Il
19 giugno
Chobe
River, Namibia
To
the naked eye, the Chobe River is a gentle, inviting body of water
that beckons one to take a dip. This would be a big mistake, however,
because the Chobe River is full of crocodiles that are very ready to
eat anything they come across. We were given very clear directions
not to dangle any part of our bodies in the water while we were in
the tender boats; this took on much significance as five of us rode
across the river on that first bird-watching expedition. Crocodiles
were sun-bathing along the shore, looking very innocent and sleepy
until our approaching boat startled them. Coming close to one of
these creatures and seeing his teeth as he took off at great speed
for the water was one of those “Oh my gosh” experiences and any
thought I might have had of just feeling the water, if only for a
moment,was readily forgotten. The hippos, as well, were out, groups
of them wallowing in the mud. There is nothing like hearing the
sounds of hippos, especially during the night or at sunrise when the
“world' is silent; it's a reminder of how small we are in the
universe.
The
birds of Africa are some of the most beautiful creatures to fly in
the air. Either large and majestic or small and delicate, they are
symbolic of a continent that is powerful and fragile at the same
time. Watching male birds bring reeds to the nest so that the females
could continue building or seeing the chicks poking out their heads
in order to be fed introduced me to the joys and intrigue of
bird-watching through a pair of binnoculars.
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