Den devátý -návštěva u domácích
(English version at the end of the article)
Tohle ráno jsem přivítal s pocitem, že je úžasné, že jsem se vzbudil a navzdory nemoci můžu v cestě pokračovat. Na prohlídku centra města Fianarantsoa jsem nešel a čekal jsem na ostatní v mikrobusu. U toho jsem se alespoň snažil fotografovat okolní lidi. Dnešní den nás čekal především přesun na sever do města Antsirabe. Mohl jsem ho tedy využít pro odpočinek.
Krajina kolem byla suchá, protože zde nepršelo už hodně dlouho. Procházeli jsme kolem rýžových polí a míst, kde se vyráběly cihly z hlíny. Jsou nejdříve tvarovány, pak sušeny na slunci a nakonec páleny ve velikých pecích. Několikrát jsme potkali muže z kmene Bara, kteří putují se svými stády na veliké vzdálenosti. Už jsme se ale nacházeli na území kmene Betsileo, což je druhé nejbohatší etnikum ostrova po královském kmenu Merina žijícím severněji. Před polednem jsme zastavili u obydlí rodiny, která právě sušila rýži podél cesty. Gerard se zeptal místní paní, jestli by nás nevzala na návštěvu a ona souhlasila. Mohli jsme tedy nahlédnout do soukromí Malgašů a byl to opravdu prazvláštní zážitek. Dům měl dvě poschodí, v přízemí byla zvířata (viděl jsem jednu kachnu). Vstup byl malinký, protože Malgaši zdaleka nedorůstají rozměrů běžných pro lidi v Evropě. Nahoru se dalo vylézt jenom po tenkém a vratkém dřevěném žebříku. V prvním patře se v pokoji nacházela jenom jednoduchá postel a různé věci zavěšené na zdi. Úplně nahoře byla kuchyň a zároveň místo pro malé dítě. Životní úroveň je na ostrově velice nízká a Madagaskar patří mezi nejchudší země světa. Všude kolem byla spousta dětí, kterým jsme dávali bonbóny a tužky. Gerard se po celou cestu staral o to, aby si děti naše dárky spravedlivě rozdělily a bylo tomu tak i tentokrát.
Pokračovali jsme pořád na sever a já jsem většinu času odpočíval na zadních sedadlech. Na oběd jsme se zastavili v restauraci, kde hrála místní hudební skupina. Byla to pizzerie a jedli jsme zde jedinou pizzu, kterou jsem na Madagaskaru viděl. Byla zvláštní, protože těsto bylo tvořeno z veliké části z mléka. Bylo velice zajímavé sledovat dvůr opodál, kde si opět nešlo nevšimnout přítomných vzácných želv, která byla jako jediná zvířata volně. Kočky, psi, morčata, zajíci -to všechno bylo zavřeno v klecích. Zdá se, že želvy zde opravdu mají hodně velikou oblibu.
Poslední významná zastávka tohoto dne byla v městečku Ambositra, které je proslaveno svými obchody s výrobky ze dřeva. Místní lidé jsou nesmírně zruční a opravdu bylo z čeho vybírat. Cena výrobků je navíc extrémně nízká na evropské poměry. Jako biolog jsem si ale brzo uvědomil, že tyto předměty jsou vyrobeny z těch nejvzácnějších tropických dřevin, jako je mahagon, palisandr nebo eben. Kdoví, odkud tohle dřevo pochází... Korupce je na Madagaskaru veliká a už bylo odhaleno několik případů, kdy se vzácné dřevo těžilo přímo v národních parcích. Nejlepší, co v takovéhle situaci můžete udělat je, že si předmět z takhle vzácného materiálu nekoupíte. Před jedním z obchodů nás zaujala židle udělaná kompletně z masivního dřeva s dlouhou opěrnou částí. Matúš nám sdělil, že něco podobného se dá najít pouze v daleké Mauritánii.
Dnešní den jsme zakončili večerním příjezdem do Antsirabe, což je nejbohatší město ostrova díky své lázeňské historii. Z pohledu zoologa je tahle část ostrova poměrně chudá a kromě národních parků už zde nenajdete ani žádné přirozené ekosystémy. Načasování bylo tedy skvělé -léky měly začít pomalu účinkovat a já bych měl být připraven na výpravy do terénu. Bohužel se účinek léků dostavoval velice pomalu a tenhle večer nebyl o moc lepší než ten předchozí.
This morning I was very happy that I could continue in my journey despite my health condition. I stayed in the minibus during the walk in the centre of Fianarantsoa and tryed to take some photographs of people. There was a space for resting this day, because we travelled to Antsirabe.
