Why a Hippo???

So here we are at the beginning of our blogging relationship. I have never had much luck with blogs, I usually post three or four times and then lose interest and forget about the whole project. I hope that this blog-experience will be different. This time I have a purpose for creating this timeless treasure, which I hope that you, the reader, will continue to frequent as I take a journey to Mozambique, Africa in search of the species hippopotamus amphibius.

Why a Hippo???

Well, as I have been preparing for my trip, I have been trying to read as much about the continent of Africa, and the country of Mozambique as I can find. Today, I was reading With Both Hands Waving: A journey through Mozambique, by Justin Fox. It has been an interesting read. The author writes for a travel magazine in South Africa, and took a 10-day trip through Mozambique soon after they had ended their civil war in the mid-90s. I believe the magazine was hoping to boost tourism and help the economy by publishing a few articles about the country. As I have been reading, I really enjoy his writing style and how he shares the story of the adventure in such a conversational way.

This afternoon, I had this realization that left me a bit stunned as I read. I noticed his multiple mentions of many hippopotamus sightings. These were not hippos in zoos, these were not in books or stuffed toys, these were hippos in their natural habitat. And this is when it hit me, I'm going to a country that is like nothing that I have ever seen or experienced. I'm going to a country that has wild hippopotamus that roam free.

This chronicles my quest for a hippo! Trust me, there is more to this trip, and that will be shared all in due course.

jb