The Boomslang in the Tree
When you spend so much time in the bush, you might feel a little bit bored. Not in a way that the African Bush is not interesting, but in a way that our world is so fast that when you are in the bush it feels like time stops. This specially if you are in a camp with no electricity, you try to find ways to have fun.
So there are many ways to have fun and loosen up a little in the bush.
You can play volleyball, you can play ping-pong, pranks are always the number one choice. One of my favourite pranks to do while training and studying to become a guide is to drive the person in the tracker-seat into a tree. Normally you start to drive them into a branch, see if they can duck beneath it. Then you start to choose branches that there is no way that person can avoid.
When you are in the tracker-seat there are a few signals that you can give to your guide. You can signal them to slow down, maybe you want to see a track better. You can tell them to stop, to go back. You can signal that the animal went left or right, or that the track is gone. When crossing a river or going down a deep slope, you are the eyes, so you must guide your guide. Many more tasks.
On one day I was riding on my favourite seat, the tracker-seat. I was enjoying life and enjoying the tracks in the morning. I’m following a track, I’m very focused on that track, then I get hit in the head with a branch.
– I’m good – I said while turning back to the tracks.
Apparently “I’m good” means “maybe try again a little bit faster, maybe you can hurt me this time”. Not even 10 minutes and I got hit again by another branch, this time it hurted. I decided to start paying attention to the road ahead. Look up and then look down to the tracks. Look up and then down to the tracks.
After a bit my neck was killing me. So I went back to look to the sides and to the road. As I’m following the track I start seeing the road ending, it was a turn. The car was not turning.
I start signalling “John” to stop. As the tree gets closer and closer, my hand gesture gets quicker and quicker. I start leaning back, trying to avoid the branches. No use. When the car finally stopped, I was fully inside the tree. I can hear them giggling in the back.
– So tell me João, what tree is that?- “John” asked laughing.
I start to look around the leaves when I see this green branch. It was a very bright green.
– Oh no! – “John” said – João don’t do any sudden movements ok? – “John” said while realising what he had done.
– Ok, but I still didn’t identify this tree – I replied.
– It ‘s ok! I’m reversing now! – “John” said while starting to back up.
Not the Boomslang from the story, but look how difficult it is to see them! This Boomslang story will come soon.
As the car is pulling away from the tree, I finally see what that green branch was. It was a boomslang! One of the deadliest snakes in the world! Right there in my face!
Finally I was at a safe distance, I looked back and saw everyone trying to look away. Just like toddlers caught doing something naughty!
After that the drive was very slow, “John” would hit massive holes on the road just to avoid any branch on my side.
