Lobster, limestone, and baby turtles

Trying to have a conversation here in french is like talking to Kelly. I look with a blank face, it goes in one ear and out the other, and I smile and nod. But after a little bit of work, we were able to get ourselves to the Nosy Hara Archipelago in the north of Madagascar. This is a group of tiny islands covered with white sand and tall limestone cliffs. A national park with no free standing buildings and a sacred burial site for the Malagasy. It is considered taboo to point your finger, which makes it difficult when you see animals or giving beta on climbs.

After 4x4ing for 2 hours we took a small boat across a portion of the Mozambique channel.

The idea of coming out to these islands was the first step in convincing Michiel to come to Madagascar. But it really didn't take much. ("Our" island, Nosy Andantsara, is to the left in the picture below--the cliffs are on the opposite side.)

We spent 7 days on this tiny 4 hectare island (about 10 acres), a true paradise spot. Our mornings entailed snorkeling over the reefs in the clear water observing the local marine life. In the afternoons, once it had cooled down a little, we spent a few hours sport-climbing on the limestone cliffs next to the water, taking swims to cool down. While we were out playing on the rocks, clipping bolts, the locals were out in the sea, armed with a spear catching our dinner. each night was a feast of fish, lobster, octopus, squid, rice and vegetables. We washed it down with rhum punch and beer. Man, life was tough.On about our fourth night, the clouds gathered and rain began dumping down. From the thatched hut gazebo (where we ate our meals), I (kelly) saw something crawling out from the bushes into the sand. At first I thought it was a frog....and then I realized they were turtles! Baby sea turtles making their way to the ocean. Then the other nights as we sat on the beach watching the sunset, reading our books or drinking beer, we kept seeing more turtles.The climbing was a great deal similar to Thailand. Overhanging limestone sport routes next to the ocean. It took a day or two to get used to it again. The routes were solid grades, 7-9 foot bolt spacings and generally 25-30 meters long. Kelly was a little rope gun, acing herself up some upper 10's and lower 11's. Teaching me how to climb.It took a day or two to feel better from the pnemonia but it was harder to stay energetic from the drugs. not a good time to get sick, but feeling just fine now. That and the suffocating heat of the tent which made sleep a little difficult were the only potential drawbacks thus far.