PHOTO FRIDAY: GIRAFFES CAN RUN

Observing animals in the wild, you get to see animals doing odd things. 

Until now, we never remember seeing a photo or video of a giraffe running at full gallop before. It's as uncoordinated-looking a thing as you've ever seen. But once they get their neck and flopping legs into it, they can really fly, as we observed when the adult male above sprinted across the road in front of our Landrover. 

Crazy. Wanna see some more crazy? Here's a photo Friday bonus:

Hippos use their short little tails to mark their territories by showering their fresh feces all over the place. Even when swimming with close friends. And no one seems to care. 

Elephants drink water late at night. And from the same source as people camping nearby do. 

Lions are just big, hairy cats. And they like to roll around and stretch like their domesticated cousins.

Cape buffalo skulls are huge. Camping is dangerous. Kip needs a haircut. Seriously.

VARANASI: PHOTO BONUS: PART DEUX

If you couldn't tell, we really liked Varanasi. Here are a few more of our favorites.

Because where else can you have a monkey with a gun, a tranced out
sadhu, and a bunch of kids all in the same photo?

A view of the main ghat from a nearby hotel balcony.

Yes. Another sadhu. These guys are awesome.

Our hilarious boatman who conned us into riding with him for two days.

Although the below video doesn't even begin to show the goings-on in an Indian street at 8 AM on a Tuesday, it might give a brief idea.  This auto rickshaw driver was incredibly proud of his new sound system, and cranked it up to get us excited for the journey to the train station.

For more poorly filmed and extremely low quality, boring Varanasi videos (are you excited yet?), check out the YouTube links here, here, and here.