walking...

This is just a short little blog, cause I have something that I want to explain.... I know that I have already mentioned this scenario a few times now, but I have to talk about it at least one more time.

Let me set the scene. Exercising is rather difficult around here. I have totally started focusing on what little pilates I know and have thrown yoga and general stretching into the mix, just to try and stay in shape. Going for walks during day light really is the only option that is easily accomplished. But, here is the thing. Now that we are in the height of summer and the rainy season; all the grasses, evasive weeds, and common foliage has grown thick and lush, a lot up to eye level or taller.... Going for walks along pathways once easily passable is now rather difficult. One of the paths that several people take around the properties goes through the middle of a flood plain. All along the flood plain there are pans of water (small to big ponds) and they kinda carve the flat plain into small rolly hills. Now as you walk along these overgrown pathways, you can barely see your feet or what may be under your next step. What I am trying to say is that there are cobras and other highly venomous snakes all over the damn place and the grassy flood plain is a great place for a snake to go hunt for field rodents or get a nice drink of water. So, it is rather scary as hell to walk in a lot of places. But, that isn’t all. Since, your field of vision is rather obscured by all the thick plant life, you can’t see the hippo or hippos that might be residing in any one of the pans that you are walking right next to. You can hear them often, so you know that they are they. If you don’t know, Hippopotamus are the leading killer of man in Africa. They are very protective of their domain, they can run a hell of a lot faster then man - in and out of the water, and can actually jump quite high. And if you have ever seen the inside of one of their mouths, ouch, that would suck to get chomped by one of them. So, you don’t wanna tangle with a hippo. If the hippos and venomous snakes weren’t enough, I have to add crocodiles to the list as well. It isn’t the little guys I am afraid of, everyone knows I have owned caimans and alligators. It is the giant ones that have me on edge. Ones that are 10 or 12 feet long and weigh a few hundred pounds and there is no outrunning one of those near any river bank or pan’s edge. There is also a very good chance of crossing the path of a elephant or two and even lion, which have been spotted in the vicinity as well.... I haven’t seen ANY of these creatures in the flood plain, but have seen plenty of hippo spoor’s and hear one almost every night (just heard one call - just minutes ago). I have seen croc slides around one of the pans and have seen a few cobras in the surrounding area... So another words, I am in Africa and this is really one hell of a scary place.... Damn I love it...

The bottom line is that once I return to the states, even back to the Pacific Northwest, where I am from... I am not gunna be afraid of shit... I really never was before, but experiencing Africa, just makes any future excursion out in the wild of the temperate rainforest seem very tame in comparison.