Maasai Mara to Nairobi to San Francisco

Maasai Mara to Nairobi to San Francisco

After a nice Skype session with Madeleine, we meet the rest of the group in the bar for the last time, and head into our last dinner. Dinners follow the pattern of soup, then go to the buffet for American/English standard fare, plus many Indian specialties, and always some local African cuisine, plus fruit and quite a few pastries. We figured out the correct way to use the mosquito netting around the bed and manage to go through the night with no bites, unlike the previous night with was a feast, albeit temporary, for one persistent mosquito.

Sleeping in a bit, we pack our bags and depart the lodge for out breakfast at the Hippo Pool. This is a beautiful setting, right near where the hippos congregate. We are welcomed with a glass of champagne, and an outdoor buffet includes omelets made to order, fruits, bacon and pork sausage, various pastries, yogurts and more.

We are seated at lovely outdoor tables with a view of their river, and we hear the grunts of the hippos in the background. We are all aware that this will our last meal together, as some will begin to split off in Nairobi: Ari goes to Dubai and Dick and Beth to Ethiopia. I think that this would be a good place to sing, after being assured by Joel that music would not cause a stampede or bother the wildlife. I selected “Gute Nacht,” Cleopatra’s lullaby to the absent Marc Antony, as the only vaguely African-themed piece I know. I begin to sing, and notice that the hippos are staying above water a bit, I can fantasize that they are hearing me a little over the sound of moving water. I think that our new friends in the group enjoy it. Finally, Ari videotapes everyone talking about what the trip means to each of us.

Nairobi is jam-packed with traffic and people. As the cars and trucks crawl along, people walk in between the lines of cars, selling everything from car mats and towels to bananas and sunglasses. It seems a bit odd to be back among so many people and so much energy. We go to the Serena Nairobi, which has external security at the entrance, Joel tells us that this is where US Presidents and heads of state stay in Nairobi, so they are very security conscious. The hotel is quite luxurious, and we have a day room to relax and take showers before we depart. We do a little repacking,  shower, have a bite to eat, and rally for the trip home. We load up the trucks one last time for the long drive to the airport. At the airport perimeter, we have to get out of the car and walk through security, while our driver goes through another security level … I gather this is in part in response to the attack at the Istanbul Airport. We go through more security in the building, then passport check, then check our bags through to SFO. We manage to get some tables at a small restaurant and get sandwiches and drinks, then wait at the gate – we are about three hours early. The flight from Nairobi to Paris is long and very crowded, but we manage to sleep a bit. Then a 2-hour layover in Paris, and a quick stop at duty free for some macarons and Otard and pâté, some additional security questioning, and we’re on to Chicago. This flight is only about 2/3 full so there is plenty of room to stretch out. In Chicago we go through customs, a dog sniffed our luggage and we had to go through a manual check, then cleared customs, rechecked our bags, and our inter-terminal train was stalled for 15 minutes. At the next security, they had to test the Otard and swab it, and then there was much discussion about the pâté and what was in the tin, one security agent asked what pâté is, and another agent explained it as being similar to Spam. I’ve brought this into the US before and it has never been a problem, and thankfully we are finally cleared and can go through. We’re hanging out at the gate with some of our group, was we prepare for the trip to San Francisco, the last of our 11 airplane flights on this trip.

This has been an extraordinary adventure, wondrous and full of surprises, with so much to learn. I am so grateful that we had the opportunity for make this trip, especially with an expert like Joel Parrott leading us. Truly a once in a lifetime experience.

Maasai Mara Day 3 Afternoon

Maasai Mara Day 3 Afternoon

We stopped by a large tree for our picnic lunch, and in the distance we see a truncated pyramidal marker of the border of Tanzania and Kenya. We all take some fun photos of couples and friends in various arrangements around the market. As we depart, we see some vultures gathered around the carcass of a wildebeest, which Sammy says was killed by a lion. Farther on, we come to the gate to the national park, and a bridge across the Mara River. As we head back up the Riverbottom Road, we hope to catch a wildebeest crossing this afternoon. For about a mile, huge termite mounds are everywhere, and nearly consume 8-10’ tall shrubs, as  the landscape undulates gently but there are few trees.

