Snakes in the house

Day: 173-174 Stage three / total expedition days 564-565

Sunrise:
05:34-05:33

Sunset:
18:38-18:39

Total kilometers:
5771 Km

Temperature - Day (maximum):
41° degrees, in the sun approx. 63°

Temperature - Night:
19° degrees

Latitude:
23°18'28.1"

Longitude:
144°22'24.5"

Bimbah-Camp – 05.11.2002 – 06.11.2002

The days here on Bimbah pass like a dream. Although we hardly move, eat well and have cheerful conversations, we hardly seem to have recovered so far. We still feel how empty and exhausted we are. Apparently our tanks are not only empty but completely dry. Tanja reads magazines every day, which are available in large quantities here. I try my hand at writing, but hardly get anything done. The experiences and adventures that write the book of our lives do not want to take shape in letters. My thoughts are completely blocked.

We talk to Rowley in the evening. “Have you ever had snakes in your house like the other residents of the ward?” I’m interested. “Yes. One night I woke up to go to the toilet. I was drunkenly staggering along when I suddenly saw a Brown Snake on the tiles in front of me. I tell you, I was wide awake in an instant. When I tried to drive it out of the house, I discovered a second snake. That was a real scare.” “How did they get into the house?” “One of us must have left the door open.” “And how do you get two snakes out again without being bitten?” “It wasn’t easy to get them out because they can’t move easily on the tiled floor.” “Hm, and how did you manage it then?” “I jumped up and down. The ground vibrations drove them out. It just took a long time.” “So, did you let them go? Surely they’ll come back?” “The best tool is a shotgun. I don’t kill snakes out in the wild, but I have no other choice next door or in the house. They’re too dangerous.” “Sounds really scary. When I think about walking to the toilet in the dark at night and suddenly stepping on a poisonous snake? Huuuuaa,” I shout and my whole body shakes.

“I can tell you another snake story. A few years ago, we were sitting in front of the TV in a good mood when suddenly something moved on the cupboard. We had to look twice before we recognized the python that was cozily slithering along the cupboard wall.” “How big was it?” “Oh, a good two meters.” “Two meters? Quite long, isn’t it?” “Not for a python. They can easily be four meters long.” “And how does the story continue?” “I tried to catch it but it fled behind the cupboard wall. I later dismantled the cupboard and slid forward but she had disappeared. I then discovered the hole in the ceiling. It is an opening through which the antenna cable is fed. Of course I sealed it. We haven’t seen the snake since. I’m sure it’s still living up there on the roof.” “Hm, an idiosyncratic pet,” I reply with a grin.