A HILARIOUS, HIGHLY ORIGINAL COLLECTION OF ESSAYS BASED ON THE BOTSWANA TRUISM: “ONLY FOOD RUNS!” WITH A NEW INTRODUCTION AND NEW MATERIAL FROM THE AUTHOR IN THE TRADITION OF BILL BRYSON, A NEW WRITER BRINGS US THE LIVELY ADVENTURES AND BITING WIT OF AN AFRICAN SAFARI GUIDE. PETER ALLISON GIVES US THE GUIDE’S-EYE VIEW OF LIVING IN THE BUSH, CONFRONTING THE WORLD’S FIERCEST TERRAIN OF WILD ANIMALS AND, MOST CHALLENGING OF ALL, MANAGING HERDS OF GAPING TOURISTS. PASSIONATE FOR THE ANIMALS OF THE KALAHARI, ALLISON WORKS AS A TOP SAFARI GUIDE IN THE WILDLIFE-RICH OKAVANGO DELTA. AS HE SERVES THE WHIMS OF HIS WEALTHY CLIENTS, HE OFTEN HAS TO STOP THE IMPULSE TO RUN AS FAR AWAY FROM THEM AS HE CAN, AS THESE TOURISTS ARE SOMETIMES MORE DANGEROUS THAN A PRIDE OF LIONS. NO ONE COULD MAKE UP THESE OUTRAGEOUS-BUT-TRUE TALES: THE YOUNG WOMAN WHO REJECTED THE RECOMMENDED SAFARI-FRIENDLY KHAKI TO WEAR A MORE “FASHIONABLE” HOT PINK ENSEMBLE; THE LOST TOURIST WHO HAPPENED TO BE DRUNK, HALF-NAKED, AND A MEMBER OF THE BRITISH ROYAL FAMILY; ESTABLISHING A REAL FRIENDSHIP WITH THE CONTINENT’S MOST VICIOUS ANIMAL; THE JAPANESE TOURIST WHO REQUESTED A REPEAT PERFORMANCE OF ALLISON’S BEING CHARGED BY A LION SO HE COULD VIDEOTAPE IT; AND SPENDING A CRAZY NIGHT IN THE WILD AFTER BLOWING A TIRE ON A TOUR BUS, REVEALING THAT ALLISON HAS AS MUCH GOOD-NATURED SCORN FOR HIMSELF. THE AUTHOR’S HUMOR IS EXCEEDED ONLY BY HIS LOVE AND RESPECT FOR THE ANIMALS, AND HIS GOAL IS TO LIMIT ANY NEGATIVE EXPOSURE TO HUMANS BY PLANNING TRIPS THAT ARE MINIMALLY INVASIVE—UNFORTUNATELY IT DOESN’T ALWAYS WORK OUT THAT WAY! NEW STORY: PEOPLE OFTEN ASK SAFARI GUIDES ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE THAT FRIGHTENED THEM THE MOST. IN THIS STORY PETER ALLISON TELLS OF THE TIME HE BECAME AWARE OF UNSEEN DANGER, AND KNEW THAT SOMEWHERE WITHIN METERS OF HIM WAS A HUNTING LIONESS. PETER ALLISON IS ORIGINALLY FROM SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA. HIS SAFARIS HAVE BEEN FEATURED IN NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, CONDE NAST TRAVELER, AND ON TELEVISION PROGRAMS SUCH AS JACK HANNA’S ANIMAL ADVENTURES. HE TRAVELS FREQUENTLY TO SPEAKING APPEARANCES, AND SPLITS MOST OF HIS TIME BETWEEN BOTSWANA, SYDNEY, AND SAN FRANCISCO.
जंगल हे ठिकाण असे असते जिथे तुम्ही जरा चुकीचे वागल्यास कोनाच्या तरी तोंडचा घास होऊ शकता! कारण या जंगलात असतात, घातक शिकारी प्राणी, चिडलेले हत्ती आणि जगातले सर्वात बेभरवशाचे प्राणी - म्हणजे, बेलगाम पर्यटक आणि अविचाराने धाडस करणारे सफारी गाईड! या सगळ्यांचे चित्रण लेखकाने या पुरतकात केले आहे.
अंगावर धावून येणार-या सिंहाचा लेखकाने दोन वेळा कसा सामना केला, ब्रिटिश राजघराण्यातून आलेल्या झिंगलेल्या अर्धनग्न पर्यटकांचा रात्रीच्या अंधारात कसा शोध घेतला, पर्यटकांनी भरलेली लँडरोव्हर गाडी पाणघोडे असलेल्या जलप्रवाहात घेऊन गेल्यावर कशी तारांबळ उडाली, आणि आफ्रिकेतल्या सर्वात धोकादायक प्राण्याला त्याने आपला पाळीव प्राणी कसे बनवले, असे विविध अनुभव लेखक गोष्टीरूपात सांगतो. नर्मविनोदी शैलीतले हे अनुभव वाचताना कधी भीतीने अंगावर काटा उभा राहतो, तर कधी कधी हसून-हसून पुरेवाट होते, तर कधी डोळ्यात पाणी उभे राहते.
चला तर, आफ्रिकेतल्या जंगलातली शब्दसफरी अनुभवायला!