Chapter 39 36 Dangerous! (Tanzania)

From Ghana to Uganda, I skipped it by plane.Sai (now the Democratic Republic of Congo) and Central Africa between the two countries are not suitable for travel because of political instability.If it was me in the past, I probably would have plunged into it without thinking, but since Brother Seiji passed away unexpectedly, I swore to myself that no matter what happens, I must return to Japan safely. Shinji went the other way, and here we say goodbye with a firm handshake. From Uganda via Kenya to Tanzania. I don't know why, but the black tea here is very delicious, hot, soft and mellow.Most villages have tea shops, and I drink black tea every time I take a break.

One day, the uncle in the tea shop asked me with a strange expression: "Are you still riding a bicycle on the road ahead?" "That's what I planned." "It's better not to advise you." "why?" "There are many lions in Mikumi National Park ahead!" "Uh……" As long as you tell others that you are traveling by bicycle in Africa, many people will worry for you: "What should I do if I encounter a beast?" In fact, wild animals live in nature, far away from roads and towns, as long as they take the vertical road, even zebras Antelopes and antelopes are rarely seen. As for the chance of encountering lions, it is almost zero. The probability of encountering bears in Alaska is relatively high.

There is a place on my next route where the road runs right through a national park.The national parks here are animal habitats designated by the government and are protected.Although it is a park, there are no special fences. On the way there, I was seriously warned by the uncle in the tea shop, "It's best not to", and I couldn't help but get scared.But I have always looked forward to traveling in national parks, especially to enjoy the fun of riding a bicycle "safari"-observing wild animals up close. The lion's hunting time can only be limited to the evening and early morning. They should lie down and rest during the day. As long as you don't mistake the time for cycling, there should be no problem.

Unexpectedly, as soon as I reached the key "Mikumi National Park" entrance, I was so frightened that I trembled all over.There was a huge notice board there, with "Watch out for wild animals" written in red letters on it. I hesitated to warn so loudly.After thinking about it for a while, I came to the conclusion that taking out the whistle from the backpack and blowing it loudly from time to time while riding a bicycle is the same reason as attaching a bell to the mountaineering backpack to scare the bears when climbing a mountain. Dear lions, there are humans here!very dangerous!Please hide somewhere else, huh huh!

Huh?Shouldn't it be blown like this, but it will attract lions instead? Even so, it's interesting.On both sides of the road, you can see zebras, antelopes, giraffes, elephants, warthogs, and wildebeest.In line with the slow pace of the bicycle, they also passed my eyes leisurely.I also saw a lot of animals during the Savar trip I participated in in Kenya. Compared with the ones I saw in the car window at that time, they felt more intimate. Two tall giraffes appeared in the bushes in front of me. When they walked to the road, they stopped in the middle of the road and looked at me without moving.The giraffes standing in the middle of the road are very strange, because they are huge and look like a pair of monsters.I continued pedaling towards the giraffes, and at a certain distance, they suddenly accelerated, rushed across the road, and ran into the lush savannah.

At that moment, their figures were so beautiful that I couldn't help but take a deep breath, just like watching a slow-motion video.The long neck moves back and forth slowly, across the blue sky in front of him; the mane is like a grassland blown by the wind; the long tail shakes like life. Stopping the bike, I stared at the pair of giraffes, feeling divine.Such a huge creature was born, grew up, and then died somewhere in this grassland. This cycle has been continuous since ancient times, and it has been repeated until now.At this moment, when your skin feels the land of Africa, you will find that the whole world is full of animals, and human beings are only a small part of it.

Suddenly, a truck passed me and stopped about 600 meters ahead, waking me up from the dreamlike intoxication.Thinking of the incident of being robbed in Peru, I suddenly became nervous, and I couldn't figure out why the truck was parked there.That's right, after all, there are only robbers more terrifying than lions.I stopped my bicycle and waited for a car coming from behind. Soon I saw a car approaching, and I quickly followed it. About ten meters away from the truck, the driver's door suddenly opened, and I was completely caught off guard. Unexpectedly, an old man with a friendly smile walked out of it and waved to me.

Not looking like a robber, I hit the brakes.The old man pointed to the right, and said happily: "Simba! (lion) Simba!" I was startled, and quickly looked in the direction he pointed. Under the tree about 50 meters away from the roadside, there was indeed a A couple of lions are taking a nap. For a moment, I could only stare blankly.Compared with the lions in the zoo, how flexible their bodies are... The old man poked his head out of the car window and said, "It's really good." --Ok? This old man drives a truck, so he can be so leisurely, right?I ride a bicycle!Isn't that bad?I tremblingly asked him:

"Will it be dangerous?" The old man said with a smile on his face: "Dangerous! Very dangerous!" I ran away on my bicycle without looking back. After all, compared to robbers, lions are more terrifying...