Category: African Safari

This morning, no dogs chasing Impala through the camp. We set off for Mokoro canoes. Our drive led us past Giraffes which are commonly seen in the am. There were 50 or so Cape Buffalo in a similar spot as last night. We checked on the newborn Ostriches but could not see any as the male Ostrich was now sitting on the nest. We made it to a shallow marsh on the edge of the Okavango Delta where 3 Mokoro Canoes were waiting. Each canoe held 2 plus a guide who used a long pole to push the canoe through the marsh. We plied the waters between day water lilies and tall marsh grass. The canoes felt very unstable though no one tipped over. We found frogs, well, after they were pointed out to us and really they were only a foot from our faces. Katie and I find many sticks and bushes that look like animals but aren’t. The frogs make this bell like sound at night, a huge chorus, but they are only an inch long. The trip was short and we were back in the Landcruiser by 8. We found a small pride of Lions laying in the shade with their bellies distended and there legs smeared with blood. A morning kill obviously. We watched as 2 young lions took turns cleaning each other. We came across some Elephants that were doing their daily move from the woodland to the water but they had stopped to let the baby elephants lie down and rest. I was fascinated that the females stood surrounding the sleeping baby, each looking out in a different direction. The rest of the way back to camp was hot and dusty, all of us trying to spot Leopards but to no avail. The tracks were there on the ground but we could not find their resting spot. Again we saw the wild dogs resting in the shade. After brunch, we said goodbye to Pavel and Alice as they are off to another camp. Time for a siesta on our veranda. There are Giraffe and Impalas in the distance. Part of our siesta was spent at the lodge pool. G&Ts with Kudu’s visiting the waterhole in the background. We set off on a safari to the East for the first time at this camp. The landscape was mostly dry with an occasional pan. Few large animal sightings though we had fun identifying birds. Judith and I have taken to ticking off a provided animal list as we see them. No Bingo yet but close. Our guide and tracker drove around a pan that they knew was frequented by a young female mother Leopard. He stopped, broke out binoculars which is rare, read prints in the dirt and then gave up driving slowly away while muttering where are you mother. A couple hundred yards on he’s eyeballing some Impalas in the distance. They have begun straining up their necks and directing their heads towards the pan. He spun the vehicle around and approached the pan from around a corner. There was the Leopard at the waters edge. We slowly advanced and positioned the Landcruiser in the path of her suspected departure. A small group of Zebras marched in from the side, right at the Leopard. In fact, as the Leopard passed by they followed and seemed to be taunting her. Apparently Zebras, unless very young, are too much for a Leopard and I guess they knew it. We followed the Leopard to thick brush that forced us to stop. We made a large circle around the bush. Somehow we arrived right at the Leopard’s exit point from the Mapone forest. She moved into the open savannah passing within feet of us. She climbed up an old tree stump for a better view over the grass, clearly hunting. We were back in front of her path when she spotted a family of Kudu in the distance. She slowly sank into the grass and patiently waited as the sun dropped from the sky. We watched for a while but moved back to the pan for a sundowner of cocktails. In the distance a family of Elephants watched us. The guide knew they were thirsty so we stayed pretty quiet and slowly they moved towards the pan. First the largest female, then the second largest, then the young one who positioned themself between the two females to drink, then finally the youngest. The sun set and slowly the Elephants moved away, not before tossing dirt on their back to keep the bugs off. Another great safari. High Fives and Pula (cheers) all around. The skills and knowledge of these guides and trackers is unbelievable. It feels almost scripted but it is not. A night drive back to camp and a dinner set up under the stars. 

We decided to go on a last morning safari before our flight out. Josiah, our driver, planned a route towards the airport but included stops at the newborn Ostriches, now 5 in number, and of course Elephants, Giraffes, boy Impalas chasing each other, Kudus, and a variety of birds including a Wattled Crane we had not seen before. We spent a bit of time searching tracks in the dirt as there was a confused pattern of lion and leopard prints on the ground. Our tracker was out of the car some 100 yards from us searching for them. That doesn’t seem wise now, does it. We did find 5 young female and 1 male Lion in the shade of a bush not far away and a male Lion resting in the shade of a tree on a termite hill. We had morning break at the bush airport with a number of other guests that were leaving. EZ flight to Maun then connected to a flight to Capetown. In route now. I should be able to get reasonable internet access at the hotel in Capetown so hope to post some of this soon.

it was brought to my attention that some of the picture pages were not loading properly I think I have fixed that up to Botswana. Check out Pictures of our lives/Around the World. Thanks for checking.

