Animals give us such a sense of well-being!! there is evidence by researchers that interacting with pets reduces stress in particular for city dwellers. However, not all animals we encounter are pets! Also, the way we take care of animals in some countries is not the same in others. On that account, we have to take into consideration the “culture” (yeap my favorite word!) of the place where we go and try out best to show compassion and show how good we are with animals so that they can be accepted in the host culture (yeap my word!).
Many of us travel for different reasons and one of them, even if we don’t look for it finds us: meeting, seeing, and being with animals!
EATING WITH CATS, DOMESTICATED OR UNDOMESTICATED??
that is the question! A friendly big kitty lays down on my stomach while I lay down at the beach. However, it refuses to move…dangerous???? YES, he turned dangerous when refusing to leave my tummy and started making biscuits!!!
WHEN YOUR ALARM CLOCK LOOKS LIKE A COW….AND IT IS ONE!!!!
There are quite a number of stray cows in India, and at my friend’s home in Northern India, some cows are part of the neighborhood’s landscape and at times even “part of the family.” I had no idea when I was sleeping, that every morning after 5 am this cow was going to not only moo but be very demanding of her morning snack right next to my bed!
BABYSITTING….A CAMEL!!!!
Taking care of animals is always an important job but yet a bit more challenging when the animal wants to take a piece of garment with him. When I lived in Sinai I lived with a “baby” Camel (huge!) called AshKra’ and I was asked by the Bedouin family to camel sit….is not an easy task! AshKra’
HOG CROSSING
Dangerous road blockers….Supposedly Hogs have a great sense of direction, but when going down the road these humongous pigs do not only seem not to want to move but don’t look happy that I am “on their way” with their snouts rapidly coming in my direction. Where do I go? I keep going and pray, no chance to turn into a drone here to skip that pavement. They are quite intimidating when they angrily block your road….you want to do something serious about it but then, you remember that pig heart valves are used in humans!!
FINDING TOADS INSIDE YOUR TOILET
Zoophobia or phobia to some of the animal kingdom has not known cause to researchers yet. However, as much as I love animals, some of us feel “adversity” (or panic) when we are close to some creatures. Frogs, toads, and these types of amphibians have caused me headaches while traveling. One of the therapies to deal with zoophobia is exposure to the creature…well, my exposure was not that pleasant, they lived in my toilet in the jungle in Sri Lanka!
BEING CHASED BY GOATS
when having food in your hands
Goats are friendly beings, mostly scared of anything but themselves. I guess I turned goats into devils when I decided to try my luck and feed them a little. The large flock found the way to break constantly into my “property” to find food and leave a trail of poop around it. Not once, all day long! I finally changed the doors. No more head butts for me along the way.
This is what happens when you feed them, they lose their “shyness.”
ATTACKED BY A SPIDER MONKEY…LITERALLY!!
Sometimes animals just do not register you…or register you to the point that you are almost mauled by them! This Spider monkey jumped on a boat to eat the flower I had in my hand and bit me a few times…I still carry the scars…and every time I hear any monkey I worry!
I had more injuries but all was well after a long ordeal
ENTERING A RESTAURANT WITH A COW
Having been born in Argentina (even though I lived away most of my life) is never a good sign in a Hindu nation. Argentines are “meat lovers” and not for honoring cows, for eating every single part of it! I never knew if when entering this restaurant with a cow I was going to be lynched or she was going to be eating with me!
UNDER CONSTRUCTION COMING UP MORE!
