Where I came from

[12karen]

Madagascar

It's is an island in the Indian Ocean, east of Mozambique, it is part of the African continent with an area of 587,041 km² , it is the fourth largest island in the world.

This is where I came from

I feel like I'm writing a history paper but I'm just going to show you where I come from.

The island's first inhabitants came from Southeast Asia around 2,000 years ago. Subsequently, Madagascar was colonized by Europeans, notably the French, from the 17th century. This colonization had a great influence on the culture and economy of Madagascar. An important event in Madagascar's history is the 1947 revolt against French colonial rule, which led to years of struggle for independence. Eventually, Madagascar gained its independence in 1960.

Malagasy languages, a cluster of languages spoken on Madagascar and adjacent islands and belonging to the Austronesian (Malayo-Polynesian) family of languages. But due to the colonization, we are able to speak french (60% of the pop can/understand)

The Malagasy people have a rich heritage influenced by a blend of African, Asian, and European cultures. (We eat rice everyday, literally can't live without rice 🥲)

Most of us (80%) are Christian †.

The country is home to a wide variety of plant and animal species. One of the most iconic inhabitants of Madagascar is the lemur. These adorable primates come in various shapes, sizes, and colors. From the tiny mouse lemurs to the playful ring-tailed lemurs

This is King Julian

little morty

Mister Diadema Sifaka

In addition to its wildlife, Madagascar boasts breathtaking landscapes. The island is adorned with lush rainforests, towering mountains, cascading waterfalls, and pristine beaches. The Avenue of the Baobabs is a particularly famous spot, where majestic baobab trees line the dirt road, creating a truly magical sight.

Bemaraha tsingy

hope this gives you a glimpse into the wonders of Madagascar! Let me know if there's anything specific you'd like to know or if you have any other questions.

PS: we don't have 🐧 🦁 🦓 🦒 🦛

[GuyAnswersGirls123]

Madagascar looks totally awesome! The landscapes look so alien to me (in an amazing way). Now I want to add it to my bucket list of places to travel.

I'm curious about the Malagasy (new word I learned!) cuisine besides rice. It sounds like there would be awesome food with such a blend of cultures and rich natural resources.

[12karen]

oh don't hesitate to come whenever you want, but I recommend April, May and June, these are not the holiday periods so it's still not expensive, plus it's very hot here during the summer, the month of May is perfect if you don't want to burn, lol, otherwise October November, so as not to miss the whales,

for cooking, we eat rice all the time, in the morning, rice cake or mofo gasy, or donuts, with coffee, or rice in almost soup with meat, for lunch. Ravitoto is one of the typical dishes of Madagascar made from cassava leaves accompanied by pork or zebu meat. It is of course accompanied by rice and a spicy sauce made from ginger and chili pepper, sometimes coconut milk is added. we also have coconut fish, fish fry with coconut milk sauce, there's a lot more than these two but they're the best and worth trying and in the evening we have ginger chicken soup, (the chicken we use for the soup is the chicken that we raise everywhere, in rural communities, we can find chickens wandering everywhere, in the street, not in an enclosure, they are freer than me, lol, they go out early in the morning, do what they want and come back in the evening, we avoid chemicals, chickens eat rice or corn, very organic, it's better that way) we also have zebu foot and vegetable soup (zebu are raised like chickens, but they eat grass), and without forget the "romazava" composed of a combination of local green vegetables (paracress, anamamy, mustard leaves), beef or zebu meat, tomatoes and onions. or zebu skewers

[GuyAnswersGirls123]

I really want to try Ravitoto now! I don't think I've ever tried Cassava leaves. I'm conjuring up images of Thai and Indian curry but have no idea how it tastes with the Cassava leaves being the star of the recipe.

Also want to try Zebu meat. I don't think I've ever tried it. Romazava looks nice as well with all the rich veggies.

[12karen]

I don't know how to describe the taste of cassava leaves, I can't find something with the same taste, I know that you put an image in your head before eating so I prefer to better show what it looks like, the red is the romazava
https://ibb.co/6wBrvcr
https://ibb.co/TwJ3Ddv
https://ibb.co/kmmBKZj

[GuyAnswersGirls123]

Just visually it reminds me a little bit of Palak (spinach) curry (ex: Palak Gosht [spinach curry with mutton], one of my favorites):


I love that one but Cassava leaves sound like they taste quite different from spinach. I'll have to look into seeing if I can get some in Japan and try!

That red Romazava looks awesome! I like red. 🟥🟥🟥

[Jennz6]

Beautiful country, you’re so fortunate to live in such a wonderful place

[12karen]

Thank you 💖

[Jennz6]

You’re welcome honey

[KostasKouvalis]

There's a lot of crime, corruption, disease and poverty too though. They had a massive outbreak of plague a few years ago.

[12karen]

@KostasKouvalis oh dear, outbreak of plague? I'm sure I was there but never heard about plague, about the crime, I think I'm still alive, all my friends, family, friends's family, friends's friends are,.. it's not dangerous as you think, unless you're carrying a bag of $$ and yell "don't touch me I have a lot of money with me right now" but that's right we are poor, those veggies and meat with chemical products, those flawless food.. they are too expensive for us, we better go bio.. lol
Well, It is not a perfect country but I swear it's not as bad as people say, you think we suffer from that, personally I don't, as long as you have a good job you'll have your dream life

[exitseven]

Really cool. I never thought much about it probably because it is not sitting on a big oil deposit or a strategic military base. It looks ver y nice and the local animals look like they are friendly.

[KostasKouvalis]

And yeah, I DO have a question actually. Do you think Madagascar was better off when it was under French rule?

