Hey everyone,

Field work is amazing, and going well, but it is so exhausting. I am so busy, and I had one day to recuperate before going back out. I am leaving for a week, and I am so sorry I did not get a chance to blog. You will get a whole stream of posts when I get back.

See you soon!

Jackie

Preparing for Ranomafana

Gorgeous little Schizophyllum commune found near CAS

Salam everyone,

Danny, Rocky and I are moving things along nicely here in Madagascar. Tomorrow we will head to Ranomafana National Park for a five day expedition. At this point, we couldn't be more ready. We have everything we need to have a fruitful trip, the last piece of the puzzle are the Marasmius. Come out and play little mushrooms! Needless to say, I am very anxious to get started.

Yesterday, January 17th, was warmer than any other day so far. The patches of heavy rain would come and go every once in a while, but the sun was heavy with heat above the puffy clouds. Emile, the local mycologist, spent a nice chunk of the day with us going over some pictures of local fungi and chatting about our upcoming trip. We were all geeking out about the cool mushrooms we might spot, but my mind was focused on my genus of Marasmius. To find Marasmius, one must get down to their level. When I get into the small fungi mind-set, it's a different kind of mushroom hunt. Most mushroom hunters walk around looking for those big treasures sticking up through the earth, but me, I like the little guys. The best way for me to find them is to sit still for a while, and look in the dark, wet, places they may be lurking. I try to put myself in their shoes. If I was a super tiny mushroom decomposing leaf litter and dead trees, where would I be? It's a slow, steady process, but when I find them it's a unique sort of high. I am looking forward to that feeling. Soon...very soon my little ones.

Oops, I went off on a little tangent...let's get back on track.

Natural Science Research Center, Tana

Emile was kind enough to show us his own lab. He works in a microbiology lab near the base station. I was pleasantly surprised with the amount of equipment they had there, it seems like they are doing some great work. There are even some staff who are working on mycorrhizae!!!

Mycological research is very new in the country, but people seem excited about it and willing to put in the hard work to make advancements toward understanding the world of fungi in Madagascar. It makes me happy knowing this is something people want to learn. It never ceases to amaze me how awareness of fungi, in general, inspires people. That is because they are so fascinating!!!

After touring the labs, Danny, Rocky and I went out for lunch. We went to the same little hotely (small restaurant) Rocky and I went to two days before. This time I gorged on pork and beans. All of the meat is cooked for a long time to make it as clean and safe to eat as possible. This makes the texture of the fat of the meat like butter. The pork melted in my mouth with the rice and beans, and I left the hotely with another happy tummy. Thank you Mada for your incredible food!

Mobile chanterelle shop

After lunch, we drove around the city absorbing the hustle and bustle of the recent elections before heading to the airport for the third time to collect our last piece of luggage. Finally we have all the pieces we need to make this trip a success. Woo!

On the way to airport we saw many people selling goods along the road. Rocky jokingly calls them "mobile stores" which I find pretty funny. Locals sell food, electronic gadgets, towels (a lot of towels...), umbrellas, and anything really by walking alongside cars in the traffic jam of the city. There is a marketplace everywhere you go this way. Most of the time I would say "Tsi-mis voola!" which means 'I have no money' or 'there is no money' to which the locals respond "where did it go?"...hilarious. Half way to the airport, we stumbled upon a local who was selling some chanterelles! After Rocky did some serious drive-by-bargaining we bought one basket for about $5! Pretty nice deal! Later that night Danny whipped up a delicious dinner with our tasty find, onions, some Malagasy white wine, and a cream sauce. The kitchen at the station smelled so good all night long and our tummies, yet again, were beaming with joy. 

Dinner prep and some change (50 Ariary with Baobabs on the coin!)

Last night we had a much needed good night's sleep. Today, January 18th, I woke up at 6:00am feeling the best I've felt since arriving in country. The locals configure their daily schedule to the sun, so most people wake up at 5:00am and are at work by 8:00am and in bed by 9:00pm. Night is not your friend here in Madagascar, but I am loving the mornings! Each morning feels so fresh and new, most likely because the nighttime rains have washed the previous day away, so it really feels like a new day.

