> Day 39 - Breakfast with the Hippos

Hyenas screamed throughout the night last night. We were up at 5:30AM for an early morning game drive. This morning we were in search of Cheetahs. I stood in our open-roofed vehicle and braved the cold morning air while my hands and face turned to ice. I didn’t want to miss anything! The sun rose in a bright pink burst of light. There were carcasses in various stages of decay all along our route. Live animals tolerated our invasion… Warthogs, Hyenas, Gazelles, Elephants off in the distance… We finally came upon a lone Cheetah lying in the grass cleaning herself after a satisfying overnight meal. She rolled around on her back and flopped from side to side a few times. A Thompson’s Gazelle watched her warily from about 40 yards away. Eventually, she stood up and slinked away, seemingly unaffected and not amused by our presence. John was greatly moved by the sight of this marvelous animal in the wild.



Breakfast was being served to us next to the river this morning. Our table was atop a bank that was an impossible climb for the Hippos and Crocs that rested in the river below. A Maasai warrior walked the perimeter, keeping us safe while we sipped mimosas and warmed our bellies with made-to-order eggs. All throughout breakfast we heard the snorts and grunts of the Hippos as they came up for air and called out to each other. As we were finishing our plates a group of Banded Mongooses hobbled toward our table looking for crumbs. They resemble ferrets but they’re much larger – Cute little things!



There are several Maasai people who work at the hotel. I’ve noticed that many of them have a deliberate space between their bottom front teeth from either removing teeth or from using some sort of spacer. I wonder if there’s a practical/spiritual reason for it, or if it’s an adornment… Their other teeth are beautiful, straight and white, so it certainly doesn’t appear to have occurred from decay.

On our way back to the hotel we stopped because a Rock Hyrax was lying in the middle of the dirt road. They look a little bit like a rabbit with tiny ears, or a really fat guinea pig. At first glance you’d think they were a member of the rodent family. However, our guide explained that they are from the same family of mammals as the Elephant! They have round padded feet, tusk-like teeth and a prehensile lip. A large family of them lived around the hotel.



While John read and dozed, I walked around the hotel grounds with my camera. I saw what I believed to be a green garden snake in the manicured landscaping around the pool. Several young boys were excitedly hanging over the stone wall to get a better look at it and I almost picked it up to give them a better look. But then I remembered that I was in Africa and that I wasn’t exactly schooled in the herpetology of this continent, so I left it to its sun-bathing on the vines. Later, a German tourist overheard me telling John about it and she pulled out her animal book to show me that it was a Green Mamba. Then I asked the gardeners and they said it was a Green Mamba. John chided me about even thinking about picking it up! “A Green Mamba, LeeAnn!” he said. (Note: A couple of months after returning to Austin we met a biologist who has spent many years doing research work in Kenya. I sent photos of the snake to him and he explained that it couldn’t be a Green Mamba. Two scales around the eyes of my snake touched both the eye and the upper lip. On Green Mambas, no scales or only one scale will touch the eye and the upper lip. But I guess by the time you get close enough to discern this on the snake, you’re already toast if it’s a Green Mamba!)

During my search for critters around the hotel I encountered something much more frightening than snakes: Tourists. I got my first indication of what “re-entry” is going to be like for me when I return to the U.S. I was appalled by how little disregard Westerners have for the people around them. We talk loudly, we talk incessantly and we talk about things we should keep to ourselves! Why are we so compelled to share everything we know with people? We can’t wait for others to stop talking so we can start talking. Two couples who had clearly just met each other discussed their personal financial situations in great detail. I was embarrassed to hear them loudly discussing their multiple houses, multiple mortgages, stock investments and living expenses, especially in a country faced with so much poverty. Where did we get such blatant pride? How did we become so unapologetically ego-centric?

