Tuesday, June 24, 2008

The Popcorn Apopka Park

The skulls of the land in Gambia. The Apopka National Park was, I must say, a disappointment. Just a little bit... Now, I'm not one of those people expecting to see lions and giraffes and hippopotamus as I traveled closer to central Africa. I mean, most people expect lions and animals inherent of the jungle to pop up as soon as one lands on the continent. Bones through the noses of natives are other ideas inherent of this kind of thinking. With that being said, I believe my expectations were reasonable. I didn’t expect an American zoo with gargantuan cages housing the silver-backed hyena or the lion-cheetah or something else created behind the walls of zoologists turned genetic modifying scientists (I don’t know if that’s true, I’m just making it up.) But still, I expected to see something. Instead, *shaking my head* I saw hyenas languidly strolling the cages putting forth more energy to lay down and swat flies from their head. There were no other animals to speak of. The “crocodile pond” was a joke. Needless to say, no crocs showed their faces. The park even had the nerve to have a look out post with binoculars to check out the reptiles (or are they amphibians or mammals?) but, last time I checked, I didn’t need binoculars to see a fucking crocodile, I just needed the crocodile. Anyway, my father and I had a great time anyway. We made the most of it. And here, we were able to stroll the beaten path, arriving at this clearing with skulls on display. I really just wanted to sit down on the only bench that the display was resting on, but I guess that would’ve meant the end of the attractions at Apopka.

Gambia and Parks



Here is a park in Gambia where 6m alligators are said to be...but I didn't see any. Although the park was a BIG disappointment, I did see some hyenas and baboons and large snakes weaving through the leaves. Gambia is a beautiful country and very relaxed. I stayed in Surrekunda, Banjul and Bakou. I enjoyed it thoroughly. I'll be updated some more information on Gambia asap. Also, more pictures.