The conditions were perfect, I could feel the summer heat rising up off the dust and sand and, had I been a snake myself, I would certainly have availed myself of the opportunity to do some serious basking. But sadly I met none and returned home without having dodged any venomous fangs, knowingly at least.

I did however come across a small stagnant pond that acted as a good compass. The water in its southwestern corner was clear, but in the northeastern end it was covered in a thick layer of dust, and fragments from broken twigs, leaves. The wind of the past week had marshalled all the particles floating on the surface into the leeward corner.