So Tim made me take the time off work but wouldn't tell me what he had planned. The only he said on Friday night was that we couldn't stay up all night because we needed to be up the following morning to kick off the festivities. That night we went out for a couple birthday drinks and feasted on indian curries before turning in for the night.
The next morning we got up, got ready and set out. I still had no idea what we were going to do but after walking a few minutes we arrived at a bus stop that we don't usually frequent. In standard Wellington fashion the skies were grey and overcast with spitting rain and the bus was 20 minutes late for no apparent reason. But despite what I would normally consider small annoyances I couldn't have been more happy because I didn't have to go in to work. :) The bus finally arrived, we boarded and soon I realized that we were getting off at the zoo. It's one of our favorite Welly experiences so I was thrilled to be visiting the various critters that live there. As we were walking in Tim handed me a $10 bill and said, "Why don't you grab us a couple chais and I'll get our tickets?". Oblivious me thought nothing of this as I palmed the money and popped into the cafe to put in our order. While I was ordering Tim appeared at my side and we decided to also grab a scone and have our treats at the cafe instead of taking them to go. Sitting at the table sipping our tea and taking bites of our scone I spied the map that Tim had picked up when he got our tickets. Someone had drawn a circle around the Tuck Shop where you can buy snacks and drinks and I thought, "Ah, they recycle the maps if they're not too damaged so this must be one that some prior patron had had during their visit". I mentioned this to Timmy and he agreed that must be it.
As we walked through the entryway and in to the zoo proper we saw an announcement that hospital staff were, at that very moment, conducting a routine exam of one of their sea otters. So we headed over to The Nest where we were to watch the doctors and nurses exam the sea otter, Bud. One of the docs was wearing an earpiece/microphone and was explaining what was happening throughout the exam. I was fascinated as I find anatomy and physiology so amazing; eagerly watching and listening to take in everything that was happening. I know this kind of stuff isn't Timmy's cup of tea but he was willing to watch with me. That is, for a few minutes. To get my attention he lightly touched my arm and I looked over to see a worried countenance looking back at me. He said, "Can we go, I can't watch this stuff?". To be perfectly honest I was a little disappointed but I wasn't going to argue the point as he was visibly uncomfortable.
From The Nest we walked up the path towards the Tuck Shop and just before it Timmy stopped and took my hands in his. He said, "Ok, I had to get you up here right at this moment in time.....". At this point I still wasn't sure what was coming but excitement buzzed through my entire being. :) Then I snapped back to reality just in time for him to say, "....we're about to meet up with two of the zookeepers to do a Red Panda Close Encounter....", as he was pulling two lanyards out from an inner pocket in his jacket. They had a Red Panda on each and said "I'm Getting Up Close". At that moment tears welled in my eyes at the thoughtfulness of this gift; the red pandas are by far my favorite critters at our zoo and I was about to meet them. I wanted to cry and jump up and down at the same time but instead I grabbed Timmy for hug and kiss. There wasn't really time for anything else because just then as we were donning our lanyards the two zookeepers came walking towards us. They gathered us up along with another couple that was doing to close encounter and the six of us walked a little ways up to the red panda enclosure. The keepers inquired if the close encounter was a gift and the other couple replied that they were celebrating their recent engagement. We then told them that it would be my birthday the following day. Everyone was all smiles. At this point I was still reeling and trying to get my mind to catch up with what was happening: we were about the enter the enclosure and feed the red pandas named Ishah and Amy. Before entering the enclosure they went through the safety rules and what stuck out in my mind was that while we were allowed to pet them on the back and head we were to avoid trying to hug them. :) And we were told that they have sharp teeth and claws so, just like with other animals, it is best to hold your palm flat when there's food in it. From there we were allowed through the second gate where we crowded together and locked the door before they opened the door to the enclosure. We were each given a cushion to sit on and were directed to sit down; the other couple perched on a downed log and Timmy and I sat down on two side by side tree stumps. I kid you not before I could even get my bearings as to where the beautiful creatures were I found myself with a lapful of red panda! Ishah had jumped up on my lap the instant I sat down and I was face to face with a red and white visage that was most definitely asking, "You have treats for me?". While I quickly realized that they have been conditioned to associate people with food I was still amazed that they were completely without fear when they saw the big, strange looking creatures that were us. We happily spent the next 35 minutes feeding these two AMAZING creatures pieces of apple, pear, whole grapes and slices of banana with the peel still attached. It was soon apparent that Ishah, the one that stayed with us the majority of our visit, loved the pieces of banana. What was interesting was that he would grab one of the pieces from our hands and with one of his hands he would reached up and hold the banana while he dispatched of the peel and then gobbled up the good inside part. :) The keepers were kind enough to answer our numerous questions, snap photos of us and keep us supplied with fruit for our new found friends. At one point Tim held a grape between his index finger and thumb at about shoulder level. I had to laugh as I watched Ishah take one of his paws and grab Tim's hand to bring the grape down to mouth level so he could eat it. It was obvious that they are very intelligent animals.
