Into Africa - KLM inflight magazine "Holland Herald" article
Two exhilarating hours away in a six-seat plane, and a million miles away scenically, is the Ruaha Game Reserve. There is nothing on the airstrip apart from a lone giraffe. No sleepy official, no hut, no customs check, no tarmac, no lights, no billboards, telegraph poles, signs or advertising. Driving along small dirt tracks to the reserve, there are stately, ancient baobabs everywhere, with their bark stripped back around the trunks.
“It’s the elephants,” explains Mollel, the guide. “They eat the bark for moisture in the dry season.” This is a bleak, harsh, unforgiving landscape with occasional dashes of colour from ‘toothbrush trees’. Their bright red pods taste like pistachio nuts. It is hard to imagine this exploding rudely into colour after the rains. The baobabs are the oldest tree, many thousand years old, testimony to slow growing and prehistoric life. The first mention of the baobab is by Ibn Battuta, a Moroccan trader and historian, who wrote in 1353, “The trees are of a great age and size, a caravan can shelter under a single one of them, some have no branches or leaves, but the trunk gives enough shade to shelter many men; some have rotted inside, and rainwater has collected, as if it were a well.” I expect to see a dinosaur gently wandering amongst the branches.
In reality, Ruaha is teeming with impala, duiker, and giant kudu with their huge ears. Giraffes and zebras work in coalition (zebras have an excellent sense of smell, giraffes excellent eyesight) as do baboons and impala: baboons shake the leaves of the high trees, impala stay below (again, good eyesight and smell). It’s all about survival and working together. I almost feel sorry for these animals: life is a neurotically tense experience.
No wildlife documentary can prepare you for the thud of your own heart as a matriarch elephant purposefully eyes you across open savannah. She is 20 metres away, her one-year-old baby snuggling up under chest and trunk, peeping out. The jeep wheels make unhelpful groaning sounds, as the tyres embed deeper and deeper into the sand of a completely dry river bed. “It’s fine, watch her ears” says Mollel. “She’s not angry, just curious.” Still, seven tonnes of mammal defending her offspring is something to be taken seriously.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011 at 11:25AM
Reader Comments (10)
—cheap juicy couture handbags I can't believe how appallingly bad that incoherent, poorly structured piece of 'satire' truly was. It's writer is humiliatingly talentless.
I actually feel sorry for the incompetent chump who wrote it; it reads like some confused ramblings an especially hopeless troll would leave in the comments of a proper article.
—replica burberry bags
Remember what should be replica lange sohne watches
remembered, and forget what should be forgotten.Alter what is changeable, and accept what is mutable。7750 aus china
<h1>ugg bailey button sale<h1>
<h1>ugg bailey button chestnut<h1>
<h1>ugg classic tall sale<h1>
<h1>ugg classic tall grey<h1>
<h1>ugg classic short sale<h1>
<h1>ugg classic short grey<h1>
<h1>ugg classic tall sale<h1>
<h1>ugg classic tall navy<h1>
<h1>ugg classic short sale<h1>
<h1>ugg classic short black<h1>
<h1>ugg bailey button sale<h1>
<h1>ugg bailey button bomber<h1>
<h1>ugg classic cardy sale<h1>
<h1>ugg boots sale<h1>
<h1>ugg classic cardy sale<h1>
<h1>ugg classic cardy black<h1>
<h1>ugg bailey button triplet sale<h1>
<h1>uggs outlet<h1>
<h1>ugg bailey button triplet<h1>
<h1>ugg boots sale uk<h1>
<h1>ugg boots clearance<h1>
<h1>louis vuitton outlet<h1>
<h1>the north face outlet<h1>
<h1>uggs for cheap<h1>
<h1>uggs on sale<h1>
<h1>ugg boots sale<h1>
<h1>uggs on sale<h1>
<h1>ugg boots outlet<h1>
<h1>ugg boots clearance<h1>
<h1>ugg boots sale<h1>
<h1>cheap ugg boots<h1>
<h1>ugg for cheap<h1>
<h1>ugg boots outlet<h1>
<h1>uggs outlet<h1>
<h1>uggs outlet<h1>
<h1>uggs for cheap<h1>
<h1>uggs for cheap<h1>
<h1>ugg boots sale<h1>
<h1>ugg boots sale uk<h1>
<h1>uggs on sale<h1>
<h1>ugg boots clearance<h1>
<h1>ugg boots clearance<h1>
<h1>ugg boots outlet<h1>
<h1>ugg boots sale<h1>
<h1>louis vuitton outlet<h1>
<h1>coach purse outlet<h1>
<h1>coach purses outlet<h1>
<h1>coach purse<h1>
<h1>coach purses<h1>
<h1>cheap coach purses<h1>
<h1>coach outlet store online<h1>
Now we have a great walkway that goes to the beach and to the canals that came from the partnership of community with government jbqlbd jbqlbd - Tory Burch Boots Outlet.
HYCY13769R86It is so incredible to read this classic writing.uggs on sale is the latest 2011 Autumn/Winter downy long boot. Similar to the previous mentioned medium boot, this boot has an elastic band. The red beads resembling decorative chains add elegance and beauty to the boot, which makes it arguably popular among people. Ugg Bailey Button Boots The exquisite trim technology ensures every stitch is of high quality. The even stitching and perfect, exquisite craftsmanship require high technology. Womens Uggs Bailey Button Triplet Boots 1873 When you look straight along the trim of the sole, you will see the sole is bond to the upper seamlessly. The invisible stitch can be overlooked. UK Uggs Nightfall Boots 5359 On Sale The clean-cut wool within boots makes your feet cozy and comfortable. Its unique design can capture the eyes of all ladies. http://www.uggsbootsuk2011.com
An alternative bonus is normally that men replica panerai ferrari watches located at low-priced values. replica panerai luminor by means of significant service and additionally reputable. For just a patron, it's always most suitable to invest in superior quality replica panerai radiomir, amount less when compared to wanted. Document make certain that one can as well as watch the cutting edge replica patek philippe watches, still is additionally into your money a small amount of finances positioned, achieve.
Himself in the north face, the players all around Russia could not help thinking: "master of all the Japanese lost two, Purple really is a pervert, the north face sale I hope this time after the north face are no longer the opportunity to play against! " the north face of course, hear the voices of the players around, so the north face straight forward directly to the eternal one finger. "Hey, over there, store or not to join the few who? or to store them and their boss the north face, said a few words? "
Hi, the article is so wonderful, I am interested in it. I will pay attention to your articles. And I like cheap clothes very much,they are in high quality and inexpensive, so I think everyone will be interested in it,is it right? I have found a wholesale in china online, there are China wholesaler.The store was established for a long time.They have a good reputation,there are many cheap shoes on their website.They provide wholesale price and shipping to worldwide. So no matter where you are now, you also can order your goods at this website. Especially the cheap clothing ,they are my favorite!
Do you like motorcycling and have your own motor equiments?You can come here Belstaff Outlet to find your Belstaff Jacket.Belstaff Coat can not little.If your foot is cold,Belstaff Boots is not bad.You can buy a Belstaff Bag to hold those equipments.
That guy would not finish it has a finger shoved in the locations at the top of the forehead, followed by the guy seems to shock the general north face clearance dramatic shake up, that's the north face strong forces who have stood up the whole are almost did not suppress the locations. to a skeleton of such a large burst of power to burn the soul can do, after all, there is no skeleton muscle, locations of their power is the power of the soul, and want to burst out of the normal force must be the amount of burning the soul to do, but this guy is not to put down the north face lift before burning soul,