CHASING THE INDRI

Journey To Beauty & Chaos In Paradise Islands

Mauritius - Seychelles - Comoros - Mayotte - Réunion - Madagascar

Tan Wee Cheng, Singapore (July 2003)

Click to expand route map

indri - A large arboreal lemur (Indri indri) of Madagascar, having large eyes and a rudimentary tail. A rare, endangered species.

INTRODUCTION

	Mauritius I : Fishing Villages , Sugar Ocean and Ganges of the Isle   "Outside the iron gates of fleur-de-lips grills, we could almost imagine the baron having a mid morning tryst with his pretty black slave girl from Madagascar , with the loud passionate moaning in subtropical heat.  As usual, when her dress became too large to fit, the baroness would send the girl to a remote corner of the estate, a place full of girls of a similar fate, with their mixed blood children, forgotten but forerunners of a new race..." Read more here. Mauritius II: Globalization, Life And Death In Land Of The Dodo
	Seychelles: Sex & Politics In The Garden Of Eden "By the magic of nature’s coincidence, the male seed looks like the male organ of sexual prowess, while the female seed resembles a girl’s pelvis aka gateway to Venus.  Scientists do not yet know how the Coco de Mer reproduces.  Local legends have their own explanations: Under the light of full moon, the male tree moves over to the female tree for a tryst of love, and any human who witness the act of passion is condemned to death by the spell of the magical trees. "  Read more here.
	Comoros: Volcano, Decay & Illusions In The Islands of The Moon  “Don’t worry, my friends. Leave everything in the hands of Allah, the Comorians will tell you.  If the volcano doesn’t get you, the next coup might.  So why worry so much!”  Read more here.
	Mayotte & Réunion: A Rendezvous With France in Africa  "This forbidding road was once the escape route of slaves working in the plantations on the plains.  Called the Marrons, they fled deep inland to these hidden valleys, where they set up independent republics of free men, till the slave-owners and booty hunters caught up with them, hunted them down and showed to those who did not leave that it didn’t pay to be free.  Today, all that remains of that dark era, are the rocks, caves and valleys, named after the more famous of these fought bravely but in vain."   Read more here.
	Madagascar: Erotic Tombs, Tribal Warriors & Bull Fights In The Great Red Island - Madagascar I: Antananarivo  "Our driver shouted, “Get in the car! Quick!” I jumped into the car and slammed the car door. Then the driver sped away as fast as he could, into the dark, unlit roads.  I asked myself, where the hell are we going?  If he decides to kill and rob us, there is nothing we can do.  Read more here. Madagascar II: The South   -  Madagascar III: The Highlands  - Madagascar IV: Back To Tana & Périnet
	Madagascar: Zebu Fight & House Completion Ceremony  "First a trickle of blood flowed into the vase, which soon turned into a bright red fountain spurting out in a spectacular though gory fashion.  The crowd cheered to indicate approval".  View gallery here.

Use these books! 

Lonely Planet: Mauritius, Reunion & Seychelles   Sarina Singh, Joe Bindloss

Lonely Planet: Madagascar   Mark Fitzpatrick, Paul Greenway

The Eighth Continent: Life, Death and Discovery in the Lost World of Madagascar  Peter Tyson

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