When most think of the continent of Africa, surely images of wild animals roaming the countryside come to mind. The safari is a treasured adventure drawing tourists from around the world to the continent. Having been on two of them in my travels to Africa - one outside of Johannesburg, South Africa, and another on the border of Uganda and DR Congo - I am well aware of the appeal. I had been spending most of my week in Djibouti poolside or inside partly because the country of less than 1 million did not offer much for exploration, and mostly because temperatures were well into the 100s. When the receptionist at my hotel informed me there was a small safari/park an hour outside of the city, I was more than ready to venture out into the wild albeit the scorching temps. The road out to the park from Djibouti city was less traveled and full of wide open spaces. I almost expected a tumbleweed to whisp across the road while old country western music faintly played in the background of this ghost country. The only scenery along the way was sadly trash piled in the street and the occasional herd of cows. When we got to the game park we were greeted by an upbeat French gentlemen who gave us a quick orientation and sent us on our way. The first stop was the cheetahs. The cheetahs, for good reason, were hanging out behind a fence. Two of them were large and majestic and paced back and forth around a small shed which I assumed was home to their feeding trough. I snapped some photos but spent only a few minutes, as I was ready to see the animals who were fence-free. About the time we were leaving the cheetahs, a small baby antelope roaming free began to approach. I bent down and in my best baby talk/antelope wooing voice asked the adorable little fury to come to me and let me pet it. Sure enough, I was able to pet it's soft fur and was delighted by it's willingness to interact. As we went on our way, our new furry friend followed close behind. Next on the scene were the East African black mud turtles. It was feeding time for the group and the park attendant had placed 3 large piles of greens and veggies on trays on the dirt for all to share. Watching the turtles eat was like a live version of a teenage mutant ninja turtles huddle up. They were all gathered around the tray in circles peacefully enjoying their meal. As the food began to disappear, tensions rose, and the turtles started pushing one another out of the circle with their large shells in an effort to have exclusive access to the grub. A few of the shelled creatures decided to leave their tray in search for more food on one of the other trays and it was quite entertaining to watch them try to force their way into the circle of feeders. Some were successful with their slow and steady approach and were able to have a hearty lunch. On down the dirt road we came upon an East African ostrich often called the Masai ostrich. It stood about 6 feet 3 inches tall with a long neck, pink beak, and a plethora of beautiful fluffy feathers making up it's flightless wings and coat. I petted it's wings a couple of times and it cocked it's beak my way. As we walked a little further along, the ostrich followed closely behind me. At first I was pleased by it's apparent affection for me, but then I began to get a bit annoyed and just a tiny bit scared as I do not claim to be an ostrich expert and therefore do not understand it's capabilities good or bad. I know I'm all for an ostrich burger, and was not completely certain that a Katy burger was out of the question for this gargantuan bird. I'm sure he sensed my fear and then pecked at me a couple of times. I shouted for the guide to get the ostrich away from me and he grabbed the bird and pushed it in another direction. The last and certainly not least wild animal we saw grazing in it's natural habitat was the zebra. I love their stripes and the wild nature of these African horses and could not wait to touch and snap photos with it. Luckily the zebra we came upon was thoroughly engaged in it's lunch of hay that was hanging from a tree. Otherwise, I'm not so sure I could have touched it or taken photos with it. While petting his striped body, he did express discontent and lifted his rear leg in a kicking motion. I knew my time was up. All in all, the Djibouti safari/park experience was a good starter as the first of I hope several safaris on my trip.
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