Toliara

I need time to say more about the village stay, but as Hannah my good friend suggested, it's okay to give yourself some time after these kinds of experiences. So i'm trying to not figure everything out right NOW. I've also been reading Eat, Pray, Love when I feel overwhelmed by everything going on here. It's an easy read, and nice to relax with.

We've been in Toliara (Tulear) for the past few days. Generally we've spent the morning in lecture from a professor at the university (several small classrooms with wooden tables and charis, a museum, and relatively few computers), and going on a small trip for part of the afternoon. Example: coral ecology followed by ocean swimming in the reefs (on a sadly cloudy day). We've also seen mangroves, a natural piscine, and today spirulina farms (a blue-green algae). I could talk a little about spirulina...it's interesting and a little controversial...maybe another day...

The ecology has been interesting (i've been especially fascinated with coral), but I also feel like I'm being pulled many directions at the same time. Learning about ecology, trying to work on a 9-week observation project, and organising my Independent Study Project that I will be spending all of April doing. About that ISP..i've bounced around between medicinal plants to spirulin to water quality and now back to medicinal plants. It's hard to find a project that a) is feasible for a month time frame b) i can find an advisor for c) would benefit someone other than just me and d) would actually be science. I'm allowed to do more anthropological, subjective studies...but I don't really want to. I want DATA, interpretation, science, etc.

So....right now I think i will be in and around Tulear. First I will interview, chill out with the local sellers of medicinal plants. This is mainly to learn about the plants, what they are used for, what they look like, etc. (I also want to find out if there are any that are becoming harder to find, increasing in cost, etc...) After that I will stay on the property of the WWF coordinator for Southern Madagascar. They are building a scouts/environmental education program. i will go around the area with the local traditional healer (ombias) and make a survey of the plants that are there. Eventually kids that come to the center will be able to learn about these plants. If there are plants that are more rare I will be able to tell them....and then they can keep an eye on them, etc.

I'm not very excited about being in town, and am nervous about a lot of the details. However, I am excited that I've found something that I can both complete in my time frame, learn a lot from (plants!!), and be useful to the people here. It's not earth-shattering, but it's a start?

I have a day left in Tulear before leaving for several days through different National Parks...and so much to do during that day! I want to go talk to the woman in charge of all potable water projects for WWF in southern Madagascar. However, I also want to talk with Jirima-- the company that runs all the water and electricity. My nine week project is on public health and sanitation-- i've interviewed some average citizens, the doctor that took care of me in Fort Dauphin, and a lot of villagers in Faux-Cap. But I'm more interested in water.. the most prevalent diseases here are all water-borne-- cholera, typhoid, parasitic worms, diarrheal diseases, etc.

I don't want this post to seem entirely too academic... we've also played cards in lambas, rocked out to various strange tunes on the wonderfully whacked up bus, played music in our hotel room...and the snorkeling in the barrier reef was fun. We took a pirogue (carved out wooden boat) with a motor on it out to the reef, put on goggles and snorkels and got in. I didn't really know how to use the snorkel and the conditions weren't favorable, but I eventually got it. Due to wind and weather the water was rather cloudy. So after I got done searching and fumbling with my snorkel I climbed/hoisted myself up into the larger boat and jumped off the bow! fun! it's become clear to me that I like jumping from heights into water. and that i miss rock climbing....