發表評論-兒歌薈萃-萬維博客-萬維讀者網（電腦版）

The upcoming tour was a safari, and it began with a short flight on a propeller-driven private plane from the capital city, Dar es Salaam, also known as the "Abode of Peace," to the Selous Game Reserve, the first and oldest national park in Tanzania and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

When I arrived at the park, nearly at noon, I felt as if an egg could fry itself at such a temperature. In the meantime, the flies were searching for food, and we considered them a part of our diet. The little pests came at me by the hundreds; even bug spray didn't help much!

We boarded our Land Rover and took off quickly to avoid the flies. That was a mistake because the trail had bumps all over. It went up and down like a roller coaster. And when I saw the first animal, the SUV skidded for another few feet.

The animal was an impala, just like the ones at Tsavo National Park in Kenya. As we continued, we reviewed many of the same animals, such as gazelles, hartebeest, elephants, giraffes, and zebras. After we toured the pristine forest for a while, we discovered a lake that lay like a little piece of heaven deep in the wilderness. Inside, there were crocodiles and hippos. They swam next to the shore. I was shocked that the crocodiles didn't make the hippos the midday snacks. At first, both crocodiles and hippos lay in the water like logs. But we didn't realize they weren't dead trunks until suddenly, the crocodiles jerked their tails, and the hippos came up for air. The crocodiles were big and had dark green scales. The long tail elegantly swayed with the current. Conversely, the hippos bobbed their heads up and down as they relaxed in the water. The wildebeests roamed the land. They looked like African buffalo, except a buffalo's horns went down while a wildebeest's went up.

As the SUV moved on, I saw something lying under a bush. It had bilargears and resembled a lion. When we drove closer, the animal ran away. Or should I say animals? They were sounder than warthogs. The way they were lined up made it the shape of a lion. The warthogs were the size of a cat and had tiny tusks protruding from either side of their nostrils. There were 6 in total, and they disappeared into the bushes in a split second.

On our way to lunch, we ran into a group of Waterbucks. What appeared to be interesting was the white circle around its butt. It looked like a deer. However, the white circle made all the difference and sent a message: "Hit Me!"

Unlike Tsavo National Park, the lion, eland, bush duikers, and baboons didn't come out during a hot summer day, and we missed them. We wish we had known the animals' routines before the safari.

In 1982, Selous Game Reserve was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

【紅霞譯】

清晨六點半我和媽媽就被預先設置好的電話鈴聲吵醒，再有45分鐘我們便要動身出遊新景點，因此現在必須抓緊時間。

我們下一個行程將獵游坦桑尼亞野生動物世界，不過這回最先得從首都達累斯薩拉姆“安居處”乘坐小型螺旋槳專機，直接飛往最早確認的國家公園並榮膺聯合國科教文組織《世界遺產名錄》的塞盧斯“沼澤”禁獵區。

臨近中午我們才抵達塞盧斯禁獵區，覺得自己好像雞蛋被高溫煎炸了一番而正中蒼蠅下懷，即刻引發數以百計的烏合之眾大舉圍剿，恨不能將來者一掃而光，我們手無寸鐵，隨身攜帶的殺蟲噴霧劑無濟於事，對它們完全沒有任何功效﹗

三十六計走為上計，我們見勢不對箭步如飛躲進越野車內，哪曾想到這麼做並非妙計，路面高低起伏，顛簸搖動令我們苦不堪言；車子爬上爬下，如同過山車不住地忽悠翻騰；當偶遇第一隻動物時，我們居然來不及剎住閘門，越野車慣性般朝前滑行了好長一段距離。

迎面而來一隻黑斑羚，與我們在肯尼亞察沃“屠宰場”國家公園看到的一模一樣；再往前行，瞪羚、狷羚、大象、長頸鹿，斑馬等老相識粉墨登場，我們在原始森林裡轉來轉去，眼前突然出現一池湖水，猶如天上仙境喜降荒郊野外，距離岸邊不遠，鱷魚和河馬各居一方，和平共處。我納悶為何張牙舞爪的鱷魚沒有蠶食彪漢魁梧的河馬？乍看上去兩類動物都像木棍似的呆在那裡一動不動，如果不是鱷魚猛然甩動尾巴、河馬伸出腦袋呼吸新鮮空氣，我們還不知道它們的存在。鱷魚體大，且身上帶有暗綠色鱗片，長長的尾巴隨同水波流動的節奏優雅和諧地搖來擺去；河馬時而沉湎於水下世界，時而露出水面笑傲江湖；角馬同樣喜歡出沒此地，它們看起來更像非洲水牛，只是水牛的牛角朝下彎，而角馬的羚角往上翹。

