The heat here is getting to me, the smog is ever present, and the dust from the tunnels is still in my lungs, so today, Tuesday, only a week since I left England although it seems so much longer, I leapt on a scooter taxi for the botanical gardens.
My local driver not being around, a youngster from the hotel was hailed for me, and I was assured I’d be fine…having been fine until now, I got on without a care, only to arrive at my destination shaking like a leaf! This ride was truly scary, normally there’s an inch or two between my knees and anything else, this time it was centimetres, up on the pavement we went too, shooting between lanes of fast moving traffic-that’s serve me right for getting complacent!
The gardens also encompass a history museum, in a gorgeous neo classical building, a temple, and a zoo-all for less than a pound. I’m not a fan of zoos, but I have never seen one like this –the animals virtually roam wild, small children lean in inches away from alligators, the hairy rhinoceros spat water from his nose onto our feet, the giraffe took food from the unwary, the tigers were only a rather too ‘wide’ barred cage away from eating us, and the monkeys and gibbons so tame they sat contently just as if they were watching us not the other way around.
This is such a surreal city. I love the contrasts between the high end and high rise centre, the art deco hotels, tiny alleys and street vendors, markets of every type from the wholesale to the little back street fruit stalls. Today I brought a sweet cake from cycle stall to eat with my ice coffee from the next spot along, and sat peacefully in the gardens with the locals. Eating out ‘in’ will be exorbitant, only the wealthy or the tourists do it, so I don’t, but the variety of street food is wonderful and so far so good health wise ………
The kindness and helpfulness of the people never ceases to amaze me-crossing the road I am invariably taken by the hand by young and old alike, often a local will take me over even when not going themselves, truly generous of spirit.
I’ve become a regular at the zumba and aerobics in the park of an evening, as it’s on my route home. The sunset is early, so by 6 everyone gathers for exercise, and I am greeted now with a smile by many, space is made for me and my bag is carefully placed on a guarded bench. It’s all free and I love the sensation of working out in the hot dark city night.
My local driver not being around, a youngster from the hotel was hailed for me, and I was assured I’d be fine…having been fine until now, I got on without a care, only to arrive at my destination shaking like a leaf! This ride was truly scary, normally there’s an inch or two between my knees and anything else, this time it was centimetres, up on the pavement we went too, shooting between lanes of fast moving traffic-that’s serve me right for getting complacent!
The gardens also encompass a history museum, in a gorgeous neo classical building, a temple, and a zoo-all for less than a pound. I’m not a fan of zoos, but I have never seen one like this –the animals virtually roam wild, small children lean in inches away from alligators, the hairy rhinoceros spat water from his nose onto our feet, the giraffe took food from the unwary, the tigers were only a rather too ‘wide’ barred cage away from eating us, and the monkeys and gibbons so tame they sat contently just as if they were watching us not the other way around.
This is such a surreal city. I love the contrasts between the high end and high rise centre, the art deco hotels, tiny alleys and street vendors, markets of every type from the wholesale to the little back street fruit stalls. Today I brought a sweet cake from cycle stall to eat with my ice coffee from the next spot along, and sat peacefully in the gardens with the locals. Eating out ‘in’ will be exorbitant, only the wealthy or the tourists do it, so I don’t, but the variety of street food is wonderful and so far so good health wise ………
The kindness and helpfulness of the people never ceases to amaze me-crossing the road I am invariably taken by the hand by young and old alike, often a local will take me over even when not going themselves, truly generous of spirit.
I’ve become a regular at the zumba and aerobics in the park of an evening, as it’s on my route home. The sunset is early, so by 6 everyone gathers for exercise, and I am greeted now with a smile by many, space is made for me and my bag is carefully placed on a guarded bench. It’s all free and I love the sensation of working out in the hot dark city night.
oh dear sounds like mr scoot man was a trying to show off a bit!
ReplyDeletesounds like you've become one of the locals joining in the exercise in the evening!