When Animals Attack

Ok so I have never thought chickens to be the brightest creatures, but some of the things they do are just STUPID!

I was biking to Lufita market one morning. Its about 15 k away anad where I go every Wednesday to get food. I strap it all to my bike and ride back and round trip normally takes about two hours. So Im approaching the market, people are sitting out front of a maize mill, talking, sitting, whatever. I see a bunch of chickens in the road. I figure they will move....oh how Naiive I am...One rooster sees me coming and panicks, its ont he right side of the road dodging back adn forth like t doesnt know which way to run. As I pull up next to it, im just thinking "Dont, dont do it."
The stupid thing bolts across the road and runs smak into the side of my front tire. There was no suave way to handle it. With everyone lookign on, i try to slam on the brakes and dodge to the side. No dice. Just as the chicken runs into my tire I stupidly scream "Chicken!" In a high, panicked voice.
I hate to admit that this was a hit and run but it was. It hit me and I kept going, for what its worth I did glance back over my shoulder and im prett sure it didnt die.
But oooh the shame of having to bike back past those people on my way home. Yes, their was laughter and hidden smirks.

Chickens also decide its better to keep runnig down the road in stead of off to the side...as if they can out run/fly a motor car.

Goats and cows are mainly indifferent to the fast moving, possibly dinner making machines and only mozy slowly out of the way.

Speaking of cows

There are alot of oxcarts around the villages. I was riding my bike to the boma to meet some friends and had to pass an oxcart. There was only a adolecent boy driving and he was to busy staring at me to control his cart, so it weaves over towards my side of the road. Unfortunatly I see all this coming. Im too far to the right to swerve to the left. SO I try to sqeeze by. SO of course thats when the boy tries to regain control of his cows since THEY ARE HEAED STRAIGHT FOR ME. All he succeeds in doing is halting the cows just as I pull even. One cow, particularly unhappy, shakes his head violently, smacking the protruding bar of the yoke straight into my thigh. Yes, I was hit by an oxcart...a slowmoving, rickety oxcart. I managed to stay on my bike, biting back all my curses and thinking, "Damn that hurt....GAAAAAAH." I had a tiny bruise that did not even hint at the deep tissue damage that was done that cused me to yell when touched and limp for two days...