We flew from Madurai back to Chennai to end the India portion of the trip. In the airport, I struck up a conversation with a perturbed New Zealander who lived in Chennai part-time. Her husband works for World Bank and was attempting to root out graft in the Indian highway department so that the WB could begin to make much needed investments in infrastructure. She hated Chennai. Everything about it. She claimed that the expat community was "greedy and snarky." That it was hard to get anything done. That she had been without water service for days, despite paying two different plumbers to do the work. "They are all nice and all, but it is just impossible to get anything done." I am sure that this is true, though her words hit me wrong...
I could understand the sentiment at the end. As our time in India was coming to an end, I was strangely torn. On one side, there was so much more wondrous stuff to see in south India---let alone the stuff people actually come to the country to check out to the north. On the other side, this place was intense---it takes a lot out of you jostling and trying not to let the poverty depress you too much. I was tired. But the last day was leisurely---lunch and shopping at the Victoria Technical Institute (which is a weird name for a government craft shop---sounds like we should have gotten a bunch of beakers and Bunsen burners...) before a fantastic Thai dinner in one of Chennai's best restaurants (less than $20 for all three of us...). Eventually, we were saying goodbye to Jeff and heading back to the airport for the trip back to Singapore.
The airport had not changed---it seemed like the same loud crowd was lounging outside. Same chaos inside. We had bought a lot at VTI so I tried haggled with a porter for help with the last of my rupees. They wanted some shockingly huge amount---of which I literally had half. They quickly accepted that rate, so I knew I was still getting ripped off. Nonetheless, I was glad for the help carrying our stuff and making it through security. The plane was shockingly orderly and quiet---I missed India as soon as we sat down in the plane as all of the Indians had shifted into Singapore mode.
As I mentioned earlier, Singapore is the perfect literary foil to Chennai (see separate posting) and we relished it on the last non-travel day of the trip. We wandered about town a bit, marveling at the cleanliness of the streets.
But the day was really about business. Zoo business.
We spent most of the day at Singapore Zoo. A fabulous park, blessed with the climate to grow tropical plants from all over. Monkeys frolicked in open green boughs, bright red birds of paradise flowers drooped over pathways, and an amazing working elephant show delighted the crowds.
After the show, we peppered one of the zoo's narrator staffers with questions. It turned out she was a native Singaporean who had lived in NYC for much of her life, so she was happy to talk to some American zooies. It was pretty fortuitous for us---we followed her around the park as she went about her duties narrating a mini-presentation in front of many primate species (she even gave us food to toss to some of the baboons). As the day was drawing to a close, our new friend Jini asked about our evening plans. When we told her that we were walking over to the Night Safari (the semi-separate and world-famous zoological park next door), she got excited and planned our evening out for us. She would ensure we had a dinner date and then meet us for a drink and give us the hookup for the evening.
After she departed we wandered around a bit until we were stopped by an odd sight. Three days before, the zoo had opened a new "free-ranging" orangutan exhibit that was basically a maze of trees with electrical wire barriers. A guy who looked suspiciously like a keeper was staring intently at one of the orangutans and occasionally blurted something in Malay. I spoke briefly to him and realized that the orangutan had already defeated his barriers---he was in a spot where he was not supposed to be and the keeper was trying to get him to go back. The plainclothes keeper did not want to make a scene but spoke loudly and threatened to throw pebbles and stones at the amused-looking red ape who seemed to enjoy the attention. As we watched, the gawky teenage orangutan (followed by a smaller young one) swung from branch to branch, working his way lower and lower on the tree. Eventually, he sat at the crux of the tree only 5 feet off the ground. Visitors walked by smiled and took pictures, assuming this was part of the exhibit. They laughed as the orangutan reached down to a cart with a large leaf in an attempt to pull something out. I was amazed, but also realized that there was nothing separating me from a very intelligent wild animal who could easily rip my arm off... The keeper got the larger orangutan back into the tree---but while he was focused elsewhere, the little guy fell to the ground with a thud. The keeper ran over, picked up the baby ape and put in a quick radio call. Moments later something amazing happened---a golf cart pulled up, the keeper put the little orangutan in the front seat, pointed to the back seat which the other orangutan dutifully scampered into, and they all rode off! It was like something out of an even worse remake of Every Which Way but Loose.
All zooies should go to the Night Safari. We've got plenty to learn from these folks. There is a shared space between the two parks that opens when the zoo closes. A restaurant, some shops, a show...plenty to keep folks busy and spending money for the 90 minutes before the other park opens. We spent much of that time kibbitzing with the Head of Animal Care and Veterinary Services for the parks. A rye and dark humored Scot who had worked in facilities around the world and knew plenty of folks at BZ. He was not entertained by the orangutan story...to him it showed how animals were viewed differently in Eastern and Western facilities. (No need to go on about it here, but the zooies might find it an interesting discussion.)
Jini cleaned up nicely and joined us for a drink while we waited for one of Jo-Elle's college friends to join us (he teaches in Singapore). Once they arrived she bid us adieu so that she could hit the bars (a side note---hopefully we convinced her to come to Chicago. If so, she is smart, gorgeous, and apparently a talented entertainer---so y'all better be nice to me). The rest of the night was spent watching binturong climbing overhead, taking overly dramatic but very impressive tram rides that seemed perilously close to some of the creatures who were very active in the lit up night. We ended the evening tired, but excited, with lots of ideas for our place of employment...
Seemingly only a few hours later, we were on a JAL flight, followed by an American flight and with nearly a day of travel, were back in Chitown---tired, but never more pleased to be back in the States.
Whatta trip.
Thanks for reading.
J
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