Butt Slaps and Holy Apple Energy
I got Christopher out of bed this morning with butt slaps, yippee! :) The hydration pack was ready and filled with "Holy Apple Energy" so we could last the whole day.
Departure was at 9 o'clock and went via Merklingen, then towards Blaubeuren and further south. It was a beautiful drive that didn't feel like two hours at all. Traffic-wise, there was almost nothing going on. The sky was blue and we were really looking forward to the park.
Arrival in Salem & the Dragonfly Posers
Arriving in Salem, we looked for a nice, shady parking spot. First, we checked on our stuffed friends who had to stay in the car as a vehicle safety measure. After that, we got in line at the ticket counter. The line initially looked a bit long, but we were nonetheless very quick at the counter. It was a pity that we didn't receive printed tickets, but only a receipt.
Before entering the park, we were on a jetty. On the jetty, we saw cute little dragonflies flying back and forth in indecent positions in front of us. The only thing that distracted us from this captivating spectacle were the landing attempts of fat-bellied geese. Despite a death-defying dive, all geese were able to land safely on the water's surface without further damage. The lake inhabitants were all still alive; we recorded no casualties.
Stricter than Airport Check-in
At the entrance to the monkey enclosure, we were checked once again for monkey-proof gear and had to turn around in a circle in front of the staff. After this security check – which was stricter than any airport check-in – we entered the enclosure.
Right at the beginning, we found a group of monkeys playing by the water. Christopher immediately started taking photos and seemingly didn't stop until we were in the car ;-). It was exciting to look for the monkeys in the trees. We slowly strolled through the park with the rest of the visitor flow. Then we came to the treetop walk, but we decided to forgo this additional entrance fee. That was also the right decision.
Monkey Babies and Photo Marathon
At the first large feeding station, we were able to observe a monkey mother with her baby. She wouldn't let go of the little one. She dragged it by the leg from one feeding station to the next. The little one actually had other plans, but the mother was stronger and simply wouldn't let go.
Those who looked closely could also see beautiful mushrooms and pretty little birds. The park rangers were always present and willing to answer questions. We learned that the oldest monkey is currently 25 years old. Overall, the oldest monkey had lived to be 29 years old.
The monkeys sometimes came very close to us. Unfortunately, you were no longer allowed to feed them. Likewise, a minimum distance of about two meters should be maintained.
Since one lap wasn't enough for us, we watched the monkeys for a second round and experienced funny moments. For example, we witnessed a quarrel in one of the three monkey groups at Affenberg (Monkey Mountain). A small monkey can get very loud.
We were able to take many beautiful pictures, as can already be seen here. By 1:30 PM, we felt a small hole in our stomachs. Thereupon, we left the monkey enclosure, found a nice, secluded bench in the green, and ate our melon as well as salami sticks and mountain cheese.
The Jetty Shared Flat with Carp and Grass Snake
After the refreshment, we then went to see Emil and his wives—the fallow deer. Before that, however, we had to cross the lake. The park owners were kind enough and had built a jetty over part of the lake a long time ago. Since some of the boards were rather rotten, thick carp were now supporting the jetty. The carp were watched by a grass snake and driven to work. Ducks were also available if needed. However, they were busy quacking and butt-fishing attempts for seaweed.
Emil and his Shy Harem
Right after the entrance to the deer enclosure, it was nice to see the different antlers of the respective animal species on display. For example, a moose and a reindeer antler could be admired, and also touched. A few steps further, we could see Emil's harem. He mostly stayed in the shade between the trees and gave a shy impression.
On the way through the enclosure, we couldn't resist a small obstacle course over a lake offshoot. Viki cut an excellent figure, especially as she clung to Christopher, who had to juggle the camera. The spectacle was so interesting that Emil's lady had an eye on us. She pretended it was because the grass behind us was so green, but in truth, she only had eyes for us.
In the end, we also passed the stork sanctuary and could see several stork nests. We also watched the four seasons in the monkey cinema and could thus see the other seasons in the park. We considered whether we wanted to adopt more stuffed friends, but we came to the conclusion: There were enough children that day who needed a cuddly toy.
Viki's Book Emergency Landing
On the way back, we passed a public bookshelf. Viki barely managed to restrain herself from jumping out of the moving vehicle. Christopher tried to reach a stopping position as quickly as possible, but Viki had already opened the door beforehand and was gone without her smartphone and without saying goodbye. Christopher first had to take a deep breath and come to terms with the idea of being single again immediately. Then he realized: Viki just wanted to go to the books. However, finding a parking space was a bit more complicated, as apparently many people wanted to visit the bookshelf.
After several rounds in the nearby parking lot, Christopher tried the hospital parking lot, where he found what he was looking for. A nice couple gave him their parking ticket, which was still valid for several hours. After a walk that felt like an eternity, he then found Viki, who had already realized her mistake and was desperately looking for her sweetheart without her smartphone.
Reunited, we then went together toward Lake Constance. However, we couldn't find a nice path. So we decided to go to an EDEKA (supermarket) and buy Toffifee chocolate as well as Seeradler (a type of shandy/radler). The chocolate was immediately nibbled on, but we saved the beer for the evening.
The return trip was also wonderful. We then ended the evening with a tasting of the Seeradler and a cold platter. It was a very beautiful day. Thank you, Christopher.
PS: Stuffed friends were left in the vehicle for car safety. Bad behavior was punished by not being fed Milka chocolate. I still have an earache.