The Blues

Snake (s) on a Plane (Tree)

On November 4, 2009, in Family, Travel, by Rosie

Another factual account of being accosted by the beasts of the earth as we wandered innocently upon Singaporean soils. Seems we were sometimes in the wrong place at the wrong time on our recent trip. Visiting the Singapore Zoo and the Night Safari are highlights of any trip to Singapore. Both facilities are known worldwide, have an amazing variety of animals and are environmentally spectacular.

There is a certain ‘free range’ ethos abounding, and that’s kinda cute when you’re sitting in a Night Safari train and puttering along beside a docile deer-beastie or a gentle, rounded hoggy thing.

However, when I strayed on a smaller, asphalted track to avail myself of the conveniences at the day zoo, I realized ‘free range’ can actually mean FREAKING THIN-GREEN SNAKES FALLING FROM A TREE ABOUT TWO METRES IN FRONT OF ME.

There was only one, BUT IF I HAD BEEN ONE SECOND EARLIER IN MY NEED TO VISIT THE TOILET, IT WOULD HAVE LANDED ON MY SHOULDER.

I’m not a screamer. I’m more an ‘oooooohhhhhhhhhhhh-moany-ooooooooh-guttural-type’ sound maker. Even though it was hot as humid hell, once the snake had cleared the path and I checked the tree canopy for more slithers of flying scale, I sprinted to the loos.

Then I checked under the seat.

Because we had enjoyed our share of creature interactions, we braved the ‘bat cage’ at the Night Safari, most of us thinking we had used up our interface chances.

Not so. As our party of tennish (some stayed outside the exhibit – sensible folk) stole through the nocturnal adventure, there was a very loud scream from the back of our group.

OMFG, not again! I thought, running away lest I had to prise some vampiric black thing from my sister’s face. She’s older than me. She can look after herself! And Pip and Pop are younger than I am, so they can run faster.

When the group reformed, we learnt that a bat HAD wafted across Gayle’s face and molested her with those leathery things it calls wings.

Good Grief! What next, you ask?

She was nervous for the rest of the night – such a pathetic scaredy-puss – and as we sat in our Night Safari jeep (feeling confident, safe and secure) I heard a little ‘ooooh’ squeak from her again. Yep, we saw our RAT run across beneath the vehicle. Then she found a gecko in her cupboard, and we decided as a group, that all such signs need to be heeded:

There will be no Pffffting, as if THAT will happen from this tourist camp ever, ever again. Oh, and here’s that hideous older scout-monkey who alerted the others that there were human buns to pinch.