Some people who were near the river in the morning told Sammy of a leopard there in a tree, so off we go, and the leopard indeed is in a tree with its kill. The sky has darkened, and we see rain on both sides of us. And from one horizon to the other, it is nothing but wildebeests on the march, with a few zebras here and there. Back to the area of plains and acacias trees dotting the landscape, we see two male cheetahs under a tree, the cheetahs looking at some zebras nearby, the zebras looking at the cheetahs – classic. A few zebras take off with some of the young to give them a head start, going away from the cheetahs, who eventually turn and go away from the zebras toward another tree.

We’re driving toward the dark clouds of the storm now, and for 20 minutes or more, we see only wildebeests on both sides, as far as the eye can see. They are everywhere. We turn up a side road, and see 6 mongooses running along, stopping briefly on top of their den and then hurrying on. Five vultures are perched on a tree, and as they take off we can see their enormous wingspan, maybe 6-8 feet. 

We begin to smell the rain as we continue on the road, and see another family of 9 elephants, and then two more lions sitting  in the sun quite a ways away. On the way back to the lodge, we see some hartebeests, including two young ones, one of which is nursing. It has been a wonderful day, filled with our last views of many of these beautiful animals and this spectacular scenery.

Maasai Mara Day 3 Morning

Maasai Mara Day 3 Morning

Last night, we had a bush dinner in a large tent, and a group of Maasai men did a welcome song for us and escorted us into the tent. One man, armed with a rifle, stood guard outside. The Maasai men also sang a call and response version of the real Hakuna Matata which included a happy birthday verse for Glenn, who was celebrating his 65th birthday. We then sang a traditional happy birthday to Glenn, and has a delicious birthday cake.

After a quiet night - no baboons outside - we leave about 9:00am and we’re out for the whole day. Margi rubs her cheetah earrings for luck, and voila, after about 30 minutes we see a cheetah. The cheetah crosses the road and fixes on some zebras and antelope in the distance. She goes a ways, pauses and lays down, then continues on. Barney says that cheetahs cover 88 feet a second for short periods. She is still 100  yards from her prey so it may be a while. 

We continue on, to another area near the river, and hear of some rhinos ahead. We are the second truck to arrive, and we see two rhinos just where the shrubs begin. They are quite large, dark gray, and they slip in and pitot the shrubs. We see a total of four rhinos, some only for a moment, but one stays in the sun and gives us a beautiful side view so we can see the massive horns. Sammy says this maybe a family group. It is hard to believe that anyone would want to kill such a magnificent animal. Suddenly, from the left, we see a group of 12 people on horseback, and as they move forward, they seem to be frightening the zebras and wildebeests ahead of them. A ranger in a truck who is nearby takes off and intercepts them, stopping them and turning them around. But their forward movement was enough to scare the zebras and wildebeests right in front of us, and they run, full out, some of the zebras bucking as they run. What a glorious sight.

We go back to the site where we saw the cheetah earlier, and it is still there, laying down just in front of a group of shrubs. The ride is now very bumpy, and one of the other trucks is briefly stuck in the mud. Soon we’re in a drier area, and we see a Crested Eagle in a tree, with a black body, white legs, yellow rains, white beak, and piercing yellow eyes. A short ways away is a Fish Eagle in the very top of a tree, with something in its mouth, perhaps making a nest. Back on the road, we go a distance, seeing giraffes, wildebeests, antelope, and zebras in abundance.. We come to a tree and Marilyn spots something white hanging down, which turns out to be a dead gazelle, likely stashed there by a leopard, though we do not see the leopard.

We start to head toward our lunch spot, and see about a dozen vultures circling something in the distance. We come to a Maribou stork and some vultures are eating a wildebeest carcass, which we can smell from the car, and several vultures perch on a nearby tree. A group of 12 giraffes amble by in the distance, eventually crossing in front of and behind us. I continue to marvel at how many animals come really close to our truck: giraffe, lion, zebra, elephant, wildebeest. A few times they are ambling along and as the truck approaches, they accelerate up the small embankments on the side of the road cut (really just two tire tracks, not a real road). Once a group of elephants are crossing the road, Sammy slows down, all of them cross except one, who trumpets at us as she turns away from the road, then crosses behind us.

