Into The Wild

 It is a tight space, the smell of smoke is mixed with unknown spices and kerosene oil, the hut is dark apart from the warm light from the embers in the fireplace and the kerosene lantern made out of an old tin can. I need to change position because the 30 cm low stool gives me both aches and sleepy legs. The rooster's last cluck is subdued and extract. The stool Floriane is sitting on is stained red. I feel sick and can almost feel the blood taste in the mouth. 

                                                                                                   Dinner is ready.

Let me take you out into the wild of Madagascar and at the same time introduce you to three colorful friends and fellow mercy shippers, hopefully you´ll get a better understanding of both the fascinating country and of some of the amazing people we get to share our life with.

The first who decided to join the hike was Floriane, a nurse from France. She did not hesitate a moment to embark on an unproven hike in which we eat what we come over and spend the night in a hut in a village on a mountain (two persons in the bed and three on the floor). Floriane´s personality is adventurous and makes her see solutions in whatever she encounters. She and her friends took a compass and went on a week-long trek into the Amazon jungle and literally made way into places no human ever put their feet. The fact that her shoe soles fell off after the third day, and that the satellite phone turned out to be out of order did not make it easier. I suspect that Florianes ability to expose herself to, and overcome, the seemingly impossible is rooted in her faith. I would describe her as a spiritual person. She has a tangible belief that God preforms signs and wonder today and have experienced it herself. Spirituality can be experienced as something foreign home in Sweden, but here in Madagascar the spiritual reality almost palpable in a somewhat scary way.

After walking a few hours we came to a creek in a lush valley. We had probably taken it for an ordinary stream if not for the altar, the speared zebu heads and the red and white fabric pieces hanging in one of the trees. Fidelys, our guide, tells us that people come to this place from all over Madagascar to bathe in the stream and thus become possessed by a spirit. Some spirits are good, others are bad. Suddenly we hear a woman's heart-rending cry a bit away. "There you hear a spirit. It is a process before the body accepts the spirit "explains Fidelys. Many questions arise and our guide explains "Malagasy people go to the spirits to get answers of the great questions of life (symbolized by the white cloth) and then to worship them (red cloth). The evil spirits can pull down the person in various addictions when they become obsessed, other spirits enables the person to suddenly speak fluent french, when the spirit leaves the body, the language knowledge disappears as well. You always have the choice to change your spirit but if you want to be free from spiritual obsession you have to go to the Christian church. With aching thigh muscles and panting breath we climb up out of the valley and I am fascinated that Fidelys tells all this with such matter of course and it is a true comfort that the Christian Holy Spirit stands over these spirits.

The next person in our fellowship of five is Beth, a dear friend of ours from the USA, who invited us to creativity evenings every wednesday on the ship. Based on poems, paintings, stories and other creative dust we discuss things that can be frustrating or difficult to grasp. Wednesday evenings is one of the highlights of the week; we talk about life, realize that nothing is black and white and learn from each other's differences. Beth is in her person inspiring and encouraging. I think it may be due to her amazing grandmother. Following is a freely reproduced conversation between the child Beth and her grandma.

- When I grow up, I wanna become a Nure like you!

Grandma looked at her closely and said,

- Do you have compassion for all people?!

- What is compassion grandma?

- First, find that out, then you can decide whether you want to be a nurse or not.

Another thing that I think formed Beth's character is her ability to see details. She finds treasures in people and contexts that others dismiss as mundane rubbish. It is a truly inspiring quality that encouraged me to see more than just the stunning natural horizons and exotic events on our hike.

kaffe

ris

blomma

snabeltandad-ormbunksväxt

On Beth's nights of creativity I've had the privilege to meet Kyle. A true storyteller from Canada, known by his curiosity, imagination and open mind. Kyle is in motion. His life story will be like that book you just cannot put away from you. One of the reasons is his ability to ask the right questions and consciously strive to understand and achieve fulfillment. An unspecified number of hours of hiking and such a person by your side are as made for good conversations (As long as you do not let yourself be intimidated by his boy band philosophical a-little-to-penetrating gaze of course). One thing we talked about, when we wandered over Madagascar's counterpart to Lord of the Rings climes, was the need to understand the other's contexts and not be inhibited by personality types who are different, but rather see it as a benefit. To do this you need to get out of you comfort zone (or maybe “comfort cage” is a better way to put it). One thing I've learned about life in Africa is that it is not always what´s the easiest way that is most valuable way. This became tangible in the evening when we realized that the "bed" in the charming hut was as hard as the floor. The five of us took up all of the huts small space, and even if we didn’t sleep many hours I do think it was the best night in Madagascar this far.

Kyle taught me that a good story should involve all five senses. Hopefully this will make you always to remember the delightful rooster and the horrible end to his life. His name was Collin.