Accompanying us on our afternoon game drive were four Swiss tourists. It turns out that they were the people in the fish-tailing Land Rover during last night’s rain storm! It’s difficult to say what my favorite part of this drive was. We saw so many animals and so much beautiful scenery! We had our first glimpse of the Lilac Breasted Roller, a bird whose feathers include every part of the spectrum. And we came upon four male lions – brothers – lazing around under a tree next to a river. They were large and fat and healthy. We were able to get amazingly close to them. It was an absolute thrill for me! I love the big cats and to be this close to a male lion – FOUR male lions… I don’t even have words to describe the feeling!



It was beginning to get dark and our guide was anxious to get back to the hotel. We whizzed by something and I called out for the driver to back up. It was two of the cutest little mammals I’ve ever seen! They’re called Bat-Eared Foxes and these two were snuggled up to each other like a couple of puppies. They scare easily and they didn’t hang around long for photos. This was the only time we saw them on our entire trip.

A lovely dinner, a glass of wine by the outdoor fire pit, and another day of 'firsts' came to a close.

Animals seen today:
- Impala
- Grant’s Gazelle
- Baboons
- Thompson’s Gazelle
- Hyenas with cubs
- Cape Buffalo
- Elands (the largest of all antelopes)
- Reed Bucks (rare deer)
- Cheetah
- Wildebeests
- Zebras (including an albino)
- Elephants
- Maasai Giraffes
- Silver-backed Jackals
- Rock Hyrax
- Banded Mongooses
- Crocodiles
- Hippos
- Warthogs
- Bat-eared Foxes
- Giant Hog
- Black Rhino
- Lions
- African Hares
- Green Snake
- Brightly colored lizards

Birds
- Black-billed Bustard
- Secretary Bird
- Egyptian Geese
- Crowned Plover
- Ostrich
- Bulbul
- Starlings
- Battler Eagle
- Lilac Breasted Roller
- Helmeted Guinea Fowl
- Gray Heron
- Yellow-billed Stork

> Day 38, Part 2 - Maasai Mara

We were met at the hotel reception with cool, wet towels and fresh orange juice. We were led out to the patio where we would fill out our room card and receive our keys. When we stepped out of the hotel walls and onto the spacious patio, I literally stopped in my tracks at the stunning scene in front of me. We were 5100ft above sea level, atop one of the small mountains in the middle of the Maasai Mara plains. We could see as far as one can see before the horizon begins to slope. In the valley below us were thousands of animals driven by instinct to compete against nature in The Great Migration. Wildebeests walked in a single file line to meet up with the giant herd that would cross the river below us. Knowing that many of them would end up in the jaws of crocodiles, I wondered if they knew their possible fate. Given that it can take days for those at the front of the herd to work up the nerve to take the plunge that causes hundreds of others to follow them, they must be fully aware of the danger!

Several Baboons chattered just below our balcony while we unpacked our things. Around 3:30pm we boarded a hotel safari vehicle with one other couple and began our tour. We went to the river where the Wildebeests were lined up, poised for their crossing. We hoped to see them leap into the narrow strip of water but apparently they were still immobilized by their fear.

Of all the animals we saw today, the baby elephants were the most adorable. A happy family of pachyderms walked directly across our path. The Maasai Giraffes were the most beautiful. Their markings are very different from the Rothschild Giraffes and I’m not sure I’ve ever seen one anywhere else. After learning that there are only something like 37 Black Rhinos in the region and that they are on the endangered species list, we were thrilled to see a large female Black Rhino and her healthy baby, even though they were at quite a distance. But the most exciting sighting of the day was the lions! Our first lions! A male awakened and strolled over to two females. One of the sleeping females raised her head, yawned a few times and then flopped back onto the ground. And then about 100 yards away we saw another male. He sauntered by all of the vehicles on his way to the other lions, stopping briefly to mark his territory. I would have liked to stay and watch them for awhile, but a storm was moving in and our driver was concerned because we were quite far from the lodge.

