Monkeys and Mongoose and Snakes, Oh My!
December 5, 2005
We finally made it to the escarpment yesterday. Wimpie picked us up around nine. We drove for about a half hour and there we were. What a beautiful place. The landscape is completely different from what we have down here in the flat lands. It reminded us of a zoo habitat.
Right off the bat we saw two river eagles perched high in a tree. They hung out for a while and then flew away to parts unknown. We decided to hike down the rocks to the river valley below. As we started down, Wimpie and I saw a family of monkeys scurry across the rocks and into the brush. Next we scared up a family of mongoose. There must have been twenty – five of them diving into the bushes for cover. There were adults, juveniles and little babies as well. They skittered across the rocks and crashed into the bushes head long. They were so unnerved that they ended up splitting up. Half went forward and half turned back. As we crossed the rocks, the half that had turned back kept attempting to run in front of us. They finally gave up and cowered in the bushes until we were gone.
At the bottom of the ravine is a river bed with isolated pools of water. I came to understand that during the rainy season it is quite the drainage. We sat on the dry river bed, dangling our feet over the falls, watching the fish bite, listening to the wind rustle the palm tree nearby, and passed the time. Wimpie explained that there are three troops of baboons that call this area home. They can be seen and heard around dusk when they return to sleep.
We headed to our picnic spot and fired up the braai. We cooked up some steaks, ate banana bread and chips, and listened to the birds. Eventually several others arrived. We all sat and talked and snoozed and explored. Carrie found a spot with three monkey skulls. They had apparently been killed and eaten. We also spotted a snake on the cliff wall. It was clinging to a giant anthill that had been built into the hillside. As we approached, it slithered in and out of the holes, playing hide and seek until it seized the opportunity to get away.
Such a wonderful day. We bumped back down the road and headed home. Once there, Carrie and I headed to the club for a quick swim while the grandparents watched Zman. Mohammed joined us for a dinner of fish cakes after which everybody fell over and went to sleep. The escarpment is an unbelievable place. Now that we know how to get there we will definitely be going back. I have to see the baboons!
MJR
We finally made it to the escarpment yesterday. Wimpie picked us up around nine. We drove for about a half hour and there we were. What a beautiful place. The landscape is completely different from what we have down here in the flat lands. It reminded us of a zoo habitat.
Right off the bat we saw two river eagles perched high in a tree. They hung out for a while and then flew away to parts unknown. We decided to hike down the rocks to the river valley below. As we started down, Wimpie and I saw a family of monkeys scurry across the rocks and into the brush. Next we scared up a family of mongoose. There must have been twenty – five of them diving into the bushes for cover. There were adults, juveniles and little babies as well. They skittered across the rocks and crashed into the bushes head long. They were so unnerved that they ended up splitting up. Half went forward and half turned back. As we crossed the rocks, the half that had turned back kept attempting to run in front of us. They finally gave up and cowered in the bushes until we were gone.
At the bottom of the ravine is a river bed with isolated pools of water. I came to understand that during the rainy season it is quite the drainage. We sat on the dry river bed, dangling our feet over the falls, watching the fish bite, listening to the wind rustle the palm tree nearby, and passed the time. Wimpie explained that there are three troops of baboons that call this area home. They can be seen and heard around dusk when they return to sleep.
We headed to our picnic spot and fired up the braai. We cooked up some steaks, ate banana bread and chips, and listened to the birds. Eventually several others arrived. We all sat and talked and snoozed and explored. Carrie found a spot with three monkey skulls. They had apparently been killed and eaten. We also spotted a snake on the cliff wall. It was clinging to a giant anthill that had been built into the hillside. As we approached, it slithered in and out of the holes, playing hide and seek until it seized the opportunity to get away.
Such a wonderful day. We bumped back down the road and headed home. Once there, Carrie and I headed to the club for a quick swim while the grandparents watched Zman. Mohammed joined us for a dinner of fish cakes after which everybody fell over and went to sleep. The escarpment is an unbelievable place. Now that we know how to get there we will definitely be going back. I have to see the baboons!
MJR
posted by Bronx to Timbuktu at 1:19 PM
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