Ranomafana

Sprawling rainforest...a million greens, french keyboard thwarting my clumsy american fingers. I walked over an hour to get here, almost entirely straight down; probly a 2 hr trip back up...I hope that puts your internet experience today in perspective. In garbled english, french and malagasy I asked to use a computer in the only roofed building nearby, goodness knows what they,ll charge me for this...hahah! I want to give you a better idea of what it is like here, but I find that my words simply fail. To see the tongue of a panther chameleon dart out and snatch a massive beetle three feet away in the blink of an eye is something you just have to experience first hand. There is now a lovely female mouse lemur named Peggy. She is quite gorgeous and as sweet a creature as I have ever met. That was truly the only name that would suffice. Screeching fish eagles, whooping lemur troops, and Jim! a match made in heaven.
Ok; the essentials: I have taken over 2000 pictures in 1 week; look forward to photo DVDS around xmas if I cant upload w/ this comp.
My Duties are diverse and exciting: bate/trap and census brown mouse lemurs
provide tech support for the resident Audio/Visual guru
Track down a potential new species identified nearby
Act as tour guide to Rochester Zoo enthusiasts 10/13_10/30 then a travel group called earthwatch from 11/19_12/2 then maybe back to New York 12/5...or perhaps not.
Record footage for National Geographic program called wild chronicles (suiting huh)
and all the other things I cant think of at the moment.
I am realizing however that I might be a bit too fun loving/laid back for most of the scientific community; but occupational direction is gooood.
I am very well fed here, tons of warm and satisfying food. I eat like like a malagasy now: as much as poss as quickly as poss.
On that note no adverce rxn to food/water/malaria meds.
Sleeping in tents until the dorms are finished...haha: lots of fun but my tent is an ultralight backpacking tent, not idea for an extended stay but its cozy.
Study abroad program here right now. A couple of them justifyably resent my situation_ they paid approx 10ooo bucks to be here not including airfare to have q very similar experience and they have classes during the day while Im out in the forest. Its nice to have a few people my age here though; makes mealtime a bit more entertaining.
I got my first leech. Just a lil guy. HA, im sure there will be many more to come.
So if anyone reading this wants to contribute some entertqinment to Jims grand adventure you can send snail mail to:
Jim Ward
C/O Centre ValBIO
BP 33- Ranomafana
312 Ifanadiana
MADAGASCAR

It takes 2weeks to A month so a lot like St. Thomas. To speed things along you can write "Airmail/PAR AVION VIA FRANCE"

So just for the record, if someone asks you what that son/ brother/ cousin/ grandchild/ friend is up to feel free to tell them that I am exploring the far flung reaches of our awe inspiring world; taking some really great pictures along the way. Or a research biologist in Ranomafana Madagascar.
Who knows how much further the rabbit hole will go from here...