EZ 20 minute flight over quite a bit of burned ground. You could see areas still on fire. At Splash camp we quickly unpacked and then set off on an evening safari with Josiah and Gomms as our driver/guide and tracker. Many herds of Giraffe and even more Elephants. The first Giraffes we saw were eating huge sausages out of a sausage tree. They were struggling with sausages only at the furthest of their reach, their long tongues way out trying to grab them. Some would try swallowing them whole but then end up spitting them out like they were choking on them. The Elephants  seemed to be all over the place and we followed some for a short while to a watering hole where they drank and bathed. The landscape was burnt in many areas and even smoldering in some. The main fire went through about 10 days before. Surprisingly there were new shoots of green grass coming up in some of the burned areas. Close by were pristine watering holes with green vegetation everywhere. Many Lechwe, Impalas, Tssesabe, Kudus, and Hippos. A sundowner at a pan provided another stunning sunset. The 1 hour drive back to camp in the dark provided views of a Verreaux Owl and Springhares. Just before camp the guide and tracker heard Wild Dogs, one of the most endangered mammals in Africa. We drove to them only to see if they appeared hungry. They don’t like to interfere with diurnal animals during the night so our stay was very brief and with no direct lights. The guide guaranteed a hunt by the dogs in the morning as they looked hungry. A nice dinner with all the camp guests including people from Britain, Holland, Germany, and The Czech Republic. Katie and I are the only Americans. The morning breakfast was interrupted by an Impala being chased by a Wild Dog! They ran right by us and then back again. The guides noted some unusual howling from the dogs and suspected a large predator had come near. We jumped into the Landcruisers and gave chase. We found 2 packs of Wild Dogs chasing each other. One dog had obvious blood on his back leg and was limping. We found him later all alone and calling for his pack. So sad. However, after a wait, a call from other dogs was heard and the dogged limped back towards camp, eventually reuniting with 3 other adults from his pack and 2 pups. The 6 dogs now waited, listening for what turned out to be 4 others of their pack. We later found them all hunting again. Today seemed to be a day for animal fighting. First the dogs but then we came upon a large troop of Baboons. Large males were chasing various members about, bellowing as they went. Little ones dangled from little branches way up in the tree and a mother carrying her baby on her stomach ran up and down, inside and out of a tree trying to avoid the male. We later saw a large group of mostly male Impalas where several pairs faced off ramming and twisting their horns against each other. At a pan further along there was a large group of White Faced Whistling Ducks sitting quietly in groups of 20-30. Soon fighting erupted with ducks jumping all about. We spotted a male Ostrich in the distance and after getting closer, we found the female laying on a nest. Not easily spotted were 3 newborns just on the side of her and a few minutes later a fourth appeared. They sat for a few minutes but then began ‘walking’ or really careening about. Two steps and fall to the side or backwards. Over the next 20 minutes or so they kept getting better and better but were now some 30 feet from their mother and at great risk from predators like Eagles or Hyenas. The mom got up to go corral them, revealing 9 more eggs in the nest ready to hatch. Finally, we had our coffee break at a pan just off the edge of the recent fire. Two warthogs came down to drink. One large and one medium. After their drink they faced off for about 5 minutes, ramming heads, locking tusks, and violently twisting their heads. When we left the two were sitting together in the shade temporarily at peace. Back to camp slowly with multiple other encounters but no fights. Siesta time for all. HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRIAN! (from Katie)

Our afternoon game drive was a ride on a powerboat out to a heron rookery. We drove for about 45 minutes to get to the boat. We saw Elephants bathing and playing in the water, Hippos guarding their pool, and wild dogs sleeping in the shade. The boat held the 6 of us, Pavel and Alice from The Czech Republic, John and Judith from England and Katie and I. We set off through the marsh grasses in narrow channels. At one intersection there was a large Hippo. We waited patiently, then when sure of where he was, sped by. Farther along were 4 more Hippos, opening their mouths as we passed to show us how big they were, just like the Jungle Ride at Disneyland!. Katie and I moved to the upper deck of this 18 foot aluminum powerboat. The views were spectacular. We all had to mind exactly where we were sitting and coordinate any movements with others as the boat was tenuously balanced. Nobody else wanted to go up top so we had our own little world weaving down the channels with occasional Elephants on the banks or in the water and many different birds sitting in trees or flying around us. We reached the end goal which was a Heron Rookery. There were a hundred plus parents in various stages of birth. Some building nests, some incubating eggs and some feeding young hatchlings. There were huge, 3 foot tall Maribu Stork feeding their dinosaur looking babies. Yellow Bill Storks with their furry white hatchlings, and Open Bill Storks which did not have any observable hatchlings yet. Quite a riot of noise when various parents brought fish back to the young ones. We headed back as the sun was setting. Happy Hour of G&T’s for Katie and I up top as our boat motored down the channel. Beautiful, outrageous sunset and we pulled in to where the Landcruiser was parked just as darkness came on. 45 minutes back to camp with headlights and spotlight. Nothing new seen though there were Springhares, Impala, Cape Buffalo, and Elephants along the way. Dinner was great as usual and again great conversation with the other guests at the table. A Honey Badger tiptoed by the dinner table as the evening came to a close. One of the best Birthdays for me!

We were driven across the border to Botswana. We were told it was the second or third poorest country in Africa but it certainly does not seem like it unless Zimbabwe is number one. The roads were paved and the airport was big and new. The driver pointed out the new bridge across the Zambezi River, built by the Chinese. We flew to our camp, Labala, in the Kwando Reserve. The land below our airplane appeared much different than Kenya or Tanzania, very dry with many barren trees. There were multiple fires visible along the borders of dry land and marsh. We were later told these were the result of spontaneous combustion or they were started by Namibians who were clearing fields as the border to that country is very close. The airport was a dirt runway with a shack at the end. Our tracker(Hakeem) and guide/driver(Elvis, yes he is in the building) met us when the airplane stopped.  Katie and I were the only 2 getting off. Our camp was not far away and it is gorgeous. Huge open sitting area that looks out onto the grasses, a large fire pit area for sitting and conversing at Happy Hour. There is a small pool, an elevated ‘hide’ to look out on a marsh, and our room was complete with kingsize bed, double sinks and double outdoor showers. We came back for our pre-drive tea though we had G&T’s (best we’ve had so far). Out from the veranda were Baboons, Lechwe which are Antelopes, and Lions!. Our first drive included 2 other guests Don & Gill from Britain, our first safari with other guests. They had tracked Lions the day before and all had heard many loud lion sounds later in the night. The guide expected to find a kill today. We set off through 5-6 foot tall grasses just plowing through with the Landcruiser. Not too far from our camp we came upon a male, several females, some teenagers and 2 young cubs all eating and sleeping around a dead Elephant. The guides were not sure why the elephant died as it is unusual for lions to attack them but maybe it was sick beforehand. The elephant did not appear that old but certainly was not a baby. We watched the somewhat gruesome sight for a while then set off along marshland. Many elephants were seen, numerous birds that Don & Gill were quick to identify as they are birders and finally a group of female lions with 6 month old cubs along the water. They played around our vehicle for a while before we set off as it was now getting on to sunset. We pulled over at an open area and watched the sun go down with wine and cocktails served. Beautiful colors made more dramatic by the nearby fires. We drove an hour or so in the dark back to camp. Hakeem swung his strobe light from right to left finding wild cats(not feral domestic type, though they looked like that), hares and foxes. We showered back at camp and had a wonderful dinner with all our lovely British co-guests. Apparently it is an easy affordable ticket now from Britain so everybody is doing it. Only 8 total in camp so very comfy and private.