The dark clouds created a breathtaking landscape of vibrant green leaves and a multi-colored sky. A rainbow appeared on one side of our vehicle while the sky sent bright bolts of lightning to the plains on the other side of us. We drove about halfway back with the roof open, perfect for seeing all of the Gazelles, Zebras, Wildebeests and Cape Buffaloes. We closed the roof when the dirt road became wet and then we drove into the rain. We caught up to a vehicle that was fish-tailing all over the road. We pulled up next to them, our guide offered some advice in Swahili, and then we drove in front of them. From the safety of our vehicle, we encouraged them on as they continuously slid sideways, back and forth, and we cheered when we all made it back to the lodge safely!

> Day 38, Part 1 – Leaving Sweetwaters

We were up at 5:30, had breakfast at 6:30 and we were off on a game drive by 7:30am. We’re leaving Sweetwaters today. I’m going to miss the tent.

Reuben headed off to an area along the back of the Reserve with hopes of finding one of the shy Rhinoceros. Black Rhinos, we’ve been told, are very shy and are somewhat hard to find in the wild. Our experience sure proved otherwise! While we weren’t able to get right up next to it, we were able to see a Black Rhino from a reasonable distance and drive along a parallel path as it walked (see photos below). And then we came upon a White Rhino. This particular White Rhino is named ‘Max’ (right). Max somehow came under the care of the Conservancy and now he’s used to educate people about Rhinos. He goes into a pen every night but he’s let out every day to do as he pleases. He was impressive, but nothing will top the Rhino experience I had a few years ago at the San Diego Wild Animal Park when I got to feed and pet an Indian Rhinoceros and then her baby sucked apple pulp off of my hand! Now that was ‘up close and personal’!



Incidentally, Black Rhinos are not actually black, nor are White Rhinos white. The word white in the name "White Rhinoceros" derives from the Afrikaans word for "wide" rather than the color white. The White Rhino has a wide mouth and the translation mistake resulted in the species being called “white” instead of “wide”. To differentiate the species with a narrow pointed mouth, the name ‘Black Rhinoceros’ was chosen.

After seeing Zebras, Giraffes, Gazelles, Cape Buffaloes, Wart Hogs, and several interesting birds, we set out for the airstrip. I was so excited! We were about to get on a small propeller plane that would take us to the famous Maasai Mara.

After watching a few small planes come and go, our plane arrived. I expected to see some people get off, but no one did. We said our final good-byes to Reuben, handed our bags to the pilot (who was opening the luggage compartment under the plane) and hopped on. There were 2 empty seats in the back and we settled in.



I had a much more keen awareness of flying in that little Cessna 208 than in larger commercial jets. There were 5 rows of seats, including the pilot and co-pilot. I listened to African drum music on my IPod and stayed glued to the window. We passed over some reserves and other undeveloped land, and lots of farms. And then we got to the Maasai Mara. It was hundreds of acres of flat land. There were thousands of dots on the ground. As we flew lower I could make out the animals that were those thousands of dots… Elephants, Wildebeests, Gazelles, Zebras… Suddenly I found myself experiencing one of those moments in your life that you know you will never forget. Seeing all of those animals in their natural habitat, flying in a small plane close enough to the ground to be able to distinguish the various herds, infused with the drum music... It hit me that I am, at long last, fulfilling my number one life's dream of going on Safari to Africa… I was overcome with happiness! What an amazing place to see!

We landed on a tiny, nothing-of-a-thing strip of packed dirt. I was beside myself with excitement. The scenery was fantastic! We grabbed our bags, found our driver (it wasn’t hard – there were only a couple of vehicles parked at the end of the landing strip) and we set out for our next adventure.

(See all photos from Sweetwaters in the photo album.)


Airstrip at Maasai Mara and Landscape

> Day 37 - Sweetwater Game Reserve

As soon as I woke up I sprung out of bed to see what animals might be at the watering hole. Just a couple of Water Bucks and some birds…

I lied about one thing: I DID miss good, hot showers. I’m still giddy about having them again. And there was so much electricity this morning that my hair dryer actually worked normally! There were several flavors of fruit juice to choose from for breakfast: red Tree Tomato, Pawpaw, Watermelon, Mango, Orange, Passion Fruit. The Tree Tomato juice was thick and sweet. The Passion Fruit has become my favorite.

