Animal crackers.

I’ve come to the conclusion that the travel accessory of which I have the most need is a small donkey.

This, I feel, would meet so many of my requirements that I am – quite frankly – surprised that there aren’t more of them on the market. Or at least on more street corners.

A small equine-like mammal could lug around all the accoutrements so vital to surviving in the current Texan climate. You know: a hat; a cool drink; sunscreen; travel guidebook; umpteen million bus timetables; another cool drink; a snack; digital camera; wallet; moist towelettes to help one to cool down somewhat, and a cool drink. On occasion it could even be used to carry my own person out and about. And possibly to lug a liquid refreshment of the cool persuasion. Maybe.

It is mind-blowingly hot here at the moment. The daytime temperature is around 40 degrees and there is very little humidity. Needless to say, I am busy plotting my escape to the winter in Oz. Hopefully they will have the winter that Texas did not. If they don’t, I’m going to be needing a few more cool drinks.

I’m just saying ..!

This is not the place for a person with heat intolerance problems. However I soldier on. I’ve managed to get out to a few places in the last few weeks, but have always needed several days to recover afterwards.

Last week I visited the San Antonio Zoo which is situated in an old quarry not far from the centre of town. It had a lot of hills and a lot of small children – the summer holidays have begun here.

I must say, I found it quite distressing at first. The bear exhibits seemed terribly bare (excuse the pun) and then I saw the primate cages near the Butterfly House and thought I had gone back in time. Picture a large bird cage with some monkeys in it. Horrible isn’t it?

Monkeys at the San Antonio Zoo

Those leaves are PAINTED onto the wall - there are no plants in there.

I didn’t think you could see things like this in the western world any more. I very nearly turned around to go home, but it had taken me so long to get there I thought I should persevere.

I don’t know. I’ve been spoiled by the zoos at home, I guess. Some of the newer exhibits were up to standard – they had actual vegetation in them and room for the animals to move around. Very few of them had both. It looked as though they are slowly building newer displays for the animals, but the whole experience left me feeling very unsettled.

On the bright side, I bought an ice-cream from a machine and got a one dollar coin for change!  That was exciting!  I had to ask someone if it was actual currency …

ttfn,

S

And in the next exciting episode …

Life is an amazing experience, isn’t it?

So full of twists and turns and very few warning signs like, “steep drop ahead” or “slow down, hairpin bend.”

My trip is back on, although to a very different part of America for now. I’m waiting to hear from a friend in Ohio as to how soon I may darken her doorstep, occupy her spare room and turn into a dark and brooding, quasi-artistic presence in her home.

I’ve been watching the weather forecast for the area and, mercifully, it’s quite a bit cooler than here. Although there is no snow on the horizon. Anything cooler than Australia in mid-summer is good as far as I am concerned. And we’re having a cool summer too.

I think I may be turning into one of the world’s first international climate refugees.

Preparations proceed apace. (What a concise sentence, and in such multi-syllabic pretension too..)

I have finished my tax stuff (Yay!) for the business, my reading pile is diminishing and I have a stack of suitcases with things in them on my sofa bed. I say they have “things in them” because, while they are not empty, they are certainly not packed.

There is no order to the contents. I simply think of something I really should take with me, open the lid of the nearest case, and pop it in. I’m not quite sure what one should pack for a 6 month sojourn in foreign climes, so I’m making it up as I go along. Neatness and method can come closer to my departure date – whatever that may be.

In the meantime, my book wants to be written. I find I have little screenplays running in my head whenever I take a moment to actually listen to what I am thinking. I am so tempted to sit down and start NOW, but that would be silly. It would leave things undone here and then I would fret about those the whole time I am away.

Those and the cat.

More later.

S.