Kenya Migration and Rwanda Mountain Gorilla Trek trip report, Aug. 2005
Part 2

Following in the footprints of Karen Blixen and Dian Fossey.........

The light again was perfect with a dark moody threatening sky. After a great time with the lion pride we got word there was a female Leopard on Masai land a little ways away, so off we went! We found her perched on a rock cropping over looking the cattle heard of the Masai. She was elegant as she could be, we spent a lot of time with her getting closer and at different angles, allowing us all sorts of opportunity to work all our settings on our new digital cameras! I finally have a photo of a leopard face! What a remarkable first game drive in the Masai Mara! Of course we had to celebrate with G&tT's at the fun bar at Governors. We had requested 'real' African food for dinner instead of Western food, yummmmmm.

We started the next morning very early as we wanted to do a walking safari. We walked 5 miles in the cold brisk morning, we saw Elephant, Eland, Ostrich from a far and close up some wild Spider our guide dug out of a hole. We enjoyed breakfast out in a bush camp. That felt really great to get out and walk in the bush! Our 3:30 pm game drive awarded us with 2 cheetahs, mom and son laying on a rock again in perfect photo op position. Went to the Mara river to see if the Wildebeast were crossing, we found lots of dead carcasses of the ones that did not make it with a plethora of predatory birds, hundreds of giant vultures and red billed storks. We saw a female cheetah with a big belly, she gorged on a gazelle and breathing very heavy. Lots of action to see on the way to the river. Another wild looking sky towards the end of the day we were getting some unusual storms, which made for a wonderful scenery to photograph. On the way back to the camp nearby we found 2 Leopard outside the gate, a mother and cub what a great surprise we had again.

The next morning we were up at 0500hr for our exciting balloon ride over the Masai Mara, we were so excited for this and we were not disappointed. We lucked out with no clouds, no wind an awesome morning for this! The scenery was out of this world as we looked upon thousands of wildebeest all lining up to cross the river, they actually make a long line first. They are the craziest creatures, and to think this has been going on for eternity all by instinct. We saw zebra, giraffe, water buck and vultures along with the stunning sunrise. We had a white wine breakfast set up in the bush to celebrate this glorious morning. For the evening game drive Stanley our man took us to the Mara river to see if the Wildebeest would cross, nope not yet, they were all skitterish running this way and that. Some of them crossed but that was it, about 12. We decided we would pack lunch for the next day, bring our books, pillows and snacks so we could sit there and wait in relative comfort to see if the Wildebeest would finally cross the bloody river like we have seen on the Discovery channel.

On day four and our last in the Mara we were blessed with the crossing of the Wildebeest (of course), we watched very close as the thousands of them get closer and closer together acting like nervous nellies. It is somewhat painful to watch as they want to cross and the energy is so strong you can feel it. However the river has some rapids where they were all lined up, it only takes one brave one to start then they all go for it. So our first crossing was in this way as they were being swept down river in the current and the rapids, they all made it to the other side and we were relieved, funny to see them with back legs kicking up as they crossed over big rocks from the shore. Then the next big bunch moved further down the bank even closer to us as some smart one decided it may be easier to cross in front of the rapids instead, that worked great and entire army of Wildebeest crossed in this way!

We were very pleased at our success and planning and it was not time for lunch yet! The stench at midday with all the rotting carcasses got to the best of us, the crocks were full and the hundreds of vultures could not keep up with all the free food for them. So off we went in search of the Mara Giraffe, which is very different looking to the Reticulated Giraffe at Samburu. We found him, and we also the other big lion family of 17 lying under trees in the heat of the day. Already another fabulous day in the bush, we had lunch under an acacia tree were the Tope Antelope like to sleep and not far from the lions. Of course celebrated our successful 8.5 hr game drive with G&T's on the veranda at Governors Camp.

We had an extremely successful safari in the Mara and Kenya with all our very close encounters with Leopard (Chui), Cheetah (Duma), crossing Wildebeest, lots of giraffe and bountiful antelope of every kind! We are lucky charms for sure!

Kenya treated us well, we loved it and her people. We fly back to Nairobi for some shopping at the Collectors Den and lunch at the famous Carnivore restaurant. I also had to see the famous Karen Blixen house, which is now a museum; I had just finished the book Out of Africa, all very apropos! She was very much loved by the people of the area and they have named everything in her honor.

Asante Sana Kenya (thank you very much) and Lala Salama (good night)!