The Thinker
We didn’t much notice the wildlife all around us for the first couple of days. Then we started to spot photo opportunities as we walked around…then, it seemed, the wildlife was hell bent on visiting us in our beautiful villa, so close as we were to the lagoon that transcends the Anantara Peace Haven Resort.
Actually, I think it was the fact that the next door villa was empty after the first couple of days that started to score us so many visitors. The peacocks were especially keen visitors.
Janie also started spotting creatures on her way to the tennis court just before 8:00 in the morning. This black giant squirrel on 7th January, for example.
But we didn’t need to leave our villa to see squirrels – although we didn’t get visitations from the giant ones.
Not just squirrels – also mongeese. This little fella came to visit us in our own garden:
Soon Janie and I were competing to get the best pictures of these majestic creatures. This one of mine from the comfort of my own lounger…
…this one of Janie’s in the field beside the tennis court, where this particular peacock. whom we named “Showoff” resided.
“Why did we name him Showoff?”, I hear many a reader cry. I finally managed to catch him in action on our last day. I suppose this photo of a peacock display is that species’ equivalent of a dick pic.
We saw some wonderful creatures on our afternoon at Mama’s kitchen, as some of the bird species clearly like to hang out on the rice paddy field.
But the stars of the show were the grey langurs. Janie started spotting them in the mornings near our villa when she was coming down for tennis. She absolutely hit paydirt on our penultimate full day, a few villa doors down from ours:
I thought that the pictures she took that morning were just stunning. Two of the best above. I even forgave her for being late for tennis as a result:
Meanwhile the housekeeping staff tried to make us laugh with their towel art of wildlife. Here are the best two examples:
On our very last day, almost as if to say goodbye to us, the family of grey langurs came and stopped by on the next door roof and then our villa. That’s when I managed to snap “The Thinker”.
I also attempted some video, which I have yet to assess. Frankly I think it should almost all…or perhaps even all…end up on the metaphorical cutting room floor. Attenborough I ain’t.
It really was a treat to see so much wildlife in such close proximity to us.