We had coffee brought to us at 5:15 with granola at 5:45. Our drive began at 6:15 and we headed back to the dead elephant to see what was new. The report was it would take the lions at least a couple weeks to winnow it down to something they weren’t interested in anymore. Then the Hyenas would come in. Then the vultures and storks. Storks? Yes, like up north, there are scavenging storks. The Elephant was there, a little different than the day before but not dramatically. The young lions practiced pouncing on each other while the large male slept. All would go over to the Elephant intermittently to take a bite. We moved on looking for leopards. They don’t go up in trees here like they did up north but they are present and we did find Leopard tracks on the road. Many different birds seen and identified with the help of Don and Gill. We stopped for coffee and biscuits at a pond, seeing crocodiles, wildebeest and zebras around it. 6 lions then emerged across the way and slowly, single file they marched to the water. Closeup you could see the Lions had some blood on them. The guide suspected a recent kill so they a needed to drink and wash up. We left them all horizontal in the shade of a large bush. We slowly motored through the thick fine sand back to camp stopping for Southern Giraffes, and herds of Elephant. Brunch was at 11:30 and now it is siesta time on the veranda. The temperatures during the day are in the high 90’s but overnight it luckily cools and is comfortable. For the afternoon, we drove out to a Hyena den. 6 pups of various ages, no mom. They wrestled, bit ears, and generally acted like puppies. Many Elephants again along our way but we primarily drove west which became very dry and sandy. Current and former watering holes are called pans and we toured quite a few looking for traces of wild dogs. No luck there. We did see a Water Monitor (a large lizard) near one hole that had water. He was about 4 feet long. We drove back towards camp. Stopped for a beautiful sundowner that had Elephants walking by some 50 yards from us. Our drive at night revealed bat-eared foxes, Spring Hare,  and Eagle Owl. Dinner of Roast Beef, vegetables, Red Wine and much discussion with our British and South African friends about America and a variety of current worldly issues.  All good. Many Lion roars in the night. They have their issues too.

Our am drive led us quickly to the Hyena den as the report was Wild Dogs were there. Sure enough 8 Wild Dogs who were initially lounging around the den when we arrived began attacking the lone female Hyena in order to get to her pups and kill them. Not to eat them. Just kill them so as to eliminate competition. The Hyena fended them off until all at once both Dogs and the Hyena stopped in their tracks and looked out beyond our Jeep. The assumption was a Lion was nearby and that fact took on top priority. Baboons began to sound off from a nearby tree which also went along with a nearby bigger predator. The 8 dogs all took off but we followed them to a clearing not too far away. There they played like dogs, pouncing on various siblings, wrestling, biting ears and sides. No growling or barking just high pitched squeaking. Several came right up to the car looking in but no aggression to us was seen. We left and found Leopard tracks along the road. Elvis and Hakeem followed the tracks into and over the bush, past wet and dry pans to eventually a dead-end. Oh well, it was a wild ride through the bush anyway. On our return to the road a Bull Elephant was startled in front of us. He began trumpeting, tossing his head about, waving his ears and fast walking at our car. We sped up and escaped but I think primarily because the Elephant didn’t run. Just wanted to say he wasn’t really afraid. Something was in the air as a smaller female Elephant also became annoyed with us while we were driving on the road. She began shaking her head, flapping her ears and now running towards our car. We were farther away from the start so no problem but jeez. Found many Giraffes eating at a medium size bush, another Monitor Lizard, and Greater Kudu, a very large antelope with beautifully spiraled horns on the male. A group of 6 Kudu were heading towards a pan for water but they initially did not see the 7 Lions that were parked there in the shade of a bush. Just before getting to the water an alert went out. The basic response is freeze. Slowly some young Kudus crept to the water and drank while a male stood watch. They slowly retreated and needless to say but ‘kudus’ to them for escaping with their lives. Back to camp for brunch and a siesta. High 90’s in the afternoon so shorts and flip-flops. We headed out for a long drive to the West. Very beautiful landscape changing from deep sand and stout mapone trees to green marsh plentiful with birds and mammals. We found 2 Cheetah brothers under a bush mostly sleeping as several Landcruisers moved about for a view. We had sunset drinks in a dry pan with a beautiful sunset. As it got dark, Katie asked to see an Aardvark. Sure enough not 15 minutes later, an Aardvark was caught in the car lights. Our driver and guide had never seen an Aardvark during their work at this conservancy. A great day, and I know that is getting old to hear. How about another great dinner and conversation. Oh well, not getting tired of it. Last night the male Lions frequently roared during the night. They sounded right off our veranda.