[12karen]

Not at all, it was the worst period. people were really nice and valued more relationship, kindness, forgiveness, and working tgt but when those french decided to change the rules, people were taught to work for themselves only, being selfish, that was what France did to us, we were told that our tradition and way of thinking was dumb and useless.
Our pop used to care more about each others, no one feared no one.
Tho, we are still nice and really friendly, not as much as we used to be but we are. We love foreigner, and we don't complain about immigrants.

[strateguy632]

i remember borneo 4th. australia was an island when pluto was a planet.

objectively australia is "closer in area to Greenland than to South America." that proof Australia an island like Greenland. just British bias wanted to claim we rule "a whole continent and a sub-continent" to seem stronger, so they started the lie.

even south america, the land "contin-ues" from the south border of panama to columbia "contin-ue like contin-ent".

unless we say africa ends at suez canal and south panama is in south america. but we don't.

[strateguy632]

also how deep must water be to separate? can "man made" canal be a geological continent, if so what about south panama? but not in south africa list.
even if try to be consistent, all led by the lie as above.

[strateguy632]

https://www.guideoftheworld.com/map-of-africa.html
canal not deep enough or man made doesn't count! or both!

[strateguy632]

"the Isthmus of Panama, is the narrow bridge of land that connects North and South America". end quote from encyclopedia.

[LiamS95]

Thank you Karen for the interesting info about Madagascar. I of course have heard of the island but didn't really know anything about it. My ancestors originated in France but left France during the exodus of the Huguenots in the 1600's. My paternal grandparents left England and immigrated to Canada in the late 1800's and my maternal grandparents left Ireland and slso immigrated to Canada in the late 1800's. I pretty much only speak English, I do know a little bit of French but not enough to caŕy on a conversation. I believe I followed you quite some time ago.

[debbiedenise]

@12karen I really enjoyed your "My Take." It was very educational. Thank you for posting.

[12karen]

Thank you for reading 🥰

[linka_pat307]

It looks marvellous am really flabbergasted at how you vividly described your country

[12karen]

Awwww thank you. I'm just trying to show how good it is here bc if you type Madagascar and tourism on Google, they are all overeating and show the negative sides.

And some think it's like in the movie Madagascar lol

[linka_pat307]

Really I have never tried or even thought of visiting there

[12karen]

Feel free to come, I'll be there for you

[linka_pat307]

Someday when I make big in life

[12karen]

Just tell me huh,

[linka_pat307]

Okie surely

[Still-alive]

Wow very pretty! i love the diversity on this site. people come from all over.

[12karen]

Same, it's like everyone is here from all over the world and we can talk and share

[elaphe]

Madagascar also has some really interesting frogs and lizards.

[12karen]

Yup we have, and they are so cute, no venomous

[MrZameer]

I want to know about any Arab or Islamic influence on Madagascar?
also howany Muslims live there?

[MrZameer]

by the way Madagascar is looking very beautiful and very natural. unlike most of Europen and Asian part

[NathanDavis]

ain't this just amazing...

[12karen]

Thanks

[NathanDavis]

do you leave nearby any of these or other natural regions? or more of a city environment?

[12karen]

I live in the city actually and tbh I haven't visited everything yet

[NathanDavis]

same... of all the great places around here, both in the USA and Mexico... I have not been to many of them at all

if I make it to older age, that would be one of the options, travelling around the world and see all of these beauties myself...

[12karen]

Exactly 💯
Hope you'll last very old and can see the world. A lot of things out there.

[NathanDavis]

I might not wait as long either... maybe, before 2030, we'll see

[12karen]

Mmh 2030...

If you come here, I can help you and show you where you should go and where you shouldn't, and also when. It counts as well..

[NathanDavis]

I might as well let you know... my top interest would be the road of baobabs because I've been intrigued by those since I was a little kid and saw them on documentaries

and then... waterfalls, I like those as well, anywhere in the world I would go, I would want to find the waterfalls, so... would it be hotter or cooler months? the best time to visit around there

[12karen]

Atm it's summer but it's hella hot, I'd suggest you coming here during the winter tbh or in between summer-winter, like September or February

We got a lot of waterfalls too, in the north mostly and the road of baobabs is in the south. If you aren't afraid of the sea, a cruise or catamaran from the north to the south would make it perfectly

[NathanDavis]

February sounds more likely... I could take that one month off, just not this year, lol

I like the idea of the catamaran or a sailing boat, because a cruise would trigger my mild germophobia off the charts, lol

so... waterfall at the North, and the ancient trees in the South, what would be something interesting in between that you would recommend or find that interesting/intriguing enough?

[12karen]

Of course not this year lol

There's an another waterfall in between, https://ibb.co/Wcnt1vX

[NathanDavis]

now I am just wondering how cold or not, would those waters be... lol

[12karen]

Very cold, 60° to 70°

[NathanDavis]

perfect... that means I could dip

[12karen]

As long as you can swim and know you can't get closer to where the water fall, it's okay

[NathanDavis]

as a swimmer I can do it well enough to preserve my life, lmao... then I would count on you to spot for me, where not to go or not so close to the fall, some falls though... are fun and would be able to survive it

[12karen]

Heyy I can yell from afar don't get too close, or not there but honestly don't count on me to jump in the water and tell you you're getting a bit too close to death huh.

[NathanDavis]

lmao... as long as you spot for me... I'll take care of the rest, no worries, lol

[12karen]

Good 👌

[dolemite58]

I know most of the world’s vanilla comes from there, would love to see it some day.

[Jerre]

A beautiful place, great pictures!

[12karen]

Thank you @Jerre

[Bklynbadboy12]

Wow! It's beautiful there

[12karen]

It is, beautiful spot for vac

[Bklynbadboy12]

I'm definitely putting Is madagascar on my bucket list

[12karen]

You won't regret, I recommend you october-November, if you want to meet whales

[Bklynbadboy12]

Okay thank you

[dougeats]

beautiful!