We learned that the name "panda" simply means "bamboo eater" and was actually given to the red panda before it was applied to the great black and while pandas that we all think of when we hear the word. Both pandas eat incredible amounts of bamboo and have special extra bone adaptation in their hand. While it isn't a thumb as we have it eases the process of eating bamboo.
Amy and Ishah are a breeding pair and their latest heir, Manasa, also resides at the Wellington Zoo but we didn't see him that day because he had taken a bad fall and broke his leg. So the medical team was taking care of him at The Nest. I queried the keepers as to whether red pandas have litters or just a cub at a time and learned that they usually have only one but twins happen from time to time. An amazing thing about red pandas is that the females are only able to get pregnant just one day a year! I couldn't believe that and wondered why they weren't on the brink of extinction. As the timing of pregnancies can be challenging for many species, including humans, I cannot imagine, how they manage a once a year chance. Wow!
Red pandas are indigenous to the Himalayas and so they are equipped to handle extended time in very cold conditions. Their paws are stout and sturdy and the bottoms have pads like cats or dogs but they also have fur on the surface to help them manage time on ice, snow and climbing slippery tree branches. Their coats are the most amazing coppery hue. Their quintessential red color comes from a semi course top coat that protects a much darker and softer base layer of fur. As cubs red pandas are born with all their fur but it starts out as the dark undercoat until they develop the red top layer. By far the softest part of the red panda is the tail which I did not expect. The keepers told us that on cooler days it is common for Ishah and Amy to be curled up high in the trees with their tails curled around their faces like soft, downy mufflers. :) I felt a kinship with them as scarf lover, I'm always sporting one, and as a red head. Although their brilliant color puts my hair to shame! Simply gorgeous.
Alas, our time in the enclosure came to an end, as you can imagine, when the treats were gone and Ishah and Amy had retreated into the trees for some grooming. For very fastidious creatures I felt a little bad that we had been petting them with fingers sticky from the fruit. In the end it was an incredible experience and I was so excited to share it with Timmy; we had a ball. And, while it's so surprise, Timmy must be commended for planning something so amazing and paying such close attention to detail so I wouldn't have a clue until the moment he told me what was happening. :)
We said our goodbyes to the red panda pair and thanked the zoo keepers for taking us through the encounter. From there we floated around the rest of the zoo on a cloud. We walked through "The Neighbors" exhibit where the Australian critters live; I'll always be amazed that the kangaroos and wallabies are just out and about. They could cross your path at any time but none of them seem to be upset by the people walking around in their home.
We stopped by the Tasmanian devil enclosure but were unable to see the little black beasts as they were resting in their huts. On our way out we stopped to see the dingo and all I can say is that he is not worried about anything. Apparently, naps are his #1 priority. :)
From there we backtracked through the Asian Precinct where was saw the sun bears and tigers. After that was made our way to the lion enclosure to see the two male lions they are housing. One was pacing right next to the lower level window which was a trippy experience because you could sit there, just inches away from this giant cat, and lock eyes with him every time he passed. It sent shivers down my spine.
Lastly, we visited the kiwi house and saw one of the football like creatures jostling through the foliage. And before we left for the day we spent some time watching a pair of little blue penguins that were peaking out from their box.
