Free Lemurs, Striking Frogs, and Wooden Dodos

Prepared February 28 and 29, 2012, in port, Port Blair, Andaman Islands, India and en route Phuket, Thailand



February 11 and 12, 2012 at sea, en route to Fort Dauphin, Madagascar:  Rest and Recovery

After the hectic activity of the last week of safari in South Africa, the two-day crossing from Richards Bay to Fort Dauphin was very restful.  We slept in, played bridge and trivial pursuit, watched the on-board entertainment (including the other passengers), and, of course, ate!  Not that we needed to eat, but....

J and E are looking forward to Madagascar.   We have been trying since 1997 to see lemurs in the wild! (For the uninitiated, lemurs are the long-tailed, big-eyed, furry primates that played a major role in the movie, "Madagascar.")  Since they are only found in the wild on the Island of Madagascar, the only chance to see them in their habitat is on the Island; however, on our previous two visits, we have only seen caged or leashed lemurs.  But, hope springs eternal.

The evening of the 12th, the Captain informed us that due to a cyclone approaching Madagascar from the east, we would shorten our port visit at Fort Dauphin by 5 hours and sail for Reunion Island on a more southerly course.  Maybe he didn't want to upset the drinks on deck at the pool- side cocktail party for World Cruise passengers, scheduled for that evensing.


February 13, 2012 in port, Fort Dauphin, Madagascar:  Free the Lemur!

Instead of anchoring in the harbor, the Silver Whisper docked in the recently-completed port near Fort Dauphin.  The port was built and operated by Rio Tinto to export chromium ore from a newly-opened mine nearby.  Rio Tinto apparently lets cruise ships use the pier, probably for a "nominal fee,"  when a bulk cargo ship is not loading ore.   Whatever the reason, it is a great improvement over tendering, as we did at the infamous Nossi-Bi, Madagascar -- voted the worst Silversea port-of-call by an overwhelming majority of passengers on the 2007 World Cruise.

Disembarking, we climbed aboard a local "air-conditioned" tour bus for a 20-minute drive, some of it on unimproved road, to the Saidi Botanical Garden on the outskirts of Fort Dauphin.   We were greeted by a ranger from the Garden who escorted us on our tour.  We had not walked a hundred yards when what should we behold but a ring-tailed lemur, not just one, but a whole clan of them living in the trees.  Also, there were some caged brown lemurs.   They had been taken from a private individual and were being reintroduced into the wild.  The lemurs were a major find, even though they were probably, at best, semi-wild.

The Official Greeter:  Checking Out the New Arrivals

Ring-Tailed Lemur On Parade

Is This Where the Meeting Is?

Lemur pictures could go on for some time 

Next, we trekked off for a two-hour walk through the botanical garden.  Regretfully, the garden suffers heavily from the independence syndrome that has reduced most of Africa's physical and scientific infrastructure to little better than junk!  The garden's staff, although competent to guide cruise ship tourists with a general interest in natural history, were clearly not trained biologists, and there were no operating reasearch facilities to be seen.  The aid money for that sort of thing usually goes to the Swiss Bank Accounts of the President and his henchmen.  Sadly, the price of freedom in Africa has often been poverty!

Where Are The Master Gardeners When You Need Them?

Help!  My Grandmother's House Plant Has Escaped

We did see another clan of ring-tailed lemurs, and got to visit enclosures for the local land tortoise and the local crocodile, which appeared to be smaller than the Asian crocodiles (island dwarfism?), and could be a species of alligator.  It had a very pointed snout!  We were thirsty and glad to sit after two hours of leisurely walking in the shaded, but very humid garden!

Another Lemur Picture!

Jerry Couldn't Resist

Madagascar Land Tortoise

Madagascar Crocodile - Note Pointed Snout

Back on the Bus

And this is an improved road!

Fort Dauphin, the French garrison that defended the settlement of the same name, was our next stop.  Built at various times from the 17th to the 20th Century, its gun positions, barracks, and other military accouterments all have one thing in common -- they are in a state of near collapse!  This is the case, although the fort is an active military garrison.  We toured the fort's small museum (the exhibits were all in French, and our guide was lost somewhere else).  The pictures were interesting if not entirely comprehensible.