After a quick stop at the pit toilet near a hippo group, we see a few lionesses in the far distance, spotted by Sammy who has very sharp eyes. As we continue on, the vista is all wildebeests and zebras and impalas, mile after mile before the flat horizon. Nothing can compare to the scope of this. 

Maasai Mara Day 2 Afternoon

Maasai Mara Day  2 Afternoon

We had a very late breakfast, 10:00am after our very early morning ride, so we went back to the room to recharge. I worked on editing the huge number of typos in my blog, and Barney became a serious baboon-watcher out our veranda door. The door is open for quite a while, then he closes it and I ask why. He’a been watching the baboons through his binoculars, and saw a large male cover about 25 feet of grass in about 2-3 seconds and then jump about 6-8 feet into someone’s veranda. Luckily it was closed, but we realized that we need to keep a bit of a sharp eye out. But now they seem to be playing in a little puddle below the rooms, splashing each other, then several run up into a tree, where one goes far out to the end of a branch before it slowly bends to the ground. They are certainly playful. We alternate watching the baboons and reading our books, very relaxing.

We load up with Sammy and we’re off for the afternoon. We see the same lion sleeping in a set of bushes, the third time we’ve seen him. We approach the Mara River, where the wildebeests are gathering and may cross. A huge number of hippos are gathered, maybe 12, all quite close to each other; it seems like hippo happy hour. We see several wildebeest carcasses in the river, casualties from yesterday’s crossing. A crocodile waits across the river, camouflaged on the beach. We hear thunder in the distance, and can see the rain starting to the west, and the wind is from the south. We hope we can stay here until somehow the herd mystically decides to move. After about 15 minutes, part of the herd turns and goes back up the hill. Slowly, more and more of them stop moving forward, pause, and turn around. Still some are moving forward, one takes a few steps, then pauses, then another steps forward, and the herd moves bit by bit. Three times the front of the herd moves to the edge of the beach, with the whole group pushing forward toward them and, then three time they pause, and retreat again. On the fourth round time, even the leaders at the front of the herd turn around, so we move on. 

A lioness has been behind us most of this time, crossing back and forth, and she goes to where we saw several lions yesterday with a wildebeest kill. The male is there, tearing at the leg of the wildebeest, we can hear him crunching the bones. Another female is nearby, resting, while the other paces.

So no wildebeest crossing today, we will look a bit more for a rhino, and we see a group of waterbucks, who leap across a small gully, one by one, and behind them, two young Thomson’s gazelles are literally bouncing vertically, playing with each other. A small herd of elephants filter in and out of the tall shrubs that mark the transition from grass to trees, becoming nearly invisible in moments. The rain seems to have passed us by. We continue our search for the rhino, even encountering some rangers who saw rhinos yesterday, but no luck. Further on, we see a trio of mongoose, with a lioness nearby. The thunder returns and a light rain begins, and there is a partial rainbow in the background. 

Soon we see that there are seven lionesses in total, two of which are sound asleep, one which is watching us, and four pacing a bit. There is also a young male lion without a mane yet. He is posed in front of the double rainbow, which is quite special. Suddenly, two of the lionesses take off, and run down a wildebeest. We catch up just as they’ve downed it, and the wildebeest is still thrashing around. The young male approaches and instead of joining in the kill, he literally throws himself down on the puppy pile, not the least bit interested in eating. The lionesses too seem only  a little interested in eating, as they seem full. Clearly, this was a practice kill.

We’ve seen some wonderful sights today, and as the sun sets over the mountains, we head back to the lodge.

Maasai Mara Day 2 Morning

Maasai Mara Day 2 Morning

We awake at 5:30am, had some coffee in our room, and prepared for an early morning viewing drive. For the first time it is chilly enough to to wear an outer layer. I notice how the rounded roofs of the main building and the rooms are rather like the roofs of the homes of the nomadic Samburu that we saw over that past few days. We see the beautiful African sunrise next to a big cloud bank, leftover from the rainstorm. Joel notes that for the animals, “having a good night” has a different meaning than it does for us, for them it is about surviving the attack of predators for one more dark night. The morning sun turns all the grass golden, and the air is so fresh from the rainstorm.