In the am we visited the downed Elephant of some 3 days ago. Terrible smell as approaching and only stayed a very short time. The Lions are making progress but there is a ways to go. We drove off sighting a female lion making her way across an open field. We followed. The guides suggested the mother had moved her 7 week old cubs from the Elephant area to a safer spot. We followed and followed. She eventually led us to her cubs, tucked in an area with many tall bushes. She called for her cubs and they came running to her, jumping on top of her and frolicking about. We watched for 20 minutes or so. The mom then got up and walked towards our Landcruiser stopping some 10’ away and laid down. She called her cubs and they came running. We watched for another 20 minutes. So special. We left them and cruised along intermittent marsh land, seeing new birds and ones we’d already identified. We stopped at a herd of Elephants that had 2 or 3 babies. They slowly marched by us as they leisurely ate. One came up to our tracker who was sitting in a chair on the front bumper. No contact but looked for sure like she was gonna check him out with her trunk. We had coffee and biscuits at another pan. Hakeem gave us a talk about the animal tracks and poop there, how pans form, (animals eating the dirt for minerals when the grass is in low supply) and the Ant Lion, one of the ‘Little Five’. We have seen another member, the Leopard Tortoise. Other members are the Buffalo Weaver, the Elephant Shrew, and the Rhinoceros Beetle. We drove on seeing the Goliath Heron come up out of reeds and 3 beautiful Spoonbill birds on the shore. Back to camp for showers and brunch. A champagne toast on arrival as it is Independence Day in Botswana, 56 years since British rule. We are off by bush plane to Splash Camp for 3 nights.

We had a 2 hour drive out to the Lamai airport in the Serengeti and along the way we saw a variety of animals including 3 male lions just off the dirt road. We flew to Kilamanjaro where we could connect with a small plane to Nairobi. Though Mt. Kilamanjaro is over 19000 feet high we could really only see its shoulders from the airplane as the clouds were thick. A shock at the airport! They had a Priority Pass Lounge. We had some bites and drinks while we awaited our connection. The flight to Nairobi was just Katie and I. How can that make money? The only note on Nairobi is the Gin & Tonics in the hotel bar were $25 each. We forgot to ask ahead of time. Somehow they always get you. We flew to Livingstone, Zambia in the am and were then driven across the border to Zimbabwe and Victoria Falls. We paid $60 to explore the park at Victoria Falls. Luckily there is still water as we are nearing the end of the dry season. My leg was attacked by a local baboon on the way in. No scars, well I am a little jumpy now. Glad it wasn’t a lion. We ate out at the Lookout Cafe with wonderful views of the bridge and river. We toured some art markets the following day, which led to a discussion over beers and eventually 2 sculptures that we are having shipped home. The people of Zimbabwe are very poor. Some years ago Mugabe the president took all the farmland away from the white owners and gave it to the black citizens. They were unable to afford developing or using the land so it now sits fallow. Apparently Zimbabwe was known as the breadbasket of Africa. No longer. There is reportedly 90% unemployment. In 2009 they experienced hyperinflation with banknotes printed representing billions. Youths are now on the streets trying to sell theses notes to tourists. When you are walking around town, young men follow and beg for money. Very sad though violence and theft is said to be low.

We had an easy entry into Tanzania thanks to the help of our driver Mary. At the airstrip we met Hussein (Seni) and Felix, our guide and driver. We drove quite a distance to camp for lunch with sightings of Cheetahs, Water Buck, Secretary Bird, Long-crested Eagle, an Oribi, a small antelope, and a recently fallen Wildebeest with at least 20 Rupel and White-backed Vulteres and Malibu Storks cleaning up. Can’t see that stork delivering babies! We were greeted at the mobile camp by Lily, Leon, And 3 or 4 others. The camp has 2 sections and we are currently the only people in our section. Our tent is large with a king bed, a sink with a bucket of cold water, though they bring hot water in the am to wash. There is a regular toilet and a shower. The shower requires you to notify staff to warm up a bucket of water. They hang it up and you take quick intermittent flow showers. We had lunch with chocolate moose for dessert. I guess they have refrigeration here though everything is solar or battery run. After a bit of relaxation we went out for the evening drive. Again what is remarkable is the distance of the drives. The roads are somewhat better than Mara North so the speed is faster but the park is 10 times the size of Masai Mara and Mara North is a small conservancy outside of the park. We saw quite a variety of birds. There were some giraffes, elephants, zebras, and wart hogs. The finale were 3 female lions. Each coming together from a distance and greeting each other. Seni, our guide said there were young cubs to feed so he expected them to hunt overnight. We searched and found the mother and 2 five week old cubs that were curious and playful. One was a little too curious and got very close to the cruiser. She was staring at me like I did something evil, and Felix stalled the car trying to make a get-away. Yikes. Luckily we made our escape and mom picked up the wayward child in her mouth and carried it away. We had dinner with Lily, a 26 year old tourism graduate. Midway through donner some boys came in telling us Seni had something for us to see. Come Quick! Turns out he caught a 10-12 foot Python. He explained all about the snake and then had Katie hold it. katie’s main concern was that the snake was very heavy. from where I was standing some 10 feet away it looked big and heavy! We were up at 5:20 and on the road by 6 the next day. We headed out to see if the lions had made a kill. We found the dead Wildebeest, what was left of it anyway. Seni reenacted the crime from clues on the ground then we were off to the river. There are 10 crossing areas for the Wildebeest. Zebras, and Gazelles. We staked out one and watched thousands of primarily Wildebeest shuffle around near the crossings. Such a game of follow the leader. One goes one direction and many follow. Others go a different direction and many follow. We waited about 2 hours for the crossing to begin. We had breakfast in the shade waiting for word. You didn’t want to get too close to the herd and spook them. Other cars along both sides of the river were watching and would send out a signal the crossing began. The crossing finally began but it was at crossing one away from ours so we sped over to it. Thousands of primarily Wildebeests jumping in the water and bounding across. Some turn back. Some turn back after crossing. Some can’t get up the bank on the other side though there is a gradual slope close by. Not the brightest animals. One Wildebeest could not find a way up and started swimming back but was swept mostly downstream. It was pulled underwater once then for good the second time. Crocodile! We moved to a second crossing where again thousands of Wildebeests made a dash across the river with much chaos leading up to the jump in the river. This time we saw a Crocodile waiting a little downstream but he did not attack anyone we saw. Back to camp for lunch and a mighty rain. Thunder/Lightning and a good inch of rain. We are safe with a beer in the dining tent. The afternoon drive took us out to the Tanzania/Kenya border. Along the way we saw two lions hunting along a creek bed. One attempted to run down a Wildebeest but she was unsuccessful. We did catch the elusive Bat-ear foxes running up the slope. We saw the Great-crowned Crane which is the national bird of Uganda. Also, the Sacred Ibis which the Egyptians felt brought needed water. We saw many Banded Mongoose which take over portions of Termite mounds to live in. We caught sight of a Verreaux Owl in a tree near the road. Apparently the largest owl in Tanzania. Intermittent rain followed us home but remarkably the roads were not terrible, at least for a 4 wheel drive. On the way to happy hour when dark, our flashlights revealed many eyes about camp. We think they were Impalas. We met Allison and Pierre, new arrivals from Florida who were terrific. They shared their gorilla stories from there just finished trip to Rwanda.

