A Detour into a Tropical (African) Night

                                Tropical Night

So today, we'll take a break from our journey through the dry southwest of South Africa and make a little detour—nearly 2,000 kilometers away—to a tropical night in mid-March on the shores of the Indian Ocean.
A place overflowing with moisture in the heart of summer. A kind of delirium tropicum.
This was written back in 2004, on the eastern coast of South Africa, near the St Lucia wetlands.

Advantages (A) and Disadvantages (D) of a Tropical African Night as Seen Through European Eyes

(A) Before bed, sitting down with friends with a glass of wine to relive the day's adventures — 

like the time three rhinos charged at our car on a dusty road,

or when a mother elephant taught her baby how to trumpet and spray water from a puddle all around… including on us. 

(D) Before going to bed, you must not forget to close the veranda door to the dining room — otherwise, the monkeys will eat all the bananas from the fruit bowl (like they did yesterday).

                                     Splashing Lesson is Over

                              Surprise Around the Bend

(D) Your hair never dries after a shower.
(A) It doesn't matter — because if it did, it would just get soaked with sweat again anyway.

(A) A bedroom doesn't really need 2 to 4 walls.
(D) But it does need to be inside a fenced area to keep out predators.

(A) You don't need a nightgown.
(D) You do need a mosquito net over your bed.

(A) You're constantly reminded you're not alone in the world — there are countless living creatures all around, you hear their sound all night long.
(D) Among those living creatures is the Anopheles mosquito.

(A) Mosquitoes in Africa will only bite you three times — after that, they apparently find you repulsive.
(D) The suspicion remains that this fact may not be entirely accurate… maybe I just dreamed it last night.

                                                                                A Bedroom Doesn't Need Four Walls

                                      A multitude of sounds fills the air

(A) The pleasant realization that the Milky Way really does exist.

(D) The frustrating feeling of not being able to remember all the names of the animals and plants that surround you.

(A) The comforting thought that knowing them isn't really important — what matters more is surrendering to the feeling of unity with nature.

(D) Discovering that darkness is truly black — and that it's wise to keep a flashlight close at hand.

(A) The intoxicating, heavy scent (jasmine?) that helps you to fall asleep.

(D) The thought that you'll keep waking up every ten minutes, listening to the sounds of the night.

(A) No worries — you have a full 12 hours to sleep until sunrise.

(D) The inability to remember all the vivid dreams of a single night.

(A) The comfort that even the last dream — the only one you do remember — will be worth it.

(D) The thought that these sweet nights will soon be over.

(A) The hope that one day, you'll return to Africa.

                              Tropical Awakening

                  Twilight in the Tropics

Written on March 20, 2004, after a tropical night in St Lucia Wetlands.

P.S. My last vivid dream:
I was making schnitzels, and instead of breadcrumbs, I used the torn, colorful wings of tropical butterflies for coating.

                                         A Little Butterfly for the Breadcrumbs

nice to know

About St. Lucia Wetlands:
The St. Lucia Wetlands were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999 — the very first World Heritage Site in South Africa, and for good reason. The sheer abundance of wildlife and natural beauty is truly remarkable.

Elephants, rhinos, crocodiles, and hippos — all water-loving creatures — call this place home.

St. Lucia is located in the northeastern part of Zululand, just a 2.5-hour drive from Durban, the capital of KwaZulu-Natal. The area enjoys a tropical, warm climate all year round, not to mention the warm Indian Ocean, which can be enjoyed in every season.