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| Huay Tung Tao - courtesy of Google images |
Had one of
those 'awed by Nature' moments...
The scene:
sitting barefoot on the platform of a pavilion, overhanging a lake, at
dusk. Wooded mountain slopes behind us
began to rustle in the warm evening breeze and cicadas vibrated loudly in
nearby grasses. Shadows darkened the edges of the water. It was a peaceful bit
of relaxation.
In the
otherwise stillness of the surface, we noticed a broad stick floating towards
us, tilted at an angle. As it drew closer, the rippling body propelling the
'stick' could just be discerned in the gathering gloom. At the precise moment that we realised it was
a water snake, the creature halted, dipped its head for a few seconds before
re-emerging and continuing in our direction.
Anyone who knows me well, will be aware of my absolute terror of snakes
and will need little imagination to gauge my reaction at this point! Yet, the
snake's undulating motion was mesmerising; the pale squiggles of its body
appeared both powerful and somehow gentle as the surface of the water was only
barely disturbed.
A few
seconds later however, the reptile encountered some submerged obstruction
which, thankfully, caused it to alter course.
Oh the relief!!!! Until that
point, in my fanciful head, I had been sure that the snake could sense my fear
and was headed straight for me. Yes, I
know. It's NOT all about me and the snake probably couldn't have cared less
about this particular mortal as it went about its evening business. In the calm of hindsight (and a subsequent
Google search), I discovered that the majority of water snakes in Thailand are
not dangerous to humans. Phew!! Still,
the experience made for another unforgettable evening :-) although there's no
photo souvenir of my own for this one :-(
