Then, in the morning, I found out that Mark had it, too, so it wasn't just me. When I saw him lying there wincing, I was genuinely happy. I can't talk right now. I watching hippos. That's the first and last time I'll ever be able to use that excuse.
Hippos are scary because they're mean, and because they can vanish under the water without a trace.
How something so big can be so stealthy is yet another wonder of the natural world. The hostel was run by another macho bullshitter, Richard, who balked when I wouldn't have a drink. He was bonking a young Dutch girl on two weeks' holiday. I couldn't figure out who was more pathetic in that arrangement. I'd seen him a few times in Cape Town.