A haphazard chronicle of my inevitable misadventures during a year in Vietnam and points east.

p.s. I'll be pitifully grateful if you send me email during my exile: TravelerKaty@hotmail.com

October 2002 November 2002 December 2002 January 2003 February 2003 March 2003 April 2003 May 2003 June 2003 July 2003 August 2003 September 2003 October 2003 November 2003 February 2006 March 2006 May 2006

 
I realize I vowed just weeks ago that I would never again visit a Third World zoo, but this time I was tricked into it. Really, it wasn't my idea at all!

Ninh, Mr. Lanh's adorable wife, took me to Dam Sen Park, a truly amazing Fun for the Whole Family type amusement facility in Ho Chi Minh City. We were walking along the path, having already seen the lake, water park, roller coaster, botanical gardens and ice sculpture museum (don't ask), when all of a sudden we were there. It isn't a full fledged zoo by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, their choice of animals is decidedly quixotic -- lots of lethargic snakes (the best kind, in my opinion), one goat positioned immediately behind the cage of the Articulated Python (I fear for his future), two eel-like monster fish, thousands of oysters, and 25 monkeys scrambling over fake rock formations in what looks to be a Gibraltar-esque monkey habitat, a real departure from the usual jungle theme. But the piece de resistance is the crocodile exhibit.

There are over 30 crocodiles strewn about the banks of a large greenish pond and another 70 or more lounging around in the water , many in the traditional crocodile manner -- eyes and snout showing. The crocodile exhibit features what I like to think of as the Death Wish Follies, or Biting the Hand That Feeds. For a mere 15 cents you will be issued a dead fish with a heavy string or rope tied around its midsection, which is in turn tied to a disturbingly short stick.

The wielders of these modified fishing poles then proceed to lean over the chain link fence on the jetty and unmercifully tease the 50 or so crocodiles milling about below. A typical fisherperson will lower the fish to a level just above where the crocs can reach, then pull it out of the way whenever one of them actually jumps up and makes a grab for it. This technique is very similar to the one I used to yank the fake mouse toy away from Pepper when she was a kitten, except that Pepper didn't have 3-foot jaws of death and a 4-foot vertical leap out of water.

The taunting continues until a particularly agile and pissed off crocodile successfully snaps his jaws shut on the fish and a few inches of rope, at which time he or she makes a concerted effort to drag the fish, rope, pole and its attached human into the water. There was no blood shed nor fishing poles lost while we watched, but I eventually expect some Darwin Awards to come out of this setup.

© 2002 Katy Warren


posted by Katy at 3:28 AM