Ranomafana & Beremby

Hi you all,

Managed to convert my pictures smaller, so got to upload some. So here are some images from around ValBio, the research station in Ranomafana National Park, and also from our hike to the forest fragments at Beremby. The tent has stayed dry so far and I've enjoyed sleeping outside with all the sounds of the surrounding rainforest..
It's been such a good experience being here!

I'm so excited about life!
Feeling good :)

p.s. that's a Comet Moth that sits on my hair in the first picture..

Ranomafana

Hello from the misty mountains!

So the course has started and everything is going superb! The scenery is fantastic and the nature surrounding us unlike anything! This is straight from "sumuisten vuorten gorilla"! The connection in this internet cafe is so crab that uploading pictures is out of the question.. will do that afterwards.

So we are staying in Ranomafana National Park in southern Madagascar, camping in the forest. Tomorrow we are leaving for a satellite campsite for three nights somewhere in the fragmented forest close by. Will also visit some villages on the way.The rainforest with all it's sounds and wildlife is truly magical and it is very difficult not to fall in love with it.

The course is going well and the Malagassy students are the nicest people ever! We have been going for nightwalks in the rainforest to see some grazy nocturnal animals and just walking around wondering about everything around us. We have been doing some studying as well, and have started the field work too already.

My time on the computer is running out, maybe will have a chance to use the net again next week..until then, hope you all feel well and are enjoying life!

With all my love
-Ony
(pronounced:Unni, means "the river" in Malagassy)

A quick hello

Hello from Ranomafana, worst internet connection here so can't do any proper updating right now...all good though, I'll get back to this later.

Mahajanga & Ankarafantsika

Hi you all,

It just turned out that I might not be able to use the internet that much during the course..but I'll make a quick note whenever possible.

The actual course begun today with a little intoduction here at Tana. Met the Malagassy students who are going to join us for the course and visited Antananarivo University. The students seemed very nice: students of ecology, paleontology, veterinary, anthropology, and geology. Should be an interesting course.

We are leaving to Ranomafana tomorrow morning. So bye bye bed and polluted cities for 4 weeks, welcome tent and the rainforest!

As for the trip so far I'll let the pictures do the talking..

Take care!

Mahajanga

Salama!
This is also just a quick hi from an internet cafe. Got to Tana on wednesday and then yesterday took a 12 hour trip in a taxi brousse (a fully packed mini van) to Mahajanga at the west coast. Got a good view of African living as we drowe through tens of little villages and cross the mountains. Life is very different here. This is all I can say in this few minutes without leaving something important out. Today we have been swimming in the hottest sea water ever! Also been enjoying the sun and the local atmosphere.. will try and get into detail later.. also will try and upload some pictures next week.
Miss you all!

:Vazaha (valkonaama)

Made it!

Just a quick hi!
Got to Madagascar in one piece (just one bag short).. YEY!
Tomorrow the journey from Antananarivo to Mahajanga at the west coast and then to Ankarafantsika for the weekend to see some baobabs and chrocodiles..! :)

time to say goodbye

Bags are packed.
Kimmo and the cats have been cuddled goodbye.
A tear has been shed.
I'm ready.
Time to leave the snow behind for a while and approach the sunny beaches and rainy forests..

Hope it won't take too long till next update..

Love you all!

tj 3

Attenborough vapise..! :)
(pakatessa saattaa vähän innostua)