The country around was dry, because there was no rain for the long time. We passed the rice fields and places where local people produce bricks from soil. They are shaped, dried out on the sun and then burned in big furnaces. A few men from tribe Bara were walking on the road with their herds of cattle. This area was already the one of tribe Betsileo, which is the most richest tribe after Merina. Just before the midday we stopped near the house of a family, which was drying the rice seeds. Gerard asked the owner of it if we could look inside and she agreed. We had a grat chance to see the privacy of Malagasy people and it was a strange feeling. The house had two floors, there were animals on the ground (I saw only one duck). The entrance was tiny, because Malagasy people are very small in comparison to us. You could go upstairs only on the small wooden ladder. There was a bed and some thing hanging from the ceiling in the room. On the top floor I found a kitchen and also a place for a small child. The standard of living on the island is very low and Madagascar belongs to the poorest countries in the world. Everywhere me met lots of kids and we gave them pencils and sweets. Gerard was everytime making sure that they will divide the gifts fairly.
We continued north and most of the time I was just resting. We had lunch in a restaurant with the local musical group playing and only pizza I saw on Madagascar. It was very milky and the taste was therefore quite strange. When looked out of the window, I saw an interesting place behind the house nearby. The only animals, which were free here were the endangered tortoises. Cats, dogs, guinea pigs - everything else was in the cages. It looks like these reptiles are very popular on this island.
The last important stop of this day was in Ambositra, which is famous for its shops with beautiful products from wood. Local people are very skillful and the price is very low. As a biologist I realised very soon, that the products are made from very endangered trees as mahagon and eben. Who knows, where they come from... The corruption is very common here and there were some cases of cutting trees even in national parks. The best you can do is not buying anything. There was a very interesting chair in front of one shop. It was made from massive wood and Matúš told us, that something similar can be found only in Mauritania.
We arrived to Antsirabe in the late afternoon. This city is the richest one on the island with the history connected to spa. The surrounding part of the country is not rich in animals and apart from national parks you never find a primary ecosystem. The timing was great -medicaments started to make me feel better and I was preparing myself for the trecks in the rainforest. But it was not so quick as I would like to and this night was not very pleasant.
This morning I was very happy that I could continue in my journey despite my health condition. I stayed in the minibus during the walk in the centre of Fianarantsoa and tryed to take some photographs of people. There was a space for resting this day, because we travelled to Antsirabe.
The country around was dry, because there was no rain for the long time. We passed the rice fields and places where local people produce bricks from soil. They are shaped, dried out on the sun and then burned in big furnaces. A few men from tribe Bara were walking on the road with their herds of cattle. This area was already the one of tribe Betsileo, which is the most richest tribe after Merina. Just before the midday we stopped near the house of a family, which was drying the rice seeds. Gerard asked the owner of it if we could look inside and she agreed. We had a grat chance to see the privacy of Malagasy people and it was a strange feeling. The house had two floors, there were animals on the ground (I saw only one duck). The entrance was tiny, because Malagasy people are very small in comparison to us. You could go upstairs only on the small wooden ladder. There was a bed and some thing hanging from the ceiling in the room. On the top floor I found a kitchen and also a place for a small child. The standard of living on the island is very low and Madagascar belongs to the poorest countries in the world. Everywhere me met lots of kids and we gave them pencils and sweets. Gerard was everytime making sure that they will divide the gifts fairly.
We continued north and most of the time I was just resting. We had lunch in a restaurant with the local musical group playing and only pizza I saw on Madagascar. It was very milky and the taste was therefore quite strange. When looked out of the window, I saw an interesting place behind the house nearby. The only animals, which were free here were the endangered tortoises. Cats, dogs, guinea pigs - everything else was in the cages. It looks like these reptiles are very popular on this island.
The last important stop of this day was in Ambositra, which is famous for its shops with beautiful products from wood. Local people are very skillful and the price is very low. As a biologist I realised very soon, that the products are made from very endangered trees as mahagon and eben. Who knows, where they come from... The corruption is very common here and there were some cases of cutting trees even in national parks. The best you can do is not buying anything. There was a very interesting chair in front of one shop. It was made from massive wood and Matúš told us, that something similar can be found only in Mauritania.
We arrived to Antsirabe in the late afternoon. This city is the richest one on the island with the history connected to spa. The surrounding part of the country is not rich in animals and apart from national parks you never find a primary ecosystem. The timing was great -medicaments started to make me feel better and I was preparing myself for the trecks in the rainforest. But it was not so quick as I would like to and this night was not very pleasant.
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