At reception we returned our lanyards and were given our "Close Encounter" certificates. The woman working their said, "Did you survive the cuteness?!" to which we laughed and said, "Yes! They were amazing." And that would be the understatement of the day. What an INCREDIBLE experience.
As we walked out of the zoo we saw that the bus that would take us home was just pulling away and we would not make it. Sigh. Oh well. Instead of waiting we decided to walk into Newtown and when we arrived Tim whisked me into The Mediterranean Food Warehouse for their amazing tiramisu. As we were savoring the scrumptious flavors we were eyeing the back of the store were they have all kinds of Mediterranean food and a meat and cheese counter. Not surprisingly we made short work of the tiramisu and then decided to walk through the store. Um, yeah. As soon as we started looking around I knew we would leave there with some treats. Perusing the different types of pasta, sauces, cheeses, oils and wine my mind was flooded with memories from our time in Rome. Of our European "tour" last year Rome was by far my favorite stop and that had everything to do with the food. :) After an hour drooling over their wares we left with some buffalo mozzarella stuffed ravioli, homemade pesto sauce, artichoke hearts in oil and spices, hummus filled sweet peppers, stuffed grape leaves, a bottle of Moscato and a little Grappa (grape based, Italian brandy). While we hadn't planned this stop our jaunt through the store was a total blast. From there we went home and feasted on all these goodies. YUM.
After lounging the remainder of the afternoon away we got a little dressed up and went out to dinner. We've wanted to try a place called Chow that is popular for their Asian fusion cuisine and fancy cocktail list. Smartly, we put in a reservation earlier in the day to make sure that we could get a table and sure enough the place was crammed with people. We had a little table towards the back of the restaurant and settled in to peruse the menu. I ordered a round of chai inspired cocktails called Double Dragon; they were an interesting combination of what you might expect from the tried and true Manhattan with a hint of spice to finish each sip. For eats we went for veggie summer rolls and spicy tofu that was served with sweet chili sauce. Our main was a "Jungle" curry served up full of veggies and tofu in a coconut milk gravy and ladled over rice. We made short work of everything and soon were off to pay the bill because we had a game to catch. The Hurricanes were playing the Austrailan Waratahs. I've always thought their name sounds like some kind of animal but it's actually a flower. A funny contradiction that a rough and tumble rugby team would share a name with a posy. :) Unfortunately, our guys were unsuccessful but we took in the majority of the game with the bar largely to ourselves. With about twenty minutes left to play two decidedly different groups of people descended on the bar. The first was a group of scantily clad girls that were unable to walk in their fabulous shoes. Come on, girls, you need to practice in your living room. :) They spent their time hobbling to and from the bathroom for no apparent reason. Now this was entertaining in it's own right but then the second group burst through the doors singing, "Hey oh ay, oh ay, oh ay"; a stag party that had begun what appeared to be days before they ended up at this particular bar. In the end we made our departure after the final horn sounded with our Hurricanes unable to rally at the end. Oh well. We scampered home in good spirits and collapsed in to bed. After the excitement of the day we were exhausted. :)
The following morning I was told to pick any brunch place I desired so we went to Food Inc (Finc). Timmy got the blueberry pancakes smothered with berries and heavy cream. To. Die. For. I had a bee in my bonnet and decided to try their special of Yemenese pancakes. I wasn't sure what to expect but when they came out I would best describe them as crepe-like. They were piled high and drizzled with ginger syrup and topped with creamy yogurt. In a word: delicious. :)
To round out the weekend that night we went to see The Amazing Spiderman 2 complete with treats of ice cream and popcorn. We happily gobbled our snacks before the movie even began and then settled in for the show. It was really good. A tear-jerker: I cried at one point and I rarely cry at movies. :)
All in all we had an incredible weekend thanks to Timmy's picture perfect planning of the red panda close encounter. And I can't emphasize enough how relieved I am to be moving ahead with my work. Having that weight lifted made every experience, every treat all the the more enjoyable. All I can say is that I'm a lucky girl. :)
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