Lions, Tigers, and Bears, Oh My!

Travel to the third world bears with it all sort of dire warnings and admonishments. No untreated water, no fresh produce, no under or uncooked meat. Take your malaria prophylaxis with your daily bread. Its as if I suddenly joined a cult with certain religious restrictions and taboos. The lightest punishment for violating the tenets of travelism is a demonic affliction of the bowels, the severest fatal disease. The faithful, known as vacationers, can only practice their religion by going on pilgrimages. These crusades are only to strange lands, with people who don't speak your language (well) who have food, practices, history, culture, and customs that are weird only because they are not my own.

Before an afternoon of familial obligations we went to the botanical gardens and the zoo. I was able to feed the elephants and get up close to the white tigers. Although enjoyable to walk in an open space and marvel at the animals, the enclosures were smaller than Western zoos and several exhibits high lighted the native rats rather than the captive animal.