Holidays...part 6

Tuesday

Today dawned a bit brighter – the sun was shining and the sky was blue when we awoke, however, that soon changed and the grey clouds rolled in.  We decided to go to Cerza Zoo today – we had seen a flyer and thought it looked good.  Typical, it started to rain just as we arrived!  We paid a hefty €51 to get in to what we were expecting to be a small regional zoo.

Rude tapir

We were wrong, very wrong, this was possibly the best zoo we have ever been to.  Not only were there loads of animals, but the enclosures were massive and although you hardly saw a zoo keeper, all the animals looked in pristine condition.

There were two routes to walk – a red and a yellow.  We decided on the red first – which turned out to be the African animals.  However, the first place we went to was the reptile house – with snakes, fish, a rather good looking iguana, alligators, tortoises etc. and then a bird house full of lorikeets, a kookibura and other exotic birds. 

We then headed out to Africa.  First stop was an enormous field (20 acres) full of giraffe, rhino, ostriches and cows.  Anyone who knows me well, knows that giraffes are my favourite animals, and they were in good form.  They were all feeding by a look out so we went up to see them and they put on a great display for us.  They were of all different shapes, sizes but mainly colours –  there were light coloured ones, dark coloured ones – some with distinct lines, others not so, a real mismatch of markings, certainly not all of one kind.  None of them were doing the funny tongue thing that the daddy giraffe was doing in Dalton zoo the other day, but even so we (particularly I) enjoyed it.

Tom and a lion

We then carried on into the African zone where we saw hyenas, painted dogs, zebras, pygmy hippos, red river hogs (very pretty piggies), cheetahs and lions.  The lions were absolutely magnificent.  Ramses – the man was a very handsome fella, he looked as if he had just been to the hairdresser and he was very proud of his girls.  There were also 3 cubs.  The enclosure was designed so that there was a hide in the middle of it, we headed to it and enjoyed seeing them all.  Unfortunately none of them were playing ball – and wouldn’t look at us to have a nice photo taken, but he was definitely a pin up lion – and he knew it – he even gave us a lesson of the bees and birds to prove it!

White Tiger

Once done in Africa we went to the restaurant for lunch – all very formulaic fast food– but nice enough and it fortified us for the next trail – the yellow trail which took us into Asia, N & S America and Australia.  It was a long old trail, however, we had plenty to see.  Tom didn’t stop once – he was very excited by the whole thing.  We saw tapiers, spectacled bears, brown bears, camels (not mangy which was nice), bison,  gibbons, otters (fast asleep),  and white tigers.  The white tigers put on quite a display for us.  There were 5 of them all together, mum, dad and 3 cubs born in April.  They came to stand by our look out for quite a while and stared straight at us, did some yawning, played a bit and then went for a wander off.  Matt couldn’t quite believe his luck (tigers are his favourite) he smiled for the rest of the day.  They were very magnificent.

We then searched out a drink each – although it was a cool, damp, rainy sort of a day it was thirsty work watching these animals.  Tom then had a go on the children’s safari (a little train which went round a track decorated with lots of big soft safari animals).  The guy running it was so good that he gave them a free second turn.

Nik and friends

We then went to see a 3D film – a cartoon all in French, but the message was very right on – humans are bad as they cause all the other animals on the earth to suffer through their selfishness.  Tom almost started to cry when a cartoon snake came out at him on the 3d screen: this, the boy who sat through D-Day footage yesterday with not flicker of concern!!!!!

We then went on the safari train which took us around other parts of the zoo which can’t be seen on foot – including the regular tigers. 

All in all it was a wonderful day out.  The only thing missing really was elephants. I have a feeling we will be back.

Tom fell asleep in the car almost immediately and didn’t wake up when we got back to the campsite.  In the end we had to wake him up otherwise he would have missed his tea.

Happy iguana

Tea was pasta and sausages, all cooked on the stove as it was raining (again!)  After dinner, the weather cheered up a bit so we went outside to play boules.  Before too long the children who moved into the tent next to us last night were out watching and eventually they joined in.  The rest of the evening was spent playing with them (Owen 8 and William 3 from Guernsey).  First boules, then table tennis, then silly running around.  All good stuff.  Once again it was almost 10pm before Tom went to bed, but another good day.