{"id":4213,"date":"2017-03-03T20:27:49","date_gmt":"2017-03-03T19:27:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tazmpictures.com\/site\/?p=4213"},"modified":"2025-10-16T14:13:41","modified_gmt":"2025-10-16T13:13:41","slug":"madagascar-solar-eclipse-at-the-pangalanes-canal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tazmpictures.com\/site\/?p=4213","title":{"rendered":"Madagascar: Solar Eclipse at the Pangalanes Canal"},"content":{"rendered":"

I got an email from somebody at some point, soon after we arrived in Madagascar: \u00a0there was to be a full solar eclipse, and we were invited to stay at the “Bush Camp” on the Pangalanes Canal, wherever that was.<\/p>\n

\"Sunset\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I did some digging and found out that there is a series of lakes and canals – similar to\u00a0the inland waterway we have on the east coast of the United States. \u00a0Called the Pangalanes Canal, it is apparently pretty scenic and worth a visit. \u00a0According to the email, we would be able to experiene a full solar eclipse on September 1 (yes, it has taken me awhile to post this!) so I booked the trip and it was just a matter of waiting until September.<\/p>\n

\"Dusk<\/a><\/p>\n

Our trip there was a minor adventure in and of itself. We took a 5-hour car ride east and south of Antananarivo, where we live, and followed a deeply rutted dirt road for about 10 kilometers. After a couple of kilometers, we passed a couple of women walking barefoot, carrying loads on their heads. They gestured at us, and we continued on, but about 5o meters later I realized what they wanted – so we backed up, loaded their goods in the back of the Land Cruiser, and invited them to jump in the back seat. They laughed and waved to people they knew as we passed through village after village…<\/p>\n

\"Chameleon<\/a><\/p>\n

We arrived at the canal and had lunch while we waited for our boat. Eventually it arrived and we got our suitcases and loaded everything up…but to our disappointment, and for unknown reasons, the boat wouldn’t start. If we hadn’t been on vacation, it would have almost been comical as our boat drivers kept summoning different people from various places on the beach to help them. Eventually, they managed to start the boat and we were on our way. It took about 40 minutes to get to our hotel. Here is an aerial overview of the surroundings where we ended up.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=srlRgzk8ELcMost of Madagascar’s lakes are unsafe to swim in – or even to wade in – because much of the water is infested with parasites that cause schistosomiasis. \u00a0But the lake that forms part of the canal system, in front of the Bush House<\/a>\u00a0(where we stayed) is pretty clean (I think) so I had a great time open-water swimming. \u00a0The risk here is crocodiles, which hang out in some of the “inner” lakes. \u00a0How do we know? \u00a0We saw them during the hours and hours of hiking we did in the area.<\/p>\n

Across the lake from the Bush House is the Palmarium, another lodge, much more “touristy.” \u00a0From there, you can take a night boat out to see the Aye-Ayes<\/a> (see previous post) on a nearby island, or you can walk around the grounds and see a number of different species of lemurs that are semi-tame. \u00a0Like I said, “touristy.”<\/p>\n