This will be my last post for a few days. When I return to the station next week, I will have endless stories and some great photos from the trek to the southeast rainforests. Wish us luck, keep us in your prayers, and may the spores be with all of us during this exciting time. In lieu of my future absence I have left you with these super cute lemurs to keep you company in the cyber world. Enjoy, and we will connect again next week!

Peace, love and coconuts. 

The infamous ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) hanging around in the neighboring zoo, adorable. These little guys are not in a cage. They are on a little island in a man-made lake in the middle of zoo, very cool.

Learning the ways of Mora Mora

Beautiful rice patties and homes while heading to the airport

Today was a great day, mostly because at the end of the day my fellow mushroom adventurer, Danny Newman, arrived in country safely. Yay! Before we, Rocky and I, picked Danny and my beloved luggage up from the airport we ran around Tana to complete some errands and to just see the city. In the city, Madagascar is not the safest place in the world, so I do not have many pictures from today. I was advised to keep my camera and my phone in my bag. I feel like I would enjoy describing the day anyhow. Allow me to start from the beginning...

But first, a random thought...my new favorite thing is lychee infused honey...to die for. I mixed some with my yogurt this morning, and I swear it knocked the headache I had right out of me...

Traffic times

Once Rocky arrived at the station, we headed out for a fun day of errands. The first stop was to the National Park administration building to finalize our permits for collecting in the parks. I was honestly surprised at how quickly the whole process was, all due to Rocky. What a swell man! After we got our permits, we headed to the city center in full traffic mode. The traffic in Tana is crazy.There are no lines, no lights, no people directing you, and everyone drives like they are boats on a river rather than cars on a road. I'm not even remotely worried as Rocky weaves in and out of people, dogs, bikes, and other cars. This picture I took was not even close to how packed these roads were, but it gives an idea.

One exciting part of my day today was eating my first Malagasy meal. As you know by now rice is life, so of course I had rice, but it's what you pair with the rice that makes it unique. Rocky ordered some zebu tongue while I stuck to good ol' fashion zebu meat. Typically I do not eat meat often, but when I travel my regular eating habits are traded in for local customs to enhance my overall experience of the country. The tongue was amazing! If you've never had tongue slow-cooked and seasoned with fresh black pepper, I suggest you go do that right now. It was incredible! You are given a big bowl of delicious rice and a separate bowl of broth and the meat (mine had some potatoes in the broth as well). You spoon some of the broth on the rice (like buttermilk on cous cous for my fellow RPCVs from Morocco) and mix it with the meat and potatoes. We also had a side salad of shredded carrots in vinegar. For dessert a small cup of sweet yogurt. YUM! Honestly, it was great and it kept me full the whole day. Rice is really super that way.

After lunch, we headed to the airport for what normally should be a 45 minute drive took us two hours in the insane Tana traffic. I had no problem with that though as I entertained myself with asking Rocky a million questions about the culture. I'd like to share some of those teachings little by little.

The idea of destiny is a valued tradition in Malagasy culture. People consult astrology readers and the orientation of the stars and planets matter on a daily basis. There are certain things that are better to do on certain days. For example, today was Thursday and I noticed as we drove by a documentation office (a place to get birth certificate, marriage licenses, etc.) it was very busy. When I asked Rocky why he said it was because people get married on Thursdays. Funerals can be held on any day except Tuesday, in general it's best not to start anything on a Tuesday, it's bad luck. Monday is a patriotic day where students look smart in their grey pants and white shirts, while other days they were their blue smocks. It's all very fascinating.

As we drove home from the airport, with Danny asking all the same questions I had been asking and more, I glanced out the window and took a minute to think about how different this country is from any other, and how it is also a melting pot of so many older cultures. Madagascar is unique to say the least, and I've only seen one city! The true identify of this country reveals itself in nature. Mada is a natural lab, a place begging to be understood, and I am ready and giddy to get to know it better and better...little by little. ;)

MANOW-OWN FROM MADA!!!

North side of Antananarivo (Tana)  coming from the airport. Rice fields and stacks of red brick galore.

