They must have spotted me first because they were staring up at me when I first caught sight. I acknowledged them jovially but, being a hundred metres above them on the precipice of the cliff, that was as far as it went. However the three must have followed along from below since as I gradually meandered down into the valley there they were at the base of the trail. Without any English we greeted each other as best we could and I carried on with my hike while the funny part was that they followed. Actually I'm not sure who was guiding who. I would head off in a direction and they'd end up not far behind. Then I'd pause for a photo and they'd be up ahead on the path. Since we couldn't communicate vocally I just observed and found it funny that they were the quintessential cartoon crew. First you had the young, strong hero with his muscular build and quiet confidence. The wise elder had long whiskers and moved slowly, just watching most frequently. Finally there was the goof, always playing a joke or bounding ahead. I never did figure out whether it was just out of curiosity or companionship that they stuck with me but for well over an hour, even as I'd clamber up into a cliffside cave and disappear for 15 minutes, they would appear nearby upon my return. Finally I reached my destination, the open air museum, but was separated from it by a deep valley. Eventually I found a barely passable route down but it proved even too steep for these obviously well-trodden veterans. As I began my descent I whistled a goodbye and they wagged their tails and padded off.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment