Manny is our
guide - A South African/Dutchman that loves his job driving around in an open top
Land rover truck all day looking for cool animals.
Manny’s
friend – Another guide that is afraid of snakes.
Other
Safarians - Three young couples one from Kentucky, The Cayman Islands, and
South Africa. Also present was a couple from Illinois and their precocious 8
year old son, William.
And of course,
Roy and Me.
So our
adventure starts out with Manny our guide inviting us to all go on a late night
Safari. I gotta tell you that a Safari during the day can scare the bejebbies
out of you. So, can you possibly phantom looking for things that can crush,
bite or eat you during the dead of night in the South African bush? Well, when
in Africa do as the Dutchman say.
As Manny
hurried us into the truck you could feel the anticipation and apprehension in
the air. Especially, when Manny said, that his friend another guide, was just a
couple miles down the road and he had spotted a huge Python. Manny then added
we had to hurry if we wanted to see it since the other guide was afraid of
snakes. I don’t know about you, but I’m not in a big hurry to see any snake
least of all a huge Python.
Within what
seemed like seconds, we pulled up to the other guide on the path. He looked
rather disheveled, as he explained that the snake had slithered that way into
the thick brush. Of course, Manny wouldn’t give up. He ordered the poor guide with
his spotlight in hand, to hop on the front our truck. Then Manny drove into the
brush to find the missing Python.
After being
tossed around for a minute or two and plowing over a few small trees and huge
rocks the truck became stuck. Manny thrust the Land rover forward then rocked back
again and again to no avail. The whole time we all sat glued to our seats.
That’s when
the unthinkable happened…the idiot from Illinois’ said, “do you want us
all to get out and push”??? We all gasp! Within seconds the voice of
reason was heard when the smartest person in the truck, eight year old William
yelled “NO WAY THERES STILL
A PYTHON SOMEWHERE OUT THERE”!!!
That’s when
we all started to laugh and I turned to Roy and said, “I can’t believe we’re in
Africa, in a stuck truck, in the dark, with a group of virtual strangers and a
loose Python.”
A few
minutes later, Manny freed the truck and we were on our way into the African bush
with MANNY but NO MANNY’S MIGHTY PYTHON!
And now The
Quest of the Holy Grail!