We drive only a few minutes, and come to  the spot where we saw the big male lion, and we see him again, off in the distance, in the brush, barely visible against the sunrise. We stop at the place where the group of lions were eating the wildebeest yesterday, and see some of it still remaining. A hippo ambles his way to the river, afraid of no other animal. Joel says that hippos are very fast, he was once out at night and they spooked a hippo, which started to run and they clocked it at 30 mph, pretty fast on those little legs. He notes that they are nocturnal, feeding at night and staying in the water during the day, so it is unusual to see one out at this time of the morning. Further on, we see three more hippos, a long way from the river.

Along the road, we see two Ground Hornbills, silhouetted against the rising sun; they are larger than others we’ve seen, almost two feet tall. We see several large  groups of wildebeest grazing, perhaps thinking about when today they will try to cross the river. We must see several thousand here; these are the ones that made it across the river, We continue on, Joel says we’re now in black rhino country, and they are very hard to spot, being quite skittish, as Barney notes, understandable given how they have been hunted almost to extinction. I take a panoramic photo, we are surrounded 360 degrees by wildebeests. Their variegated coloring and tan “beards” are beautiful individually and stunning en masse. Joel notes that as relatively hairless, upright species, we evolved to take advantage of this environment. The hairless body, so different than the chimpanzee or ape, allowed early humans to dissipate heat more effectively, and standing upright allowed them to see over the  grasses.

We continue on, see a family of jackals by their den, and one stays out to watch us. A Ground Plover cackles and runs by us on the side of the road, and some Egyptian Geese scurry by. Suddenly Sammy spots a large male lion, sleeping by the side of the road; his belly is quite full, and he is deeply asleep, afraid of no one. He looks so peaceful, occasionally moving his foot, just like a house cat. It is amazing how the characteristic movements of the big cats are like domestic cats, and the smooth, efficient trot of the jackal is like the trot of the domestic dog.

Around a bend, we see a group of lions by the riverbank. One lioness comes quite close to us, Joel notes how thin she is in the waist, and that she is on the hunt. A young male and a female pose on a small hill, where they have a good view. Besides the lions, here we can see Cape buffalo, zebra, wildebeest, elephant, Impala, buzzards, and an eagle, all in one place; this truly seems like Africa. Another lioness approaches, Joel says that the group might be brother and sisters, all from the same litter, as the mother will push out the youngsters when she has a new litter. They move along the riverbank, on the hunt for breakfast, and cross behind our truck. We  now see three lionesses on the hunt, as they triangulate around some possible prey, Impala, or wildebeest, or warthogs are all options. They hunt slowly, widely spread apart, taking long breaks as they watch their prey. The hunt may take hours, as the prey are distant, so we move on.

Well past the area where we saw the lions, we see some large herds of zebras, grazing but always with a few sentries on the watch. The trees here are deep green and well-leafed out, so seeing leopard and birds will be very tough. We come across another lion, though there are probably others, laying about 5 yards away from the kill, perhaps resting from eating a while.

Turning back toward the lodge, the view is filled with Acacia trees, but a different type than the Umbrella Acacia we saw in the Serengeti. These trees dot the landscape, and give it its local name, as Mara means “spots” in Swahili, which is how the landscape looks from the hills. We are rocking and rolling on the way back, getting stuck momentarily in the mud a few times. We see the sleeping lion we saw earlier, who has moved under another tree, and briefly raises his head. Farther on, we pass another huge herd of wildebeest, in a long line; driving about 40mph now, it takes us 30 seconds to pass this whole herd, which is a lot of wildebeests. We turn onto a two lane dirt road, the main road, for the 11-mile drive back to the lodge.

