It’s very cold in Delhi at the moment…

I had this one mostly to myself

I had this one mostly to myself

I’m actually wearing socks at the moment. I haven’t worn socks in six weeks.

And I’m wrapped in a Kenyan Maasai shawl. That’s how cold it is in my apartment in Delhi. The Jameson I’m sipping is only going so far.

So… the above picture is a little exercise in visualization. It’s my private beach in Tolagnaro, Madagascar. It actually wasn’t completely private, but it seemed that way when I took this picture on the hike there.

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A year-in-review

2009 kinda kicked ass

2009 kinda kicked ass

This past year pretty much rocked. And the New Year came in fine manner.  No kisses, but a bonfire amid the palm trees (above), new friends, lobster, a decent cigar (thanks, C!), champagne and even the Harry Connick, Jr., band playing Auld Lang Syne at midnight (never leave home without the iPod).

I meant to post this sooner, but here’s a little look back at my new life (as chronicled on this blog):

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Essentials: eggs, vegetables and cell-phone minutes

Traveling today, so here’s a Madagascar flashback:

Essentials: eggs, vegetables and cell phone credit

Bare necessities: food and communication

In Tolagnaro, if you’re not a farmer, if you don’t fish, if you don’t work at the Rio Tinto mine, you probably have a small market stall.

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An eco-friendly mine?

Mining giant Rio Tinto has an ambitious conservation agenda in connection with its titanium mine near Tolagnaro, Madagascar. It has created conservation zones that it won’t mine and pledged to regrow the forests that it destroys.

Critics say it won’t succeed, in part because too little will be conserved. NGOs also say the mine has been detrimental to local people, but the government approves because it represents significant foreign investment.

The above photos were taken at the Mandena nursery, where plants are grown to one day repopulate the forest. A few shots are also from around Tolagnaro, also known as Ft. Dauphin. Rio Tinto does not allow photography of the mine itself.

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Saving a forest?

seeds

Saviors of the Mandena forest?

The hands belong to Johny Rabenantoandro, director of biodiversity and rehabilitation for Rio Tinto’s mine in southern Madagascar. Yes, you read that right. A mine, with a director of biodiversity.

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Ring, brown and sifaka, oh my! (photos)

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Sifaka is pronounced ’shif-akh’ (photo)

Hello, sifaka.

Hello, sifaka.

Cute little bastard, isn’t he? One of the Reserve de Nahampoana’s many funny “dancing” lemurs, so named because when on the ground they hop sideways everywhere they go.  More photos coming soon.

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