越野車不停地往前開進，正在此刻我發現灌木叢下有什麼東西趴在那裡，耳朵很大，體態有點像獅子，等車子靠近時便倉惶逃竄，原來一群疣豬列隊排成獅子形狀，疣豬的大小跟貓差不多，小獠牙外突鼻孔兩側。這群疣豬總共六隻，眨眼功夫便消失在灌木叢里。

趕去吃午飯途中我們與水羚撞了滿懷，其臀部白毛圍成的圓圈格外招人眼目，水羚跟鹿長得比較像，然而這個極富特徵的白圈足以叫它與眾不同。

與察沃國家公園不同，塞盧斯禁獵區的獅子、伊蘭羚羊、灰小羚羊和狒狒等動物怕熱，忌諱晌午時分出來走動，因此我們失去彼此見面的機會，但願今後在籌劃獵游時，我們最好遵循野生動物生活規律而非憑藉個人主觀意願。

1982年，塞盧斯禁獵區被聯合國教科文組織納入《世界遺產名錄》。

Today in History(歷史上的今天):

2012: Glacier Alley & Ushuaia(智利冰川通道和阿根廷深灣城)

2010: 節日串連(Holiday Connection)

2009: 騎在羊背上的國家(Riding on Sheep's Back)

2013-12-28_Azania Lutheran Church_Port of Dar es Salaam 達累斯薩拉姆港0001.JPG Port of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania's Busiest Port & a Major Gateway for Trade in East & Central Africa

(達累斯薩拉姆港·坦桑尼亞最繁忙的港口 | 東非和中非貿易的主要門戶)

2013-12-28_Harbor Control Tower Kigamboni 海港控制塔0001.JPG Harbor Control Tower (海港控制塔)

2013-12-28_Kivukoni Fish Market Jetty 兩點交叉魚市碼頭-10001.JPG Kivukoni Fish Market Jetty, Tanzania's Largest & Most Significant Fish Market

(基武科尼“渡口”魚市碼頭·坦桑尼亞最大、最重要的魚市)

2013-12-28_Mzizima Fish Market 健康鎮魚市-10001.JPG Mzizima Fish Market along a Coastal Fishing Village on the Periphery of Indian Ocean Trade Routes

(印度洋貿易路線邊緣的一個沿海漁村姆齊齊馬“健康城”的魚市)

2013-12-28_Dar Es Salaam_Government Area 政府機關區域-20001.JPG Government Area (政府機關區域)

St. Joseph Cathedral in Gothic Style, Completed in 1902

(聖約瑟夫“上帝將增添”大教堂·哥特式，1902年建成)

2013-12-28_Spirit of the Union 聯盟精神快艇渡輪-20001.JPG Kilimanjaro IV (乞力馬扎羅“潔白的山峰”四號渡輪)

2013-12-28_Charter Flight @ DAR Intl Airport 達累斯薩拉姆國際機場·包機-10001.JPG Charter Flight @ DAR Intl Airport

(達累斯薩拉姆國際機場·小型包機 12-29-2013)

2013-12-28_Charter Flight Pilot 包機飛行員-10001.jpg Charter Flight (包機 12-28-2013)

Aerial View of Dar Es Salaam (鳥瞰達累斯薩拉姆)

2013-12-28_Selous Game Reserve A UNESCO World Heritage Site塞盧斯禁獵區·聯合國教科文組織世界遺產-20001.JPG Selous Game Reserve, Africa's Largest Protected Wildlife Area

(塞盧斯禁獵區·非洲最大的野生動物保護區 12-29-2013)

2013-12-28_Rufiji River-10001.JPG River Rufiji, the Largest in Tanzania

(魯菲吉河·坦桑尼亞最大河流)

2013-12-28_River Rufiji, the Largest Mangrove Forest in Eastern Africa 魯菲吉河·東非最大的紅樹林-50001.JPG The Rufiji, the Largest Mangrove Forest in Eastern Africa