A Night At The Savannah

What a wonder to work like this, with only the sound of my fingers typing and nature in the background...

When I say nature, I mean all kinds of unseen animals that who know what are them

but there they are.

I looked at Luna, peacefully sleeping under my feet... Who said she was a heavy and aggressive little dog?

Her fur has turned more gray than white, and her pink collar is more like black.

I don't think she remembers the last time she didn't scratch herself vigorously to get rid of fleas.

She has been coming for water and lounging on the mat by the pool for days.

When she's here, she never barks.

Then she goes back to the street to fend for herself and maintain order.

And she can fight like nobody's business if necessary.

No one wants to take care of her because if you get too close, she tries to bite you.

Maybe she has hidden wounds we can't see.

So, Luna is a problem that no one wants.

Unfortunately, all I can do for her right now is give her water and an anti-parasite pill and feel heartbroken.

In general, if I had to keep all the animals I have fallen in love with around the world, I would run Noah's Ark right now, and...

Well, Luna would be a great leader there, of course.

There's someone else who would have a permanent spot in my ark.

Matilde, let me introduce her.

Many years ago, I went camping and on a safari in Tanzania.

One day, we searched for a spot to set up our tents in the savannah before exploring the territory.

We came across a group of giraffes (I love them, don't you? Such peculiar animals).

There were also some zebras and herbivorous animals in general. So, despite the marks of hippos coming out of the river (known nowadays for being fierce killers, apparently), it seemed like a good place to stay for the night.

If the "vegans" were there, it meant the "bad guys" weren't around.

We pitched our tents and set off to explore the vast and lush savannah.

After encountering lions, hippos, baboons, hyenas, and wildebeests, we returned to our campsite to dust off, grab something to eat, and rest until 5 am the next day.

Then, ¡surprise!

Only one adolescent giraffe remained.

Everyone else had left, including her mother.

A bad mother? Let's not jump to conclusions... We know nothing.

Anyway.

We built a fire and had a delicious dinner, including Ugali, as we did every night to recharge our energy. And we assumed the giraffe would be scared and keep her distance from us.

(Ugali: For the culinary enthusiasts out there, it's a typical dish from that region, a hot cornmeal dough served with vegetables)

Btw, I am not vegan.

Well.

Before we knew it, the giraffe lady had joined us at the table.

- "I want to hug her!" exclaimed an Argentine who died 20 times more of love for animals than the rest of us mortals.

After spending the night around the fire, counting stars with "Matilde" still with us, it was time to go to sleep.

Boom, boom!

The park rangers fired shots in the air to scare her away.

We all started shouting at them to stop.

Then they explained that the giraffe was injured, and that's why her family had abandoned her.

Predators were lurking, and they would smell her from afar and come to hunt her during the night.

No doubt about it.

Her family had abandoned her to survive, and we had to do the same. I would have gladly carried the giraffe under my arm, but it wasn't practical or sustainable, and we could have died if I did.

So we let the park rangers, who have lived alongside these animals their whole lives, do their job and scare her away.

She had trusted us, and now we had to abandon her.

Terrible.

The next morning, I suppose we held a small hope of peeking around and finding Matilde still in the area. I ventured a bit away from the campsite to look for her.

No trace of her.

Once again, I would have loved to carry her under my arm.

Anyway.

Anyway, if Luna or the giraffe were human... first of all, they wouldn't be in my ark, sorry, but can you imagine the speeches they would bring?

"Oh, how miserable I am, abandoned by my mother."

"Oh, what a great drama that I don't get fed like the others."

"Oh, no one loves me."

"Oh, woe is me in general."

And amidst their lamentations, they would most likely be dead.

They suffered abandonment and difficult situations, but they continued to trust and seek love.

The truth is, I think they knew something...

Have you read the book "The Four Agreements"?

You should hurry to the bookstore if you haven't.

I won't tell you what the 4 of them are because there's already a whole book for that, but one of the agreements says:

DON'T TAKE ANYTHING PERSONALLY.

Oh, you have no idea how liberating that is. And it's true as well.

Nothing is personal.

Forgive me, but you're not that important.

Matilde wasn't abandoned because her mother didn't love her and all that... she was abandoned because it was the responsibility of the herd.

That's how the law of the savannah works, and if they stayed, not only she but the others would be attacked too. And Matilde's mother had more individuals to care for.

It wasn't personal.

The rangers let her spend the night with us, but then they had to scare her away.

It wasn't personal.

No one has been able to take in Luna because she bites.

It's not personal.

Luna bites because she's scared.

It's not personal.

Nothing is personal.

NEVER.

Now I have to go because, in 4 hours, I'm traveling back in time, 12 hours behind where I am. Yes, to the other side of the world.

I'll write to you next week from the Golden State, the beaches of California, surfing, and sunsets.

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Keep traveling with you