Port Gentil, Gabon/Gabun
Schlagwort-Archive: ocean
On the beach – Am Strand
Libreville, Gabon/Gabun
Water & life in Madagascar
Mahajanga
All the pictures do look best fullscreen!!!
Mahajanga
Once I dreamt of a town at a turquoise sea with sailing vessels on it, of which I have learned that they have been invented in the Arabic world and are called Dhows. The air was warm and slightly salty, the palm trees along the seaside promenade were murmuring unheard words in the warm wind and all the people around seemed very relaxed, some of them even smiling. Muslims, Christians, Animists, Hindus (Karana people), they all live there together peacefully within a stone’s throw of a Fossil display with Dinosaur skeletons. On a square right at the promenade, the people meet at a majestic thousand year old Baobab tree of the Adansonia digitata species – merchants brought this one from mainland Africa to the island. This town just has to be on an island! Weiterlesen
Toliara – A day at the beach – Ein Tag am Strand
Toliara – A day at the beach – Ein Tag am Strand
Toliara (Tuléar) is the biggest and most important city in southwestern Madagascar. Once in the past rebels had demolished a bridge on the way from the capital Antananarivo to it´s most significant port Toamasina (Tamatave) at the eastcoast. That was when the government bought Toliara a deepwater port as well as a 1000 kilometre long asphalt road all the way up to the central highland and Tana. Weiterlesen
Vezo – Die mit dem Meer ringen – Struggling with the sea
Vezo – Die mit dem Meer ringen – Struggling with the sea
Wie Geister bewegen sich schemenhafte Gestalten durch den Nebel, der die vereinzelten Rufe dämpft oder ganz verschluckt. Der Strand, das Meer, alles ist grau, und dunkelgrau tauchen Boote vor der Küste aus dem Nebel auf, der im Westen Madagaskars häufig ist, und verschwinden ebenso schnell wieder darin. Ohne den Nebel, der der kargen Vegetation aus Trocken- oder Dornenwald, Buschland und Baobabs die Leben spendende Feuchtigkeit bringt – in einer Gegend, in der Regen äußerst selten ist, wäre die Region zwischen Toliara (sprich: tulear) im Süden und Mahajanga (sprich: madschanga) im Norden vermutlich eine Wüste. Weiterlesen
Humpback whales in Mozambique Channel – Buckelwale in der Straße von Mosambik
Humpback whales in Mozambique Channel – Buckelwale in der Straße von Mosambik
Besides sharks, huge rays and African skates as well as Orcas there are many Humpback whales in surrounding seas of Madagascar. In southern winter they move from the Antarctic sea into the warmer water of subtropics to give birth to their calves. They need the warmer water to prevent a shock of hypothermia that could kill the newborn. Especially the bays in the north – like Baie d´Antongil, northeastern Madagascar – are perfect birthplaces because of shallow murky water and a lot of reefs, all of which help keeping the calves safe from predators like bull sharks. Weiterlesen
The Manakara Suicide Bridge
The Manakara Suicide Bridge
Manakara is a drowsy postcolonial town on the southeastern coast of Madagascar, sleeping a ruinous sleep after once having been an important port and trading centre since it had been connected to central highland city of Fianarantsoa by railway tracks in 1936. Nowadays Manakara is suffering from Toamasina (Tamatave) being the major port on the eastcoast because of it´s proximity to the capital Antananarivo and the island of Nosy Boraha (pronounced noosh boor; also: Ste. Marie) which is a major tourist hotspot. There is still a lot of business going on with Fianarantsoa because twice a week the train reaches Manakara after an eleven to 36 hours tour through the rainforest and bleak, treeless hillscapes bringing goods and some tourists, who will have an overnight stay before leaving town again. Weiterlesen