19th Century Gun Position, Fort Dauphin

And There Wasn't Even a Battle Fought Here!

Can't help but wonder what the French Foreign Legion would make of this.

On our way out, several of us talked with the Vice Commandant of the garrison.  His English was as limited as our French, so the conversation was limited.  But, the Deputy Commandant wore the insignia of a naval marine officer and was pleased when J communicated that he was ex-Navy.  He explained that another army officer standing a bit to the side was the Fort's Commanding Officer.  No doubt, they were looking for "spies" or maybe he said "pies."

Badge of Fort Dauphin

Leaving the fort, we drove through the town of Fort Dauphin and along the shore to a local beach resort for the ritual of "soft drink and handicrafts."  There was a local song and dance troop performing folk dances, which broke up the normal routine of trying to solve the mystery of why so many locally-made handicrafts carry the strange heirogliphic "Made in China" in some inconspicuous place.  Also, we were providing some entertainment for the locals, who were gathered in numbers beyond the resort's fence to watch the strange behavior of tourists.

From the "soft drink and handicrafts" stop, it was back to the ship and our early sail-away to escape the worst of Cyclone Marianne!


February 14, 2012, er route Pointe de Galets, Reunion Islands.  Cyclone Marianne Makes Trouble for Cupid

Our early departure on February 13 from Fort Dauphine, Madagascar was caused by a fast-approaching category 4, tropical cyclone, named Marianne.  (For the unwashed -- Tropical Cyclones or Cyclones in the Southern Hemisphere are the same, except for the direction of rotation, as Hurricanes in the Atlantic or Eastern Pacific or Typhoons in the Western Pacific.  Thus ends the geography lesson for today.  Amen).  Instead of sailing northeast, the direct route from Fort Dauphine to Pointe de Galets, we sailed on an easterly track, keeping the storm about 300nm to our north and west.  This avoidance track to Reunion increased our sailing time by several hours and caused the early departure, but it kept the Silver Whisper away from the storm's most disturbed seas and high winds.  Even so, the avoidance track resulted in sailing through swells of 25 to 30 feet and wind speeds with gusts over 50 knots.

E is of the school of thought shared by most cruise passengers that all cruising should be done in placid seas with waves similar to those in a bath tub!  However,  for ships the size of Silver Whisper, it is much better to take an avoidance track and ride the storm out at sea.  Which is what we did.  After leaving Fort Dauphine, the swimming pool and hot tubs were drained, and all deck furniture was stored. As they said in the days of sail -- the hatches were battened down.  We passed through the worst swells and gusts during the late night hours of 13/14 February, when, thankfully, most passengers were tucked up in bed.  It was still bad enough that, on the morning of the 14th, "Happy Valentines Day" was said to more than one slightly gray-green partner, who had declared no interest in breakfast, needed to rest (stay in bed),  and showed NO taste for any bon-bons in that box of Valentine's Day chocolates.

However, by noon, the swells and wind gusts were decreasing, and more passengers began to appear.  J and E, bridge fanatics that they are, went to both the bridge lesson and played.  However, the number of participants was less than usual.  By evening, the sea state had calmed, and we had dinner in La Terrazza with Joanne and Hayden and Kat and Don.  Valentine's Day was celebrated appropriately with long-stemmed red roses for the ladies.


February 15, 2012, Pointe des Galets, Reunion Islands:  The EU in Action or Striking Frogs

A little political geography -- The Reunion IsIands have, since 1946, been governed as an Overseas Department of France.  Therefore, Reunion has access to funding of the same quality of infrastructure, social welfare, and French Culture as any department in metropolitan (European) France.  Think a little bit of France in the Indian Ocean.  Thus, again ends the geography lesson.  Amen.  So, Reunion has fine roads, harbors, municipal buildings, and all the other elements of a developed, prosperous European Union state.  It also, probably, is heavily in debt, but that is a French problem. No?

