breeze stopped so we decided to head to the shade but started talking to the couple sitting next to us, who were also on our tour. After a bit of a chat it was lunch time so we headed down to the restaurant. Tried the local beer and the gnocci with blue cheese sauce, which was subtle and tasty. After the food our waiter offered us free samples of the local flavour infused rum. I tried the coffee, which smelled of coffee but was pretty strong. Took a sip of the vanilla flavored but it was REALLY strong tasting and I almost gagged. Had another beer and relaxed in the restaurant for a bit before heading to the terrace to work on my blog. Managed to update the first blog relatively easy and it was nice and relaxing on the terrace under the tree. Noticed I was careless with my sunscreen application this morning as I have “roller” marks from the sunscreen stick I bought :(. The sun started going low around 4:45 or so and made for a nice golden glow on the terrace. Made a brief stop in the room and then headed down to dinner after it was dark around 5:30. Noticed the last bit of the sunset as we initially sat down and managed to get a nice picture with my phone. Started with a beer and then ordered the grilled zebu (cowish creature) with green peppercorn sauce and French fries. Saw 8 others from the group in the restaurant that got in this afternoon but haven’t officially met them yet. After dinner headed to the room to update the blog and get ready for bed. Have the official group meeting tomorrow at 8 am before our city tour and trip east. Feeling tired and hope to sleep well today. Was nice to relax before what will likely be a hectic tour!

September 1 and 2 – En route to Madagascar

Finally time for my trip to Madagascar!  Amazing how quickly time flies.  Spent a few hours this morning taking care of the final preparations – always seem to have a lot to accomplish at the last minute!  Got to the airport in plenty of time and even had a taxi driver that remembered taking me to the airport on one of my India trips! The security in the international area was greatly improved with a slick new efficient system and I was in and out within 2 minutes!  Had some time to relax in the lounge, which was not as nice as the Air Canada lounge but it was better than no lounge.  Boarded the plane and was disappointed that there was no pre-flight champagne in the Premium Economy cabin – a first world problem, I guess. Arrived in Paris on time and the connection to our next gate went smoothly.   Lucked out having the spa right next to our gate so we spent the layover getting the pedicures we didn’t have time for before our trip!   The flight was boarding just as we finished so we cruised right onto the plane.   Upgraded this leg to business and was glad I did as the cabin is nice and roomy and I got my pre-flight champagne ?. Another long flight (10.5 hours) with an arrival around 11 pm Madagascar time so I don’t want to sleep the whole flight.   Hope I get a bit of sleep though as I feel pretty groggy after the transatlantic flight.  Great safety video – very artisty and I loved the line about the seatbelt ” elegantly highlighting my waist while ensuring my safety”.  It is apparently, ” trendy here to have your devices set to airplane mode” ? Had some dinner, which included some tasty duck pate.  Fell asleep before the dessert came as the time was catching up with me.  look a bit of a map for a few hours and felt a bit better.  Wake up as we were flying over Ethiopia but it was cloudy and then dark so I couldn’t see anything.  We then flew right over Mount Kilimanjaro – too bad it was dark as it would have been neat to get a photo. Arrived in Antananarivo on time and made it through immigration relatively quickly.  Our baggage made it, which was good news and our driver was waiting for us. Stopped to change some money at this dodgy looking booth in the airport that our driver led us to. The exchange rate was 1 euro to 3,440 of the local currency.  Since the trip notes recommended changing all cash at the airport, I changed my €700, which resulted with me getting 2,408,000 in bills of 10,000 and less (>250 bills), which was two large stacks of 1, 000,000 and then a smaller bundle of the remainder – definitely too much to fit in my wallet!  Left the airport feeling like we were going to get robbed as people seemed to be staring.  Loaded our bags and us into the car and then the driver left and locked the door, leaving us in the dark parking lot. Was a bit worried but the driver finally returned and we late found out that he likely went to pay for the parking. Drove through the quiet streets and arrived at the hotel which required a short walk up a path in the dark.  Check in went smoothly and quickly and the rooms looked nice; however, the “jumbo”  mostly empty can of bug spray was a bit unnerving, particularly since it had a label with the room number and a date of August 20th on it! Since it was a long day and a half with not much sleep I had no problem falling asleep.

Went on my second backcountry camping trip to Garibaldi Provincial Park this past weekend – this time to Elfin Lakes. We were fortunate that the smoke had cleared off the other week so the views were unobstructed.  Left a bit later than pl anned but the traffic was pretty quiet so we made good time to Squamish.  Made the turn off at the Canadian Tire and headed up the gravel road to the parking lot.  Shortly before the lot there was a ranger checking to ensure campers had permits.  Was a bit of a wait but we had no issues since we had the appropriate permit and were prepared.  Got to the parking lot and it was pretty full but, fortunately, there was a space for us at the end.

Took advantage of the toilet at the parking lot and got our gear together.  Headed up the trail to the Red Heather Hut, which was about 5 km from the parking lot.

