Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Crocodiles, Hippos, and Birds on the Chobe River...

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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