Today we embarked on a walking safari with Seni, Felix plus an added ranger from the National Park service. The ranger had an AK47 and Seni had an Elephant gun. Nothing to worry about. Right! We ended up walking over 3 miles along the Mara River and into the bush and grasslands. Huge Crocodiles in the river and many Hippos. Seni was awesome with detailed info on animal footprints, poop, and various ecosystems. If you saw a footprint he would talk about why it looked like it did, from paws and claws to gait. We did the same with poop. What the diet was, what the locals and the animals did with it. He is an amazing source of knowledge and clearly is in love with nature. Two doctors from southern California met him as a guide on Kilimanjaro years ago. They were impressed so much by him that they paid for his higher education at the university where he studied zoology and wildlife management. We would come upon a dead Wildebeast and he would explain about who probably killed it based on the animals position and what was eaten. Many skeletal remains were present along the river which led to discussions on kinesiology and morphology. Early on we were in the midst of a group of Hyenas, probably around 14 in total. Seni said we had nothing to fear but they followed us at a distance for quite awhile. Stumbled upon a Leopard Tortoise in the middle of the Serengeti, What! Apparently lives to 70 and not much can actually feed on it. Later we saw a Terapin in a small watering hole. They set up a breakfast table along the river where we had bacon, banana muffins, pineapple and granola. I am glad we walked the 31/2 miles. We drove out seeing Dwarf Mongoose, many banded Mongoose’s(Mongeese?) , a quick look at running Vervit Monkey’s, Grey-headed Kingfisher, Baboons, a Long Crested Eagle, and A Fish Eagle (looks like a bald eagle). Lunch now sipping beer in the shade on some lounge chairs.

Back in the lounge chairs today to add a little to the blog. I mention many animal names mainly so I can remember them. We drove out along a creek bed as many animals use the area for rest and protection. 2 large male lions were resting in the grass.  You can basically drive right up to them without disturbing them much. Many pregnant animals along the drive including Hyenas, Zebras, and Topi. Beautiful views of the Serengeti, Wildebeest, Zebras, and Gazelles coating the land. We stopped on the road at sunset to watch the sun go down. Spectacular! At dinner we met Alex Walker the British owner of both are current camp and the one we stayed at in Kenya. Very nice and engaging. Certainly made you feel welcome. It was just Katie and I are first night in camp. Now there 8 of us. Three couples are from California and one couple is from Tampa Bay. To bed early for a 5:30 wakeup. Our main guide Hussein apparently was sent to the airport to pick someone up, VIP I suppose. We added a Masai fellow who spoke little English but did point out a few animals along the way. Our goal was Leopards today as we had not been able to sight any in Tanzania so far. Early in our drive we found a lioness and 2 baby cubs probable a month or less old. We watched them for 15 min or so then off to the creek bed again. We spotted a den of Hyenas with 2 pups playing and 5 adults circling about. We drove along the creek bed for quite a distance but no male lions this time. We saw many different birds, including a variety of Eagles, Vultures, Bustards, Lapwings, Rollers, and Kingfishers. No luck with Leopards early on but once on the other side of the creek bed we spotted a female adult male up in a tree by the creek. Occasionally he would look about but mostly he had his head down asleep in the tree. After about 30 min we opted for an outdoor breakfast just down the road. We drove after breakfast and found a male adult Leopard up in a tree. He too was primarily relaxing with an occasional head lift. We found some Vervit Monkeys up in a tree near the Leopard. They were shouting warnings to each other about the Leopard. We slowly drove back to camp, winding our way through Wildebeest, Zebras, Water Buck, Gazelles and more. Now resting for our afternoon drive. Tomorrow we are off to Nairobi.