The trail was consistently uphill but a much gentler slope than the Garibaldi Lake trail.  The hike up to the Red Heather Hut went by faster than expected.   Arrived at the red Heather Hut and went inside to make lunch. The hut is fairly small and has two tables, a wood-burning stove and a sink to drain dirty water. I made some beef and mushroom noodles on the jetboil for lunch. Was a bit of a hassle as I had to unpack most of my bag but luckily the Hut was fairly quiet when we arrived.

After lunch we packed up our bags and headed back onto the trail. The next part of the trail split into two – one path for hikers and one path for cyclists. This was only a short one km section before the paths rejoined. We carried on gradually heading uphill until we were at the top of a ridge. We walked along the ridge for a short bit with views of the mountains all around and then the trail began to descend.

Thought we were a bit further away but when we came around a corner we saw the two Elfin Lakes, about a kilometre sooner than we expected.

There were some dark clouds but and they ended up being non-threatening and soon dissipated. We headed down the hill towards the lake, the first one being for swimming, where there were a couple of rafts and a number people enjoying the cool water. The second leak which was slightly smaller is reserved for drinking and is right beside the camp. This campsite, unlike the one at Taylor Meadows, is quite open with a number of tent pads overlooking the mountains and descending down a  small hill. The views were really quite spectacular and we were excited to set up our tents. There appeared to be a number of day hikers sunning themselves and having lunch on the various tent pads so it took us a few minutes to actually find some tent pads that were free.

 Managed to set up the tent up relatively easy but ended up putting the fly on backwards and had to redo it. Didn’t have an issue finding enough rocks to hold my tent down as the tent pad I had chosen seemed to have half the rocks in the campsite including a number of very large rocks. Once the tent was set up and secured the clouds pretty much vanished and it was a nice sunny afternoon with it almost near blue sky. Enjoyed some vodka lemonade on the tent pad while sunning ourselves and enjoying the view. Unlike Taylor Meadows, the bugs didn’t seem to be very present here and it was actually quite enjoyable just lying on the tent pad.

After a few hours of relaxing in the sun we decided to head to the dinner hut to make dinner. Made some pasta primavera and we had hot dogs roasted over the jetboil, which surprisingly turned out very well. Had some red wine, which I probably didn’t need given the Vodka lemonades I had earlier. For dessert, we had a chocolate mudslide dessert topped off for some Bailey’s, again which was probably not necessary given the vodka and wine. Felt fine though so lapped up the Bailey’s topped dessert. After a leisurely dinner it was time to head to bed and I suspected that I should sleep pretty well considering the hike and the amount of alcohol I had consumed.

 Managed to sleep very well through the night and it was actually considerably warmer than it was at Taylor Meadows – not sure if that was the alcohol or the actual temperature outside! Slept in pretty late and was feeling a little bit hungover but managed to get up and get ready for breakfast. Wasn’t that hungry though and didn’t really enjoy the egg and bacon scramble that I bought – definitely preferred the other egg mix and the oatmeal. Didn’t end up eating much of the eggs but had a piece of toast for some peanut butter which seem to fill me up.

After breakfast we started to disassemble our tents and pack everything up to prepare for the hike back to the car. The weather seemed slightly more cloudy than it was yesterday afternoon but I suspect that it would probably clear up later in the day. Manage to fit everything in my bag and actually noticed a little bit of extra room this time. We headed back, this time with an uphill start until we reach the Ridge and then it was to be all downhill afterwards. Took us a little while to get back into the hike and the first few hills seem to be very challenging. Once we warmed up though it wasn’t too bad in the uphill areas were broken up with sections of flat.

The hike on the way back seem to go quicker than on the way in and in no time, we reached the Red Heather Hut. Stop for only a short lunch and had a sandwich and then headed back down the last stretch to the car. This downhill was definitely much easier than the Garibaldi Lake stretch and was actually enjoyable. Although my feet did start to get slightly tired by the end it was definitely a lot better than the last hike, partly due to me wearing the thicker hiking boots. Got to the car changed our shoes and headed out after another great overnight trip to Garibaldi Provincial Park!

