Cast your minds back to January – yep, it ~does~ feel like a lifetime ago – to when I revealed my goals/plans/dreams for the upcoming year. The more eidetic amongst you will know exactly what I'm alluding to (come on guys, the clue is ~literally~ in the title). That's right, the best present I have ever received – a trip to London Zoo to meet (and greet) a colony of penguins. Eep!
Let's get down to the nitty gritty; they're nippy bastards! One penguin in particular – Gypsy, the keepers told us – was having a field day, biting my jeans, coat zip, and jumper. I've walked away with an actual battle wound, as he missed my jumper and pecked my stomach instead. (In all seriousness, it's a teeny tiny graze with a matching bruise... but it bloody well hurt!) He must have been feeling particularly generous, as he also picked a fight with Jack's lower leg. Penguins, I love ya, but your beaks are freakin' sharp.
Battle wounds aside, the rest of our experience on Penguin Beach was absolutely incredible. The penguins were so inquisitive, constantly waddling up to each of us in the enclosure. They let us stroke them quite happily, and I even managed to shake one of their flippers (although he wasn't overly pleased about that... my bad). I was actually shocked at how soft their feathers were! Although most of the lil pingus were wet, their feathers were almost silky to touch whilst, on the other hand, their flippers were rock hard and felt quite leathery.
Hands down, an ~amazing~ day (perhaps the best of my life so far, no exaggeration). I would fully recommend this experience to all you penguin lovers out there. It may be a bit pricey, and it may have only been roughly 20 minutes long, but the smile hasn't faded from my face since I stepped foot in the enclosure five hours ago. Plus, it was a present after all. I MET SOME MOTHER F'ING PENGUINS. So if you ask me, I'm a peng-winner.
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