Late wakeup at 6:30! Breakfast at 7 and a sendoff by the staff. 2 hour drive to the airport slowing to look at a vaiety of animals along the way. piece de resistance are the 3 male lions lying in the grass close to the road. full plane to Kilamanjaro airport. we could not see the top of the mountain due to clouds. we found a lovely new lounge in the airport, seems we were some of their first guests since opening. a little salad, a little beef stew, some chips and white wine. we caught our flight to Nairobi without problem and we are the only 2 people on the plane! they can’t have made any money on that flight or at least I hope not as I paid for the trip 3 years ago.

6:00 we are given our am coffee at our ‘tent’ and off on a game drive by 6:20. After about 5 or 10 minutes Katie and I look at each other. Both of us were thinking the same thing. We had already seen Hyena, Zebra, Elephant, and more and its only been 5 minutes. We searched briefly for leopards but moved on to a large female Cheetah and her 3 cubs. We followed them as they searched for food. The mom leads by 20-30 yards and the cubs play in the back. They very slowly stalked some Thompson Gazelle. ​As the female walked she would come to large termite hills. She would climb to the top and stare out. The cubs would often catch up and then all four were sitting on the hill. The first chase failed. The cheetah was very close to the gazelle but a Topi antelope was in the path and it confused the cheetah. The cheetah now had to rest for 30 min because of the run so we set off. After driving a short way we found the ‘off beat’ lion pride.While watching the alpha male chase around a female, a second male came close and a brief but intense encounter happened. Roaring, growling, right hooks. The alpha won, otherwise it would would have been beta. We watched the lions for a little while longer then drove away. We came upon a large female Topi with her tail straight out. Our guides notice everything. They pulled up and within minutes, the Topi went into labor. 40 minutes of labor and the baby was delivered. Insane was that the newborn was walking in less than 10 minutes, after some hilarious initial attempts. We went back to the cheetahs and spent a long time as they stalked. The 4 of them ended up just in front of another Landcruiser, the kids in the shade underneath. The mother made another failed attack. This time she was within feet of the gazelle and then she stopped. Very unclear why. We stopped for lunch in a meadow with awesome views of the African hills. We sat under the trees eating curried chicken, vegetables, beer, and white wine. We watched the cheetahs some more than off to look for leopards. We found the 11 month old napping in some bushes but he sat up and moved a bit after his mom made a call for him. We scrambled across a creek to catch the mother as she moved up into the hills and bushes. William our driver is simply fantastic. He smooths the ride and he always positions the car for the best vantage point whether for view and pictures or for anticipated movement of the animals. He dresses superbly with jewelry at his neck and waist and is so polite. Between the 2 of them we see ridiculous stuff. Both of them have eyes like eagles.The days complete. The rain came and we motored back to camp. 12 hours on the morning safari! Joe and Masugo greeted us as we crossed the swinging bridge to the lodge. Joe presented Katie and I with sacred gifts as he delivered us to our ‘tent’. A woven bracelet for me and earrings for Katie from the Masai. We showered, had some wine on the porch, listened to the thunder and the hippo bellowing from the river in front of us. After a delicious dinner and conversation, we were off to bed. Another fantastic day in Kenya!

A 6 am start set us off in search of leopards. We wound our way in and out of bush areas. We saw a baby elephant. We found the Marsh pride of lions, watching as the two young ones played in the grass and tormented their aunt.  We looked for the adult males but could not find them this day. We drove off along the river sighting a large troop of baboons who scattered from several trees as we approached. When quietly stopped, we were able to watch the young ones play on a tree, knocking each other off the tree. We did see 2 large ostrich eggs in a small ditch and the female nearby. The male Ostrich was not far away as well.  We had breakfast overlooking the Mara River, where we watched a herd of Hippos in the water some engaging in the slowest fight ever seen. We were transferring slowly to a new cabin for the night, a special treat Fatima had arranged for us. On the way, more Baboons, an Angama Lizard, Lappet-faced Vultures, Giraffes (standing together eating from a tree they are a tower, on the move they are a journey, and just all together they are a herd), Yellow-bill Stork, a Wart Hog with 3 tiny babies, a Grey Heron, and a Fork-tail Dragoon bird that kept following our cruiser almost landing on the guides hand. We arrived at Chim-Chim, greeted by Charles and Alfred. They showed us two cabins from which we were to choose to stay in. Both were stunning with 245 degree views of the Mara River and a Spring. We stayed in the two story cabin as it had great views both upstairs and down. Cocktails on the veranda before lunch of 3 different cheeses, fish cakes, red cabbage salad, and zucchini. We watched the river while sitting on the veranda drinking scotch and G&T’s. We watched Giraffes on either side of the river contemplate crossing, some going a little ways in then turning back. Eventually one crossed but later that evening he crossed back! Took hours thinking about it but she did have to zig zag through a group of hippos in the water. We had appetizers around a firepit and met Fatima’s 14 month old son. A small bandaid on our missing our grandkids. We talked to John about the Masai tribe. Very different culture! His father is 97 years old and he has 8 wives now as 2 had passed. John is 29 and he has 62 siblings. The youngest is 8 months! Again his dad is 97!! Having so many kids makes him ‘rich’. John has one wife and 3 kids and may be planning a total of 2 wives and 10 children, but he jokes a lot so it is hard to know. His father chose for John to go to school though he would possibly be lost to the family as it is not the typical Masai path. He succeeded in school and now in work and his family has accepted him back. All 3 of John’s children go to school but he sees them every one or two months as he lives at the safari lodge for work. Masai have a coming of age ritual. At 10 John burned marks on his legs to show he is brave. They used to go out and kill a lion. Now that is outlawed. Note, William fought a lion when he was younger. The lion was getting into his cattle pen so he attacked it with a knife. The lion scarred him up a bit but William won. Masai also have an unusual diet of primarily beef (they raise cattle) and milk, sometimes had with blood. We had dinner with John and Fatima on the veranda. Fatima had arranged a traditional Kenyan dinner with bbq marinated beef and a Boerwurst(?) sausage. We had a very heavy maize dish called Ugale which you used in small rolled balls to pick up other ingredients like the beef, spinach, and cabbage. After dinner we played cards with John, Fatima, Alfred, and Charles. A great time had. We ended up teaching John and Fatima signs for ‘loser’ and ‘whatever’ as they chirped at each other all night about cheating.

