Africa Vision 6

Africa Vision 6

Doba, November 18, 2007

A new roommate.

Beneath the lights outside N’Djamena Tour Office a Confederacy of Quacking Toads gathers. At least 12 of these lovely creatures I found last night sitting under the tube light awaiting insects to fall into their reach. An added attraction is the pipeline of he air conditioning shedding cool water. Clearly only the King of the Toads can sit in the heavenly damped spot. No animal comes near the toads, as their skin is poisonous. Young cats find out soon enough. If a scorpion ever stings you and there is no crocodile oil available catch a toad and rub it on the spot that is affected. It works better than any other cure.

My rooms are teeming with life but what I found 2 days ago beats all my roommates so far. There is a bat in my bedroom what am I gonna do. There is a bat in my living room what am I gonna do. I am going to trick that bat that is what I’m a gonna do. I must say it is amazing to see how these animals can fly around in a small room with a spinning fan in near synchronized ellipsoid curves. I think I managed to whisper sweet little nothings in its ear as the next morning as if a vampire it had disappeared. No coffin however in my flat.

At dinner at Chez Woo’s I heard an incredible story about a fish called ciliur I believe. When the water in the desert dries up it forms a little cavern in the mud and goes into hibernation for up to two three years. Then when it rains it burst out of winter slumber and shoots up in the seasonal rivers and lakes.

And then some birds again. Ebenezer’s guinea fowl flew away. Now the remaining one has sunk in a deep depression. Part of the mission of this field trip is to take some small guinea fowl our brother bird livens up again. They are a bit like geese in the sense that they serve a good watch birds. Usually the guards at the houses are asleep. So these birds are a wise investment.

As in a movie while about 50 kilometer out of N’Djamena a large group of nomadic people. Bright clothes, bare-chested women, camels, and the Indian hunched back cow. I tried to whisper to them in Bengali but they did not understand. Perhaps they are from other parts of India.

All the way down to Doba we passed rivers, the scenery changed dry to semi tropical rain forest and everywhere there where goats, sheep, cows, chicken next to the road. In fact these 500 kilometer are amongst the only paved roads in Chad as they lie between the two largest cities in Chad; N’Djamena and Mondou. Also they lead to the oilfields in the South. At some of the parts of the river Hippotami live and Crocodiles are known to live in the South East. One of the fascinating things about Chad is the amazing wildlife. As a friend was telling even the desert teems with light. Riding around at night you will see eyes of all sizes and heights pop up in your headlights. When you study trails you see footprints everywhere. With that I leave you

Namaskar, Ashis Brahma, animal lover