Manow-own (hello) from Madagascar!!! After an extremely long trip, I landed safe and sound on Tuesday afternoon in this beautiful green paradise. Flying from Johannesburg to Mada was so surreal. I had never seen the east cost of the African continent before. We were hugging the shoreline of Africa until we were midway up Mozambique. When the small plane finally flew over the island, I smiled like a kid in a candy store, I couldn't believe this was finally happening!

Eastern coast of Mozambique

The smell of the air as I stepped off the plane was sweet and wet. As I scanned the open land around me, I could see a patchwork of storms brewing, though above me the sky was clear. It's cyclone season in the summer months here and the storms come and go in minutes: short, but mighty. Good thing I love rain!

After getting my visa and going through customs, I waited eagerly for my bags which had a promising shower and delicious pair of fresh clothes waiting for me after 36 hours of travel. Waiting...waiting...waiting...hm. What a better time then now to adopt the country's philosophy of MORA MORA (similar to 'little by little', 'wait a minute', 'be patient') as I had to accept the fact that my bags and all my equipment had not joined me on the plane. I was instantly reminded of my Peace Corps days in Morocco and how slowly things move in other countries, Mada was no exception.


As I stood there in the airport, the kindest smile came walking toward me with a little piece of paper with my name on it. "Are you Jacqueline?" he asked "Rocky!" I said. I was so excited that the 'rendé vous' aspect of the airport was complete. Rocky has been my contact in Mada. He works with the Cal Academy of Sciences (CAS) as an eager botanist and corespondent to visiting researchers like myself. We slowly meandered over the baggage office to report my missing luggage, but in his company and with More Mora in my mind, I didn't care. I was just happy to be here and to have a bed to go to.

Views from the car on the way to CAS station in Tana

During the drive the Tana my eyes were wide open as I absorbed the world around me. Madagascar is a very poor country. Roughly 77% of the population live below the poverty line, and the economy has been steadily suffering for over a decade. Despite this, people here seem so kind and respectful. I couldn't help but notice that women roam and dress the way they please, and work alongside men equally. It is always refreshing to see respect among people.

RICE IS LIFE here in Mada. While flying over the land I could spot rice patties for miles reflecting the clouds from the sky. People here eat rice three times a day everyday, and I plan on eating a ton! My first batch was of the popular, but more pricey red rice which has a rich almost bean like flavor to it.

Yesterday Rocky took me to the Tana herbarium and zoo which are all situated together next to the research station. The whole area I am in is called Parc Botanique et Zoologique de Tsimbazaza (P.B.Z.T.). The zoo is pretty big for being in the middle of town and the herbarium was incredible!!! Over 140,000 specimen of 270 families of plant all from Madagascar, a tropical botanist dreamland. I couldn't help but check out some of the orchids myself of which there are tons and more being described all the time. Yet, not a single fungal specimen in the herbarium, though everyone seems very keen on changing that soon. ;)

The two days I have been here have been amazing. The team and I have developed a plan of attack on the mushrooms of Madagascar. We have two trips planned, one to Ranomafana National Park and the other to the east coastal rainforests of Vohimana and Albima. It will be a wonderful trip!

Upon discussing the plans for the month the local mycologist, Emile Randrianjohany, took me aside and wanted to develop a more sustainable collaboration with SFSU and CAS in terms of mycology! I love building bridges and networking, so I hope that this trip is a beginning to a new and fruitful (literally) frontier of mycological exploration and continued research. Yay mushrooms! Yay science! Yay!!!

Me in front of my little home and research station: CAS

 P.S. It has been confirmed that my bags are in country, but I will have to wait until tomorrow to get them along with my dear friend and colleague Danny Newman at the airport. Until then I will turn my clothes inside-out. :P

Hello world!

My name is Jackie Shay and I am starting this blog (my first ever) to document my time in Madagascar collecting a tiny mushroom that I think you will just love! I am leaving in six hours and I am excited with butterflies in my stomach.

I hope you will enjoy joining me on this adventure on my blog. Please stay tuned for gorgeous pictures, and descriptions of my journey and the wonderful mushrooms I find.

Yours in spores,

Jackie