Maasai Mara Day 1 Afternoon

Maasai Mara Day 1 Afternoon

We head out to an area near the river to see a wildebeest crossing, we hope. Sammy picks a spot and suddenly the area comes alive. A lion and a lioness have a kill in the bush above the shoreline, which looks like a wildebeest. At least 7 hippos are snorting in the water, and a large crocodile lurks just under the surface. We see the lion turn over the wildebeest and head toward another lioness. Looks like lion happy hour. The other lioness marks the territory, and then comes approach the sign. One comes close to the small ravine on the other side of our truck, goes down into the ravine to check out the carcasses in the ravine, then comes out again, crossing right behind the truck. At one point, she turns back toward us and looks at us with her golden eyes. She proceeds to lay on the cliff, about 20 feet from the other truck, then heads back toward us and crosses over to the sign.

Continuing on, we see the sky beginning to darken, and a bit of lightening. A gray heron is just ahead of us on the road, and flies off. We come near the river and see a huge Nile crocodile, and then more, a total of 8. Then off to the left, we see 8 more crocodiles laying on the beach, as if just waiting for dinner. They do not really hunt or travel together, Joel tells us, but rather they congregate in the same place when it is a good hunting ground. A herd of zebras approach the beach, and two of a crocodiles start heading, submarine-like, toward where the zebra might drink. But the lead zebra is watching the crocodile, and after some minutes, they wisely decide to retreat up the slope to call it a day. The crocodiles remain in the water, waiting. We hear the thunder, and feel a few drops. We can see the rain coming behind us, and we close the pop top for now. More thunder and lightening, and we come upon the lions we saw earlier, gnawing on the wildebeest. One lioness in particular we can see well, and she is tearing at the wildebeest, whose thick skin, Joel tell us, is hard to get through. At times it seems that the lion is actually licking the wildebeest carcass, rather than eating.

It begins to drizzle again, and them just as it really starts to rain and darken, we hear of some wildebeests crossing the river. We drive over quickly – really quickly - and most of the herd has crossed already, but we do see four last ones jump in and start swimming. Two large crocodiles wait for them slightly downstream, ready to pounce, with a group  of 14 hippos a bit further on. .Joel tells us that the crocodiles grab the wildebeests by the throat, latch on, and twist the animal’s neck to tear through the hide. This time, though, the four wildebeests make it, which cheers us. Somehow, while seeing a lion eating a wildebeest is OK, no one wants to root for the crocodiles. 

A little wet and  a lot excited by everything we’ve seen today, we head back to the lodge. It has been an exciting day.

Maasai Mara Day 1 Morning

Maasai Mara Day 1 Morning

Because it rained here yesterday, everything is fresh and green. We arrive at the Maasai Mara Serena lodge, which is large and spacious, with a lobby and outdoor terrace overlooking the Maasai Mara with spectacular scope. We head out, and see some resting Cape buffalo and a herd of Impala. 

We come to the Mara River, which is flowing quickly, and has some small rapids upstream of about 8 hippos. We hear them talking to each other a bit as they rise and sink in the water. Farther once see a huge herd of wildebeest which Joel says may be getting ready to cross the river. We creep toward the river and see a large, male lion in the bush. There is another male nearby, two guys hanging out until they find their chance to take over a pride. We turn toward the river and see about 6 hippos in the water, bobbing about. We see two Cape buffalo skulls, and our first carcass that is not actively being eaten, a dead wildebeest laying over a rock. Suddenly the other lion emerges from hiding the bush, and he joins the other, both posing perfectly for us, a thrilling sight. Joel thinks they have both eaten recently, as their bellies are bulging. In the far distance we see some Maasai giraffes, including two males who are fighting by whipping their necks around each other.

Farther on the road, we see a family of elephants in the distance Notre let, and two giraffes on the right. We draw closer to the elephants, a herd of 12 females and babies. One in the center is nursing, and after a while the mother turns around so the calf can nurse on the other side. Like primates, elephants have their breasts up near their front legs, so the mother moves her front leg toward for access, while most other animals have their breasts farther back. Joel points out a large female with two of her young, a very young calf and an adolescent; often families stay together like this. We see 5 adult females and 8 youngsters of various ages, and we’re very quiet, so they begin to head toward our area slowly. This fresh green grass seems to make them rather satisfied.

