Saturday, January 28, 2006
It's Not the Bark
It’s the silent ones that bite
When you run in South America you must learn that the roads are owned by the dogs. This means that when the large dogs bark you stop. When the small dogs run after you, yelping and yipping, you stop and walk by as they continue to yelp, like large scary ferocious dogs that they think they are. There are those dogs that lie in the middle of the road, looking at you, and you must run out of your way to avoid them, even though they rarely even turn their head. Occasionally you may cross paths with a dog that runs from you behind its fence, where it stands growling, but this feat is no victory.
I thought that the dogs and I had come to a mutual understanding and peace. I accepted the roads belonged to small dogs and big dogs alike, and I was only a guest. This meant, however disruptive it was during runs, that meeting up with a dog or pack of dogs I would stop, stand still, and then walk by and they would bark and growl, but never bite. Yesterday afternoon, this agreement was thrown out the window, by one seemingly harmless dog. As I Approached, it began to walk slowly towards me. I pressed stop on my timer and came to a halt. At that very moment, this small dog decided to chomp into my calve. However, he did not know that I had calves of steal from walking to my vilcabamba home atop a small mountain, and fortunately did not break skin.
Whatever they say about the bark and the bite, in Ecuador it’s not true. The bark has nothing do to with the bite.
When you run in South America you must learn that the roads are owned by the dogs. This means that when the large dogs bark you stop. When the small dogs run after you, yelping and yipping, you stop and walk by as they continue to yelp, like large scary ferocious dogs that they think they are. There are those dogs that lie in the middle of the road, looking at you, and you must run out of your way to avoid them, even though they rarely even turn their head. Occasionally you may cross paths with a dog that runs from you behind its fence, where it stands growling, but this feat is no victory.
I thought that the dogs and I had come to a mutual understanding and peace. I accepted the roads belonged to small dogs and big dogs alike, and I was only a guest. This meant, however disruptive it was during runs, that meeting up with a dog or pack of dogs I would stop, stand still, and then walk by and they would bark and growl, but never bite. Yesterday afternoon, this agreement was thrown out the window, by one seemingly harmless dog. As I Approached, it began to walk slowly towards me. I pressed stop on my timer and came to a halt. At that very moment, this small dog decided to chomp into my calve. However, he did not know that I had calves of steal from walking to my vilcabamba home atop a small mountain, and fortunately did not break skin.
Whatever they say about the bark and the bite, in Ecuador it’s not true. The bark has nothing do to with the bite.
// posted by Becca @ 2:30 PM 
