FRIGHTS ON A TROPICA

FRIGHTS ON A TROPICAL RIVER


10.05.1994


When we first arrived we stayed for a while in Cochabamba, which is at an altitude of 2,500m. That wasn't too bad, but you can't run about so much because of the altitude which tires you out sooner.  

Then we moved down to the Chapare, which is a tropical area at 300m. above sea-level.  It is hot and steamy here but, lucky for me, the house we are staying in has got air-conditioning, so I soon sussed out the spot (just under the dining-table) where you get maximum benefit of the cool air, and when things get a bit hot I just lie down there.  That's mostly in the afternoons.  In the morning after I've had my breakfast I like to go outside to bark at all these bicycles with people's bodies on top.  I really don't understand why they can't have legs like everyone else!  Flocks of parrots fly over my house every morning and evening.  They're a sqawky lot, but I like watching them.  The only problem is that I get a crick in my neck if I do that for too long.

At the moment the garden area around the house is not fenced in so I can't have much freedom yet, but I see that there is a pile of poles and things outside now, so it looks like they are going to put up a fence.  That will be much nicer because then I can chase my friend, Paddy, around the garden and we can have more fun.  The only drawback I can see is that maybe I won't be able to see all these funny creatures any more and then I won't be able to bark at them.  I'll have to mull that one over.

At weekends we go for walks up the river beds.  There are lots of rivers here.  They all flow north where they join the Amazon system.  I don't really know what that means but I hear them talking about it all the time and it sounds good.  The river beds are mostly wide but they are not always full of water except in the rainy season.  The rest of the time there are gorgeous white sandy beaches for running on.  At first we used to walk up a narrow little river with lots of shade under the overhanging trees, but it was quite far away and we had to drive over a dreadful dirt road with lots of ruts in it.  It was nice, though, because I could flop down in the pools of cool water and at the end of the walk we could visit a thing called a "maceradora" which is a pit they put coca leaf in and tread on it with kerosene to make cocaine paste.  They are illegal, of course, and this one has been put out of operation, but it was interesting to see it and Paddy and I got to romp among all the foliage.

Now we go to another river which is quite close by.  First of all we have to wade across at a ford just before some small rapids and then we get to one of those lovely beaches.  We walk up there for a while and after we pass a clump of vegetation I get let off the lead.  That's terrific: I can run like a maniac and then jump in the water just when I feel like it.  Have to be careful, though, because when the water level is low and the sand on the bank is still damp, if you jump too hard you sink in and it is like quicksand.  I learned that the first day and now I take things a bit more cautiously, because sometimes it looks dry on top but it is all soggy underneath. My Mum has lost two pairs of flip-flops already.  Paddy never has these problems because he HATES water and never even gets his feet wet.  Don't understand some guys at all!


Well, a couple of weeks ago I must confess I did a dreadful thing.  It was a Saturday morning, and the day before there had been a lot of talk about going for a walk to the river.  When I woke up I could see that it was raining torrents and I thought to myself that the walk was going to be off.  I was pretty pleased when I saw that my people were getting all geared up to go out. (The thing here is that it pours with rain but it isn't cold at all).  Off we all went in our nice roomy car (that's got air-conditioning too which is just as well).  When we got to the river even I could see that there was an awful lot of water there, so they decided to cross the bridge and try and park on the other bank so that we could walk down directly to the beach.  That was fine.  We managed to park and my Mum opened the door to put on our leads.  She told me to stay - and I did - but with all my hair she didn't manage to get the lead hooked on properly and when I jumped out I wasn't attached to the lead at all.  Well, I didn't think. I just took off - only problem was  it was the wrong direction.  I realized it when I came out of the trees and found myself on the road with two great big lorries bearing down, one in each direction.  My Dad let out a scream  (Poor Paddy got such a fright he just dropped down on the ground and didn't dare to move.), kicked off his sandals and started to run barefoot along the road.  My Mum tried to start the car because she knows that if I see her in the car without me I come straight to her  'cos I don't want her going off and leaving me all by myself.  But she couldn't because my Dad had the keys.  He went back, jumped in the car and came rushing after me.  Fortunately by that time I had realized I had done a pretty stupid thing and was running back as fast as my legs would carry me.  I'm sorry I did that, because the two poor dears were in such a state of shock that they couldn't even give me a row.  They were as white as the proverbial sheet and just flopped down on the ground with relief.  They do love me really.  

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After that I thought: well, there goes my walk - but no, they were so shocked I think they needed a walk to recover, so they put on my lead and we went to the beach where I could run and swim to my heart's content.   Quite often there's a great grey heron standing in the river and she was there that day, so I decided to bounce at her.  She flew a few yards up the river and stood in the water again.  I bounced at her again and off she went.  This time Paddy thought this was a good game too, so we both went chasing up the sands with Paddy egging me on.  This time the heron stood in the middle of a bend in the river, so, of course, Paddy wouldn't come in with me to chase her.  I had to go by myself.  

All of a sudden I could see that I was quite far in and there was all this muddy sand and I wasn't quite sure what to do about getting back out again.  What I didn't realize was that herons have big feet and don't weigh much so they can stand on this stuff without sinking in.  At first I thought my best bet was to cross over to the other bank, but my people were calling me and telling me not to do that.  I suppose there was something in that, because how would they have been able to get me back again afterwards?  There was a clump of tree trunks and stuff in the middle of the river so I clambered on to that and sat there.  Then my Dad came on the scene.  He wasn't very pleased with me, I could tell that, but anyway he came in and started to call me, so I thought maybe I could make it back if I swam around the clump.  Thank Goodness, I made it back and they made a great fuss of me even although they were mad at me for being silly.



On the way back I was a lot more cautious.  I tread gingerly on the banks to see if the sands were firm and I didn't go chasing any more birds.  When the time came to ford the river again, I really thought that discretion was the better part of valour.  We got half way across and then we turned around again because the current was too strong.  We went back the same way we had come in.  I honestly do see that there must be something in this business of "Look before you leap".  I must try and remember that, but I'm sure you all know what it's like: you get so engrossed in running and chasing and playing that you forget all these grown-up ideas - and then it's too late when you remember because the mischief's already done.  Anyway, I really must try a bit harder in future.  

That's about it for this instalment, so if you want any more you know what you have to do!  

I'll sign off now.  I suppose I should use my stage name to sign my literary efforts.

Willowmead Simply a Star
(My name's Simon really.  Who ever heard of a decent dog with a fancy name like that?  I tell you, sometimes these humans are a bit bonky!)