As we loaded into the Land Rover we were told that the Elephant Rescue group in Nairobi had been contacted and that a vet was coming to see about the little injured elephant. One of the conservationists had located the elephant and was keeping tabs on it. I was relieved.

The Sykes Monkeys bid their adieu and we saw several Bush Bucks and some Colobus Monkeys as we drove towards our next destination. The scenery was hilly with farms built into the steep slopes. It looked like very hard work to tend those crops.

We stopped when we reached the Equator. Since I had been to the Equator in Uganda, I was less impressed this time, especially since the sign and the demonstration weren’t nearly as well-done as the ones in Uganda. But it was John’s first time to be on the Equator so we watched their water demonstration (to remind you, water flows clockwise north of the Equator, counter-clockwise south of the Equator and straight down when right on the Equator) and we got our picture in front of their sign.

When we arrived at the Sweetwater Game Reserve in the heart of the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Reuben took us on a game drive before taking us to the hotel. We saw the cutest little Wart Hog babies running along with their mother. Reuben explained that Wart Hogs run with their tails pointed towards the sky so that when they are in high grass, the young ones can see the older ones. There’s certainly no shortage of Wart Hogs here!

Upon arrival at the Camp, we were handed hot towels and fresh pineapple juice. The main building houses the Reception, a TV lounge, the dining room and a bar with a very large double-sided fireplace. Our room – or rather, our TENT – was situated across a ditch (and on the opposite side of a fence) from a watering hole. The tent was the coolest thing ever! The bedroom area has twin beds, an armoire, night stands and electric lamps. There’s a zip-up partition between the bedroom and bathroom area. The bathroom has vinyl flooring over the tent floor with complete indoor plumbing. The water is heated by a wood-burning stove behind the tent. And we have a front porch. I felt a little silly about stopping at the Equator when I saw the sign on the property showing that this camp is situated at exactly 0°Latitude.




The temperature is warmer now that we’re down from the mountain, but it’s still only about 60°. So when we were seated for lunch at a table next to a family of 3, all in very short shorts, I couldn’t help but to notice. Then again, it could have been 98° outside and I still would have noticed the husband. He was about 5’8”, thin, mid-30’s, had a mustache… and he was wearing the shortest, tightest shorts I’ve ever seen on a man in real life. He was the spitting image of Lt. Dangle from Comedy Central’s show “Reno 911”! They turned out to be a very nice family from France. And John and I still laugh about our African encounter with “Lt. Dangle”.

John was still trying to adjust to the time difference and I was up much of the night watching the watering hole at the Mountain Lodge, so we napped until our 3:30 excursion to the Chimpanzee Refuge. Oh, those sweet animals! I would have given anything to hug one of them, but the Conservancy does their best to create a wild habitat for them and interaction isn’t allowed. After leaving the Chimp Refuge, we went on a game drive across the Sweetwater Reserve. Today’s sightings included:
Mammals:
- Grant’s Gazelles
- Thompson Gazelles
- Impalas
- Wart Hogs
- Plains Zebras
- Baboons
- Rothschild Giraffe
- Cape Buffalo
- Silver-backed Jackals
- Water Bucks
- A lone bull Elephant
- Chimpanzees
- The snout ONLY of a Hippo
- African Hare
Birds
- Superb Starlings and other Starling varieties
- Helmeted Guinea Fowl
- Blacksmith Plover
- Tropical Boubou
- Grosse Starline
- Coucal
- Egyptian Geese
- Yellow-billed Oxpeckers

Back at the Camp, we ‘cozied up’ to the fireplace with some hot tea and chatted with some of the other guests until dinner time. At every hotel, they’ve told us to keep our rooms closed up to keep out the monkeys and baboons. One of the guests told us how the baboons had figured out how to open their tent and then rifled through all of their things today. Oh well!

I love the open space of this Reserve. I love seeing all of the animals. And I love being together with John again after so many weeks apart. It’s been an awesome day! The wind is blowing in a soothing way, there are hot water bottles in our beds and sleeping in this tent is going to be great.