After starting the morning driving along at 118 kmh (keeping up! Woo Hoo!), we hit roadworks from hell, 250+ kilometers of construction that would even give Interstate 81 around Scranton a run for its money. Rob was leading today, and pushed the group to speeds up to 140 kmh on what to us would be considered secondary roads, so there wasn't a prayer of keeping up. But I was passing without any trouble or concern, so progress was made even today.
We had to get to the night's destination on a schedule, in order to have lunch and make our boat reservations for the afternoon cruise through the national park.
We found the rest of the group in Kasane, after a 3.5 km detour through pure sand that had me wimpering and in my helmet. David did an excellent job coaching me through it, but I have to say it reminded me of some of Dereka's hard bicycling days as portrayed on her blog. At least we had another beautiful lodge waiting for us.
Shortly after lunch, we boarded a pontoon boat for a river wildlife cruise down the Chobe river. The National Park is refuge to I don't know how many species of critter.
We watched a large crocodile stalking an impala, the animal that Thomas had called, "McDonalds of the bush," both for the distinct M mark on its butt and for providing a quick snack to any creature that wanted one. At the time, I thought this was cruel, but after dining on impala later at the lodge, all I could say was, well, Yum!
Running around Chobe everywhere were a small herd of warthogs, dozens of little vervet monkeys, and families of banded mongoose, looking for all the world like slightly odd tabby cats as they dug for grubs, chattered away, and played and wrestled as if we weren't there. The monkeys clearly thought they owned the resort, climbing onto dinner tables to either steal the sugar packets, or just open and devour them on the spot. I almost smacked a fat American tourist when he took great delight in grabbing a tree branch holding one of these rascals, and shook it hard. Would have served him right if the little bugger had bitten him.
In fact, someone did get bitten this afternoon, after pestering a monkey to the point of retaliation. Everywhere we've gone, we've been told and reminded and told again that these are all wild animals, NOT pets. We're cautioned not to go out alone at night, when lack of visibility might lead to startling a beast into aggressiveness. Why don't people listen?
It is a privilege and a gift to be here, in a place where the earth's wildness and man's culture still abide together. I hope it lasts.
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