African adventures

TIGER AT THE CRICKET
He is certainly a sight, but more than that, he is that sound you hear on your TV sets when watching the action from Harare -- 'Shabaaaaash!!'
After his ordeal at the Harare airport, Shoaib Ali, the maniacal Bangladesh fan turned up to the ground in all his painted splendour. He spoke about his adventures at the airport freely, and the measures he undertakes to support his beloved Tigers are at once hilarious and touching.
But it's not for nothing. His efforts are appreciated by many in the Bangladesh dressing room, especially on foreign tours where his roars are often the only counterpoint to local support. His voice has to be heard to be believed.
When Robiul Islam took the wicket of Vusi Sibanda, a roaring 'Shabash Robiul Bhai' went out, and every ball after that, whether it was a dot ball or a good stop by a fielder, similar roars went out. He had single-handedly silenced the local crowd, many of whom were staring at him in amazement.
“It doesn't hurt now, I have gotten used to it,” said Shoaib when asked how he kept on shouting ball after ball. “It's a gift from above.” It certainly is -- it has gotten him from Dhaka to Harare.

TAXI MINI-SAFARI
For newcomers to the region, a visit to the Lion and Cheetah Park is a rare treat. The magnificence of lions and lionesses roaming around freely is something to which words will never do justice.
A taxi through the park was certainly a unique and at times unnerving experience. The lionesses attracted more awe than the lions, even with their kingly manes. The males were lazing about, while the more naturally aggressive females got up from their roadside resting areas and peered threateningly into the cab. There was more than a slight fear that the small taxi would break down on the rough road, and its occupants would be at the mercy of nature's terrifying power as they assisted in the tire-changing or some such activity.
Thankfully that did not happen, and we made it through zebras, deer and giraffe to the mini-zoo, where the most revered attraction of the park was resting in lazy majesty. Toby is a 300-year-old turtle, and can be seen near the entrance of the zoo, the only animal left out of its cage. He pokes his head out of his enormous shell to clear the area in front of grass, and when he is done, lifts his 500 kg body up, rotates to a fresher patch, plops down and he is set – for the next month possibly.