June 26-28, 2018
I almost cannot believe all of what happened while on safari! On Tuesday morning we took an average-sized plane from Wilson and connected to a small plane which took us to our final destination in the Masai Mara conservancy. Upon arriving, we immediately met wi
th our guide for the next few days, Nabaala (aka Dixon). On our drive to get to the camp, we soon saw monkeys, giraffes, Thomson's gazelles, wildebeests, and a shy dik-dik. After lunch, we went back into the Mara and saw elands, zebras, impalas, topi, ostriches, and many birds! During sunset, we watched three lionesses and their seven cubs walk around a bushy and rocky area.
We woke up early the next day (Wednesday) in order to watch the sunrise on the Mara. During the morning ride we saw a group of four elephants (the females were trying to lose the male), zebras, wildebeests, warthogs, ostriches (one male and four girlfriends), grey crowned cranes, impalas, topi, Thomson's gazelle, olive baboons, spotted hyena (which watched us as we ate a picnic breakfast), birds, and a female cheetah cleaning herself after a kill. Before we returned for lunch, Nabaala took us to a Masai village where we toured the village, went inside one of the wives' homes, and were treated to a few songs/dances by the four wives in the village.
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| Baboon blending in |
After lunch, Julie, Kris, Wendell and I went on a 1.5 hour hike in the bush, following Bushmaster Lucas (he carried a gun). We observed different flora, butterflies, animal tracks, termite mounds, and acacia trees. Near the end of the hike we went to a distant ridge and stalked some giraffes. They knew we were coming...I blame Wendell and his height.
Our group met the jeep with Kaki, Kathy, and our guide, and we continued towards evening, spotting giraffes, jackals, and bat-eared foxes. The highlight was certainly watching the lion pride we found. One lioness was nursing her cubs, while another sneaked into the bush, followed closely by a male lion (I don't think she appreciated it, as there were sounds emanating from the bush that did not seem happy). Another lioness appeared (total of three) and we continued to "ooh" and "ahh" the cubs, but the main attraction was really the lion attempting to woo his lady-love. She would walk and lay down and he would follow her. This happened for quite awhile (at one point they went out of our field of vision but returned). As it was getting dark, Nabaala decided we should go on our way and begin our night ride. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your viewpoint) we had to go through the path of the lion and his attempts at lovemaking. He did not appreciate this interruption/distraction and made it well known, roaring and becoming slightly aggressive towards the jeep. Luckily for the team, I was between him and the rest of the people in the jeep, with only a yard separating his jaws from my face. Good thing I got it on video! Kathy said it was "too close for comfort" but perhaps it wasn't close enough!
As we continued on our night ride, I got to use a red lamp to spot some nocturnal animals (the light reflected in their eyes). We saw many of the same animals that we have seen throughout the trip, but a new species we saw were bushbabies, whose huge eyes glowed red from the lamp. We stalked them a bit and saw them leap from tree to tree. If you get a chance, be sure to ask Wendell and Kaki what funny thing happened that evening, a few hundred feet from the gate of the camp.
On the final morning at the Mara (Thursday), we had breakfast, packed, and readied for our final trip out of camp before getting picked up at the airfield. Right out of the gate (literally) we saw a parade of around 14 elephants. Soon after we saw a cheetah and her cubs (probably the same cheetah we saw yesterday). We found a crash of hippopotamus, a crocodile nearby, and a baboon after killing a baby gazelle (with some jackals waiting for the scraps).
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| Cheetah cubs |
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| Crocodile on the far bank |
Throughout our time at the Mara, I felt constant awe at the beauty of our surroundings, and I basked in the glory of God, displayed by the complicated system of the termite mound and the symbiotic relationship of the ant and the acacia. God is Good...
ex animo,
Stella aka Ngwaci (Sweet Potato)
What could have been in GIF form:
