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The Tsingy Forest |
Fr. Joe Shea sent me this note about the village of Bekopaka. Once it was a small, unknown, distant village in Madagascar along the banks of the Manombolo river.Today it is undergoing a tremendous metamorphosis.
Bishop Donald is up North in Bekopaka, district of Antsalova, dedicating the new church. This represents a tremendous step forward for the Catholic Church. A few years ago the
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Lepilemur in the Tsingy |
inconspicuous village of Bekopoka was just another small, sleepy, non-descript village along the winding Manombola river. Every few months a missionary would visit it . A few years down the road, it will become a separate missionary district, with a resident priest and a school.
Why the sudden change in a land where things move slowly – or “moramora” as the native Malagasy say?
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Rope bridges now span the rigdes of this limestone forest |
It is because of the “discovery” of the “Tsingy Forest.” This natural pinnacled-rock formation of limestone had long been known to the local people, who called the area the “Tsingy” because, when a person flicks a fingernail against the pinnacled point of the stone, it create a reverberating sound, like a “tsing” noise. Some 20 years ago the natural limestone rock formation became known to the outside world. In other words, although it was well known to the local people, the rest of the world knew nothing about it. So it was “discovered” and has now become the “Tsingy National Forest” – a world-class Wonder, about which new facets continue to be explored and new caverns discovered. It is called a “forest.” However, while there are quite a few distinctly different species of trees, rare plants and exotic animals there, it is mostly a limestone forest, with the floor being a
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Chameleon on the prowl |
pointed, extremely hard limestone that rises much higher than and is more distinctive than the trees. Since it became popular, more and more travel agencies are sending their clients to the area with the usual results – increase of service people, hotels, restaurants, motels, guides, little shops, photographers and the like. As a result, the role of the Church has become more promounced. The slow pace, peace and quiet of this sleepy village along the banks of the Manombolo river are fast giving way to modernization.