I awoke at 6am in time to catch an Elephant crossing the river in front of our house. Charles told us our flight had been moved earlier so we had a quick breakfast, said our sad goodbyes to Fatima and staff and were driven to the airport. Of course our trip was a cornucopia of animals, some we had never seenbefore. John joked that all the animals were coming to the road to say goodbye. Katie and I were getting a little nervous about missing our flight as they stopped often. They drove off the road along a creek to a flat open field. What do you know. Three cheetahs in the grass. We sat and watched them for a while. John told us not to worry as we were on the landing strip. He is a joker. We were not, but we could see our plane come for a landing. Several cars were waiting for the plane AT the terminal. We waited in the field watching Cheetahs. That is how our guides rolled. The best!

We agreed on a 6:20 morning game drive. Peter brought us coffee at 6 am as we got things together​. We were on the road at 6:20. Early on, we came upon a male Ostrich with a long red neck chasing a female who was apparently not interested. We drove along some bushes farther away and saw our pride of lions some jumping into the bushes chasing something. Again we got very close and often in their path. We followed them into a grove of trees where we found a tribe of Olive Baboons, vocalizing and moving up and down and across to different trees. They seemed to be teasing the lions getting right over there heads in the trees and vocalizing. Apparently they try to poop on them when they can. We moved along to find the 2 males of the lion pride lounging in the shade They do this some 20 hours a day according to our guide. They are there only to protect the cubs and keep the females within their pride. The females hunt for the food. A young Spotted Hyena was lounging near the road by a den. We stopped close by and soon the mother came from the distance to meet her young one at the den. She kept putting her head in a den hole and vocalizing. Eventually, 2 totally black babies emerged to nurse. Maybe 2-3 weeks old and very skittish. We stopped close to a Lilac-breasted Roller, the national bird of Kenya, beautiful lilac chest and fluorescent blue wings. In amongst the bushes we saw the Dik-dik, the smallest antelope in the Mara. There were also Cape Buffalo, more Zebras, and Elephants. One of the Elephants stayed within feet of our car eating the small clumps of grass. I thought for sure his trunk was coming into the car on several occasions. A ‘couple’ of Silverback Jackals strolled by. They are paired for life. We were told they eat young antelopes though they look like little foxes. We searched and found 2 cheetahs lying in the shade under a tree. They paid little attention to us though they checked their surroundings pretty frequently. They are fast but relatively weak in the cat family and they are attacked by lions sometimes. On the way back for lunch at the camp  we watched a Martial Eagle eat a newborn Thompson Gazelle as the gazelle’s mom fidgeted in the background. It’s a jungle out here! A male Topi who had a nearby young one, stood on top of a termite hill standing guard. Just before camp, there was a large herd, hundreds, of Cape Buffalo with Multiple Yellow-billed Ox Pickers on their backs, taking off any parasites. More Zebras, Elephants, and Giraffes then home for lunch. Beer, wine and 3 different kinds of pizza for 7 people! 

Our afternoon tour began with a glass of wine and picture taking of a hippo right in front of the main lodge, eating in the river. We set off with an added guest, Mike, a professional photographer who was there to help us with our cameras.I am sure he was not impressed with our iPhones and my panasonic 30X zoom camera, but he gave us some good tips along the way. We hunted for leopards but never found them. We saw Ostriches, Giraffes, Wart Hogs and Elephants. Many baby elephants!. We ended up back with our cheetah brothers who were again lying in the grass some 100 yards away from where they were in the morning. They made all the classic moves of getting up but always ended up lying back down until… sunset. The two brothers got up and walked over to a nearby solitary tree where they marked it with pee and poop. We kept positioning our landcruiser to get some sunset shots and we got them. The cheetahs moved on to another tree some 200 yards away and we positioned our car so that they walked by us, within feet of the car. The sun was setting so we drove to camp in the dark. We showered, had cocktails, and then dinner made up of roasted chicken, vegetables, and potatoes. Great convesation with Fatima the manager, Dan and Jill a retired couple from Nashville. Now off to bed..