Then something amazing happens. The big female, the matriarch, starts to head toward us, munching along the way, two adolescents close by her. We are the only truck here, and we all become very quiet so we can actually hear them ripping the grass up to eat. They come closer and closer, until they are finally only about 15 feet away. Joel speaks about being accepted into their world, that they are comfortable coming so near us, and we can see into their eyes. This is a very special moment, something Joel says is quite exceptional, for elephants to come to us.

We continue on the road, and see a lone male Maasai giraffe, with his head down in a hole drinking. It looks like such an awkward position. We continue on to the Hippo Pool, where wee an astonishing 34 hippos, in the deep water and sunning I the shore. Two rhinos are quite close, just the other side of the river, buts toward us and punching each other. They are so close we can see the texture of their skin.




   


Cheers, Theresa Nelson

Samburu to Maasai Mara

Samburu to Maasai Mara

After a lovely dinner which featured local beef and wild boar sausage BBQ, we go back to our huge tent. We have another wildlife surprise: a small frog is in the toilet. Luckily, Barney saw the frog before I did, and the little guy went back where he came from. All night the wind blew strongly, so the tent flaps were fairly loud. The tent is quite luxurious in size, Barney paced it off at about 18’x27’ plus a very generously sized bathroom with a walk-in shower.

We had to wake up early - 5:00am – to leave at 6:30am for the airport and our flight to the Maasai Mara. We pass by the village we visited yesterday, en route to the red-earthed airstrip at Kalama. The thatched-roof and stone shelter at the airstrip was built in 2014 by the Samburu County Tourism bureau, as was the pit toilet. Since it is so early, 7:45M, it is still cool. Our plane arrives, a Twin Otter, so we’re all on the same plane for only the second time on this trip. We have a 1 hour 45 minute trip, and below we see the mountains we travelled near the past few days.  We also flew over the Great Rift Valley, green with agricultural development.

We land at the Mara triangle airstrip, and at the edge of the red dirt runway, we see the paw prints of a lion. We load up with the same guides we had in Amboseli, and go to the Serena Maasai Mara Lodge to drop our stuff.


Cheers, Theresa Nelson

Samburu to Maasai Mara

Samburu to Maasai Mara

After a lovely dinner which featured local beef and wild boar sausage BBQ, we go back to our huge tent. We have another wildlife surprise: a small frog is in the toilet. Luckily, Barney saw the frog before I did, and the little guy went back where he came from. All night the wind blew strongly, so the tent flaps were fairly loud. The tent is quite luxurious in size, Barney paced it off at about 18’x27’ plus a very generously sized bathroom with a walk-in shower.

We had to wake up early - 5:00am – to leave at 6:30am for the airport and our flight to the Maasai Mara. We pass by the village we visited yesterday, en route to the red-earthed airstrip at Kalama. The thatched-roof and stone shelter at the airstrip was built in 2014 by the Samburu County Tourism bureau, as was the pit toilet. Since it is so early, 7:45M, it is still cool. Our plane arrives, a Twin Otter, so we’re all on the same plane for only the second time on this trip. We have a 1 hour 45 minute trip, and below we see the mountains we travelled near the past few days.  We also flew over the Great Rift Valley, green with agricultural development.

We land at the Mara triangle airstrip, and at the edge of the red dirt runway, we see the paw prints of a lion. We load up with the same guides we had in Amboseli, and go to the Serena Maasai Mara Lodge to drop our stuff.

Samburu Day 2 Morning

Samburu Day 2 AM

The winds really came up at night, so the tent flaps were quite loud at times. I woke up just before 6:00am to see the orang glow of the sun rising over the riverbank. The wind has died down and it is quite peaceful. Our coffee arrives at 6:30, and we enjoy a peaceful time on the veranda. The monkeys k ow what’s up, of course, and they cluster nearby. They are quite cute, but they are indeed wild and a bite would be nasty, so Barney shoos them off. We bring the tray inside as we start to get ready. Suddenly there is a clatter, and we see a Vervet monkey on top of the amp desk, sipping the milk. Barney yells at him again and he spills the milk on the floor and dashes out the unzipped front. Now we k ow how clever these little guys are.

