Nothing says Christmas quite like an abundance of colourful lights. Whether on your tree at home, adorning the exterior of houses or an official display, they lift the spirits and set the mood for a joyful festival. For those of many religions, or none, such displays symbolise the triumph of light over darkness, bringing warmth and hope during the winter season.
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None of us knows what is around the corner. And as time passes, the pressure to do all that we want to before old age (or worse!) prevents us from doing so grows. For those of us who love travelling that can mean a sense of urgency, trying to fit in all the countries we most want to see.
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There are luxury resorts all over the world where you can, if you want, relax on a beach knowing that you and your fellow guests will have it to yourselves. No one will intrude to disturb the illusion of perfection or remind you that you are (quite probably) in a third world country. Eden Lodge, on Baobab Beach, where we spent our last few days in Madagascar, is definitely not such a spot.
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In parts of Madagascar a unique landscape has formed, alternating sharp shards of rock and deep canyons. This is the tsingy, from a Malagasy word meaning 'where one cannot walk barefoot'. It is formed from limestone plateaus, the remains of ancient coral reefs when this area lay under the sea.
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Of course Madagascar is a wonderful place in which to see unique animal species, iconic baobabs and beautiful landscapes. But it’s also home to diverse communities of people. It would be a shame to come here and not see something of their lives too, as well as those of the wildlife.
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Madagascar is a colourful country! The landscapes are beautiful and for the most part lush and green. The wildlife is often colourful too. And in villages and towns there are lively markets, while hotel grounds are planted with pretty flowers. And yet, I can never resist the temptation to experiment with black and white edits
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Such are the natural wonders of Madagascar that in a couple of hours’ walking you can see an array of endemic species from tiny (and I mean tiny!) chameleons to lively lemurs and towering baobab trees.
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Did you know that there is a World Lemur Day? No, nor did I, until we happened to find ourselves in Madagascar on the last Fridy of October which is when it is celebrated. It was wonderful in any case to be able to view these beautiful animals in their natural setting, but especially so to do so on their special day!
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While a photo can tell a story without the need for words, and words can do likewise without any illustration, the combination of both can be more powerful than either. Each month Paula challenges us to find photos to match her chosen words. Some seem easy to ‘illustrate’, others I genuinely find challenging. But it’s an exercise I always enjoy!
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November is NOT one of my favourite months. Yes, there is still plenty of autumn colour, in the first part of the month at least. But here in the UK there are many more dull November days than bright, or so it seems to me. And with the clocks going back at the end of October, darkness falls by late afternoon.