The day started like any other travel day. Katie and I were informed our 1st leg transferring to Kenya was moved early. We were up at 6 and left at 6:30 to catch the flight to Entebbe. Another interesting bumpy 1 1/2 hour ride to the airport. School kids all along the way waving to us as we passed. Some of them walk a mile on the road to get to school and little kids like 4 or 5 were walking on their own. We got into Entebbe early and our connection to Mara North in Kenya was delayed. We were soothed by the fact they had a lounge (yes we are getting so snobbish) After numerous security checks we boarded and then arrived at Mara North. Katie and I were the only people getting off the plane with 30 passengers. Two Masai men met us as we got off the plane dressed in robes and carrying long knives at their hips, John and William who will be our guide and driver throughout our stay. We hopped in an open top Landcruiser and headed for camp. We didn’t actually take any roads that were visible however. We bounced along as John pointed out things like Thompson Gazelles, Grand Gazelles, Topi’s, Impalas and Giraffe along the way. They stopped along the Mara river to set up a lunch table for Katie and I right at a Hippopotamus Family’s waterhole. There were probably 30 hippos just off the riverbank where we sat. We had wine and chicken wraps. After lunch John talked about the camp and possible activities. We showed as much enthusiasm as possible for all activities, early morning, late at night, we don’t care. We’ll do them all. We drove on, seeing giraffes, eagles, vultures and then a pride of lions. William would drive us right up close. Often he anticipated their moves and they would walk right by our car. There were two cubs, rolling around wresting each other and occasionally coming towards the car.after 30-45 min we drove on. Elephants appeared just off the road and again we pulled up and watched the herd including several very young ones eat and move along. We came to our camp. A walk across a swinging bridge and we were met by our fabulous host, Fatima the camp manager and Joe head service manager. There are others who help. Peter and Masugo who is deaf and always smiling. Our ‘tent’ is off by itself, very private. It has 2 queen beds, an outdoor bathroom and shower with hot and cold water, a regular flush toilet and a veranda with a wide view of the river which is 10 yards away. Stunning to say the least. We showered in our outdoor shower and the walked over to meet the 2 other couples in our camp at an outdoor fire pit with drinks provided by Joe. Dinner was at 8 with curried fish, squash, zuccini, carrots, brown rice and red wine. What an intro to Kenya. Fantastic day, fantastic camp, fantastic guides and fantastic staff

Today we decided to do a tour of the local community. Our guide, Winston, picked us up with 2 military escorts, Saturday and Stephen. Yes Saturday was born on a Saturday. They said they were there to protect some against animals but mostly to keep the drivers from getting too close as that is the norm in Uganda. The drivers don’t move over to give room, the walkers move off the road. Not so if you have a gun!

We visited a local primary school where the principal showed us around the school and took us on a tour of the classrooms. The kids loved to say hello and give high fives. All smiles. All in uniform. Apparently the school was started by an orphan that was raised by the community and he now wanted to give back. Around 400 students enrolled from 8-5 each day and most are orphans themselves. Some of the parental deaths are or were Covid related but primarily it is HIV infections. The number one boys name now is Jordan and the number one girl’s is Judith.

Our next stop was a coffee roaster and distillery. Coffee is the number one export of Uganda. Most locals have coffee trees on their land and use that as a cash crop. We watched the process of separating the husk from the bean, roasting the beans and grinding the roast. All very manual labor intensive. Hank, the roaster, also was the local distiller. He makes tequila from bananas. Along the way he also makes banana beer which the younger adults like best. They had never heard of Agave but the tequila was actually not bad.

Next was a village of Pygmy or Batwa people. They sang some songs while dancing and Winston showed us around the village. The experience was a little awkward but we did buy some things from them which I believe helps support them.

Next were the University/Nursing School and the Hospital. The director spoke to us about the current state of nursing. How they are trying to recruit more women to the school. The problem stems from the families being so poor they can only afford to send one child to the University and they almost always pick a son. The hospital was actually pretty big and had a separate HIV clinic to try to provide some privacy as there is still quite a stigma with the diagnosis. We toured the Operating Theatre where I got to speak with the nurse anesthetist there and Katie toured the ICU. They asked us if we wanted to volunteer! I had told Winston we were retired he translated that to we were ’dead’! Ah, a good laugh had by all. Tomorrow we are out early for a plane to Kenya. I hear the internet is very poor in our next two camps so you won’t hear from us for a little while. Cali, Cali (Bye)

We arrived in Entebbe from Istanbul at 3:30 in the am. Customs was a breeze and our driver from the hotel was waiting for us. There is a large military presence which our driver felt was due to some diplomatic VIP in town. Entebbe has the only international airport in Uganda, but it is not the capital. We were stopped at the gate to our hotel and a military person examined the car and underneath the car. There was a metal detector at the door to the hotel. We slept until 7 when a driver rode us through the dirt streets on Entebbe to a ferry where we crossed a portion of Lake Victoria. We continued driving dirt roads for a total time of 2 hours. We arrived at Mabamba marsh where we jumped into a large canoe with our guide and driver who took us through the small waterways pointing out various birds along the way. We reached a distant finger in the marsh where we came upon the ’elusive’ Shoebill bird. Stands 4 feet tall and has a head from prehistoric times. We saw 4 of these amazing birds before returning to our hotel for a nap.

We flew to Kihihi about 2 hours away. We drove an hour to our lodge Mahogany Springs which is just outside the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest where the Mountain Gorillas live. Apparently the gorillas were on our lodge’s property just a week before our arrival. Beautiful lodge with large and comfortable rooms and a gorgeous panoramic deck off the main lodge where Katie and I tried the local beer and a Hendricks G&T. This is the rainy season and they say it rains almost every afternoon. Sure enough by 1pm there was unending thunder and pouring rain. Sitting on the covered deck looking out over the jungle with the thunder and rain was/is spectacular. We were up early for breakfast then off to the forest. Our group consisted of a guide, Felix, 3 trackers that went up the mountain at 6:30 that am, 2 men with rifles to guard our front and back, and several porters (Katie and I each hired one as we were told they all are local people who earn some money being a porter). It was nice to have them as they helped push and pull you up the slippery slopes. It was a slow walk up the mountain but after 2 hours we came to where the gorilla family were eating. There was the Silverback male (200kg), 4 wives, and 4 children. We stayed with them for an hour getting as close as a foot from some of them. They posed for pictures, put up with our slipping about the hill, and eventually stopped to take naps after a morning of eating for them. Fantastic guide and help from all. We have now assumed our positons on the panoramic deck, the thunder and rain has begun, and we’ve had our first beer while contemplating the wonderful setting and culture of this area.