Whiskers

#shortstory #adventure #deardiary #comedy

Dear Diary,

Have you ever tried going for a walk in the desert? Not many people have. There is something about walking around your neighbourhood enjoying the beauty it offers while meditating on your thoughts. I find it to be very relaxing. Can you imagine what that must feel like in a desert? A vast open terrain with no buildings, no traffic but sand dunes covering the landscape as far as the eye can see.

I want to see what it's like being in a desert, jumping onto my computer at home I searched for a desert near me. The internet got a bit confused I think, it was pulling the nearest dessert shops instead. Changing my search and clicking around for a little bit I eventually found a place that caught my interest. It wasn't close but since I had some vacation days left, I figured I can take a couple days off to go on this new adventure.

[2 weeks later...]

The adventure took me to Tatacoa desert, Columbia. Of all the deserts in the world this one I think is the smallest. 205 square miles and based on the brochures you can walk through within a day or two. For my first desert experience, I think it's a GREAT size!

Getting here, it took a plane, a bus, and a Tuk-Tuk ride. The Tuk-Tuk rides are so much fun! It's like a mini scooter bus on three wheels and they come in different colours too. The horns on these things are too cute, it wants to sound mean, but instead it comes out like a congested squeak. Some that pass by their motors actually sound like they are tuk-tuk-ing away. My Tuk-Tuk driver was really nice, they showed me around town and guided me around the desert as well. When ever there was a long stretch we needed to go, they would turn up the mini radio they travelled with and, would sing to each song the little box played. I tried joining in at certain points but all the songs they played were in Spanish.

...

Arriving at the desert was more than I could ever imagine. The landscape is mostly flat but there are plains and valleys you can explore and out of the whole place those were my favourite. Walking down the valley, this desert's made of two parts, the red desert and the grey desert. This place has some out worldly sand formations. The way the formations intertwine and flow with each other is something I would expect to find under water, not on dry land. And the plants, let me tell you, the plants here are so big, and colourful, I mean they must love living here to grow roots that deep. Most of the plants here are cactuses and the larger ones I've come across had fruit, FRUIT! Who knew!

This place is like a hidden oasis, more like a mini rainforest than a desert, but the wild life walking around here quickly removes any doubt of where you are. The weather is warm, with clear skies with the occasional cloud passing through, temperatures were reaching 30 degrees celsius.

Exploring the valley I come across an interesting creature. This thing was a sky scraper, it had got to be a least 6 times my size, it had 4 heads and each one grew in the direction it liked best. Some were taller than the other but not by much, and each one had similar features except one. 3 of the 4 heads that were growing had puffy thorn tips. It's like they were giving porcupines a run for their many. From where I was standing they looked very thin almost like whiskers.... a plant that grows whiskers...that's it! This plants name is now whiskers.

Taking a quick picture, I save it to my phone, and continue exploring the grounds looking to see if whiskers has other friends in the area that are just as unique.