"The airline is on strike," the Concierge told me. We'd
just returned to the hotel in
"Don't worry," he continued. "I will arrange for a car and driver. It's only about three hundred miles, and the countryside is beautiful."
The next morning, we found the Concierge had, indeed, made arrangements. A bright yellow car with bold letters "taxi" painted on both sides was waiting. After reaching agreement the meter would not be running, we settled for a reasonable charge.
It was the longest cab ride we'd ever had; but as we entered the
outskirts of
I suggested he pull over to the side of the road and flag down a local taxi. Our new driver knew where the hotel was.
Lulu and I were staying at a seaside resort on the
Halfway to
A barefooted boy approached with a surprise for Lulu. He was carrying a fruit bat with a wingspread of at least three feet. This was a big one, and the youngster was proud of it.
Having never seen a fruit bat before, I was fascinated. Its body was about the size of a small rabbit and mink in color. It was really quite handsome although obviously uncomfortable by the way it was being held.
The elephant had disappeared behind a lumber mill, and Lulu turned in time to hear the boy say, "You want a fruit bat?" She screamed as he thrust it towards her; the driver drove off in a rush.
Not too many people have a close encounter with a fruit bat.