Overnight Trip To Garibaldi Park

Went on my first backcountry camping trip to Garibaldi Provincial Park this weekend. Garibaldi is a large wilderness park located between Squamish and Whistler. There are a number of different trails and backcountry campsites in Garibaldi but we took the trail to the Taylor Meadows Campground. After an unsuccessful attempt at trying to sort an issue with my hydration pack in the parking, we set off. My pack weighed quite a bit but was surprisingly comfortable on. The trail to Taylor Meadows is a constant stream of switchbacks up a hill through a forest. Fortunately, the trail is wide and fairly smooth so the walking was pretty easy. It’s 7.5 km up to the Taylor Meadows Campground, about 9 km if you head to the campground at Garibaldi Lake. The first 3 km were very enjoyable but the next few seemed to drag on. There are 1 km markers along the way, apart from 5, which appeared to be missing. I thought I had read somewhere that after about 6 km the trail levelled of off so we rejoiced at 6 km. However, I must have been reading about the trail to Garibaldi Lake as the remaining 1.5 km to Taylor Meadows was more of the uphill switchbacks ?. We finally made it up though and set up or tents. Had some celebratory prosecco for making it up the hill with the packs! We then hung up our food (to keep bears and other critters from eating it) and made some lunch. The campsite was very nice and had a cabin for making food and eating. The outhouse even had toilet paper! No tap water but there was a nice stream beside the campground to gather water. Should treat the water though to avoid ‘beaver fever’. After lunch we headed down to Garibaldi Lake for a walk. The lake is glacier fed, amazingly clear and a beautiful turquoise blue. Returned to the camp to make some dinner and have some wine. Nice to lounge around in the dining hut and avoid the bugs! After dinner we went outside by the campsite and made some Smores on the cookstove, which worked surprisingly well. Went to sleep and managed to sleep reasonably well although was tired and ended up sleeping in until around 7:30 or so. It was cool in the tent in the morning! Woke up and had some breakfast before packing up the tent. Left the stuff in the other tent and went for a bit of a hike towards Panorama Ridge. Was a beautiful day and the hike was pleasant through meadows with nice views of Black Tusk and the surrounding mountains. We made it about 2/3 of the way to the ridge before turning back. Returned to the camp to pack up the rest of our stuff and turn headed down the mountain. Busy on the way down with lots of day hikers going up and down. The hill definitely seemed more steep going down – was shocked I kept going on the way up! Finally made it back to the trailhead and car. Was relieved to change my boots and get the pack off! A great trip and looking forward to the next one in a few weeks.

Weekend trip to Manning Park

Took a two night trip out to Manning Park, about 3 hours east of Vancouver to test out the new camping gear over the past weekend. Although we were staying at the drive in Hampton Campsite, there are a number of different trails with backcountry camping opportunities. Arrived Friday afternoon and set up camp fairly quickly – definitely impressed with the MSR Hubba Hubba NX 2 person tent I bought – lightweight, compact and easy to set up. Had a few pre-dinner beers before testing out the Jetboil Minimo personal cook stove. Managed to put together a tasty sausage and vegetable Alfredo pasta dish with relative ease and even made some toast with a collapsible toaster device from MEC – impressive outdoor cooking skills ?. Got a bit spooked when the park ranger checking our reservation mentioned there’s a bear that’s been hanging around the campground that normally visits around 4 am. Was also impressed with the fact that the time was so precise! Went to bed but didn’t sleep as soundly as I kept waking up thinking I could hear a bear rustling around. Managed to make it though the night without being eaten by the bear and without having to wander to the bathroom, where I was sure I would encounter the bear. Made some bacon, eggs and toast for breakfast and then drove up to the Three Brothers trailhead, which is about 16 km up a windy road with the last bit past a lookout being a gravel road. Stopped briefly at the lookout for an overhead view of Lightning Lake and some squirrels. We carried on the gravel section to the trailhead and did a little hike through the alpine meadows to the Buckhorn Camp, which would be a nice place for future backcountry trip. The meadows were full of flowers, including the areas between the trees. It was difficult to not take photos every few steps. The hike was mostly downhill on the way to Buckhorn and the trail was well made. After a nice walk to Buckhorn and back we drove back to camp for some lunch and a brief rest. We then headed over to Lightning Lake for a 4.5 km pre-dinner walk around the lake via the Rainbow Bridge. Lots of people at the day use area but as we were arriving late in the day parking was no problem. Lots of ground squirrels around the picnic area – some obviously partaking in a few picnics given their size! Headed back to camp after the pleasant walk around the lake and made some dinner. After dinner enjoyed the quietness and disconnectedness of the campsite as there’s no cell signal. Slept okay for a bit but woke up a few times to go to the washroom. Was afraid the first time as it was about 3 and I wasn’t sure how punctual and regular the bear’s visits were! Didn’t see the bear and figured he probably rarely shows up. We got up and had some coffee and breakfast. I had some raspberry oatmeal, which was pretty good. After breakfast we sat at the table enjoying our coffee when there was a rustling in the trees. Looked over and sure enough it was the black bear, about 4 hours late! He appeared to be rummaging through a tree stump, eating something. He looked over and then wandered off into the bushes. Below is my friend, Kim’s photo as mine was pretty lame and the bear resembles a wild boar! After the bear excitement we dismantled the tents with ease and packed up the car to drive home. Made it back in about 2.5 hours. A great trip and definitely will head back to try some backcountry camping on one of the many trails.

Capilano Trail

Photos from my walk on the Capilano Trail in the summer heat.  A very pleasant hike up to the Cleveland Dam – well groomed trail with a gentle incline and plenty of shade. 

China Photos and Videos Added!

I have finally managed to go through my 1,000 plus photos and upload some (a lot!) to the photos section.  The photos can be found at: China 2017 Photos.  I have also added a few short video clips from the trip and these are found at a link on the photo page or HERE.