One of the results of France's and EU's munificence is an excellent Natural and Cultural History Museum set in a Botanical Garden (Jardin de l'Etat) in St. Dennis, Reunion's capital.  It was J's and E's plan of the day to take a taxi from the port at Pointe des Galets and spend some time in the garden and the museums.  J was particularly keen on seeing the only existent "stuffed"  Dodo Bird.  J has a particular fondness for the Dodo Bird and thinks it should be made the human race's animal symbol.

But this was not to be.  Because another aspect of EU/French economic development intervened.   When we docked, the local authorities (you know the guys who leave the ship with Johnny Walker Black in a brief case and smiles of well-fed cats) informed us that the transport workers were on strike and that there would be no buses for tours or taxis available.  See what J means about the Dodo Bird as humanity's international symbol!  In the name of worker solidarity, the crew shuttle bus, provided by the port, would run to a local small town which had a beach and some shops.  After about thirty seconds of consideration, we dedided to stay on board.  It was also very hot!

We never heard what the tranport strikers were demanding, but given the current work rules and hours in the EU, one can only imagine!  "Bring the Revolution.  Up the Two-Day Work Week!!!  Viva la France!  Viva la EU!  Viva la Dodo!"

So, we departed Reunion as the sun dropped below the horizon and set course for Port Louis, Mauritius.


February 15, 2012,  Port Louis, Mauritius:  The Tale of the Wooden Dodo

The Silver Whisper docked at Port Louis Mauritius at 7:00am, and by 8:30, the land tours were on their way to explore such things as Dolphins, oversized coconuts, and the local scene from a bus.  J and E gave the tours a pass, slept in, had a late breakfast, and caught the ship's shuttle to  the newly-redeveloped Caudan Waterfront.

Port Louis is the capital and major city of Mauritius, which is the name of the island and of the independent nation of the Republic of Mauritius.  Mauritius was a British Colony that became independent in the 1960s.  Although there has been some recent development, it has not fared as well as Reunion.  No fancy infrastructure or social welfare system here.  This is a good, old, free-enterprise system!  So, the private sector has built some bank and insurance buildings, a fancy shopping center (mostly for tourists), and resorts for Europeans escaping the winter with long flights and short stays on sandy beaches.  But, there is no striking here!

Early Building in the Port

Redeveloped Caudan Waterfront Shopping Mall

Our short time ashore was mainly spent looking around the national handicraft stalls in the shopping center.  That strange "Made in China" hieroglyph was everywhere.  Jerry did find one young man sitting at a table carving wooden Dodo Birds.  J could not resist.  Here was humanity's symbol in three dimensions.  What a find.  And it might have been the only thing in the handicraft mall without the strange hieroglyph!  So J paid an inflated price for the little guy, and he now sits on the desk by the laptop to remind him of humanity's future.

Yes, It Is Colorful, But Do You Have Anything a Little Smaller?

J's NOT Made in China Dodo Bird!

Most of the people in the shopping center were from the ship, so we stopped and talked about the local artifacts and purchases.  After giving up on walking into other areas of town because of the temperature, and having visited every possible store of any interest, we returned to the shuttle bus and short trip back to the port on an unimproved road.

There is a small museum here devoted to the Mauritius 2p blue, one of the most valuable 19th Century postage stamps.  The post office that issued the stamp is still in use, but we had visited both before and decided it wasn't worth seeing again.  Besides, J has the t-shirt, so why bother!

We were scheduled to sail at 4:30pm to begin our 5-day crossing of the Indian Ocean, but the fuel barge had not been refueled from the on- shore tanks after the Cyclone (Mauritius was also affected), so the ship's refueling was not completed until after 10:00pm.  This gave us a late start on a long at-sea segment, and at the last minute, the powers that be in the Indian Ocean rerouted us south of Diego Garcia, because of a pirate incident the previous week.  (It's the Indian Ocean; you think we are talking near realtime here?)  The extended routing also increased our fuel requirements, so it was later yet out of Port Louis.

The Fuel Barge Approaches