Off to a lovely breakfast and a quick update from Joel, and at 8:30 we leave for Sam iru village, tone followed by more wildlife viewing. Within sight of the perimeter fence, we see a herd of impala, and males with magnificent twisted horns circling each other. They poke each other a bit, and we think they’re practice fighting, and then bam! They start in on one another in  earnest, clashing horns and rolling in the dirt. Our guide Felix tells us that when males fight like this, the winner gets the whole harem of females, and the loser is driven off. He says that if the harem gets too large, the male can get exhausted, making it easier for a single male to fight and win, thus diversifying the gene pool. The winning male starts herding his females, grunting at them.

We arrive at the Samburu village, where we’ll learn more about local culture. We are welcomed by Simon, who is 40 years old. He tells us that the Smaburu are nomadic, and move with heir flocks about every three months. He tells us that the men get married at about 28 or when they have 10 cows, and the women at about age 16-18.

Boys are circumcised at age 15, and they must stay still during the procedure or they will be stoned. Girls are not circumcised anymore, and we all cheer at that. The unmarried men are highly decorated with beads and necklaces, while the married men are undecorated. The women, both married and unmarried, wear many layers of necklaces and earrings. First the unmarried men did a welcome dance which involved some competitive jumping and singing, then the women did heir own welcome dance and song.The women then come to take the hands of the women in our group, to teach us how to do the dance with extending the neck and chin to make the necklaces bounce. The unmarried men take the women from our group by the hand in a sort of promenade around the Samburu women. Then in another dance, women would come forward in pairs toward our group and said “sopa” which is their hello. Simon tells us that there are about 200 people in the village, 25 families. The village is encircled by a wall of acacia thorns, and there is one “gate” or opening in the wall for each family.

We then enter through a gate, and the women from our group again join the other women in a circle dance which is done when a woman is getting married, welcoming her to a new status. We then divide up into three groups to visit a home. Traditionally, the homes are made of branches and cowhides, but they have lost so many cattle to the drought that they now use cardboard, plastic, even old clothing, to line the walls and roof. We go inside one home, where there are about three small rooms, one for cooking, one for the parents, and one for the rest of the family. The house is about 8’x12’ overall, with a small door, and very dark. People live a lot of their lives outdoors, so indoor space is not the priority. When the village moves, they can dismantle the home and roll everything up, rather like the tipis of Native Americans on the plains. Newly married couple have homes in the middle of the village, and then once they have a child, they move further out toward the periphery.

From age 4-6, the children stay in the village and learn ABCs and 1-20, which a group of small children recites for us. At age 6, they would start attending the permanent school, and they stay there year-round through 8th grade. Some will go onto high school, and others will come back to the village to manage the herds. Others will stay in towns and cities, attend university, and come back every so often and bring money back. The entry fee is shared among the whole village. We see a demonstration of how they start fires with two notched sticks and some elephant or goat dung used as kindling. They use special sticks which are called sandpaper wood. At the end of our tour, we come to the cloths laid out on the ground with a dazzling array of jewelry, carvings, and home items. We buy a two necklaces, a bracelet for Barney, and a fly switch for Larry. As we leave, I ask for the word for chief, like Joel, which is: Laigwanani.

We leave the Samburu village and re-enter the park, headed toward the river. We see a herd of bachelor Impala (all with horns), just hanging out. In the river, a group of zebras are in the water, drinking. We see a group of female elephants and babies, and learn that they are pregnant for 22 months, and nurse their babies for about 4 years., and then go into season again so they can get pregnant. We see a mother and young one whose tusks are just sprouting, so he will be weaned soon. We hear the elephants crunching the trees, and notice that the hair on their tails is divided in two, and the elephants switch their tails frequently as they munch on branches. We see another young female, about 8-10 years. We learn that elephants only digest about 60% of what they eat, so heir dung will still have thorns in it, and running over elephant dung can actually puncture the tires on a truck. We come around a corner and see a Martial Eagle just finishing a meal of Dik-Dik. They catch their prey by diving down and picking up small animals, and then they tear their kill apart and eat them alive; the animal dies of bleeding to death and shock, as the eagle cannot actually kill it. He is mostly gray, with black and white spotted legs which are large and powerful, and piercing chartreuse eyes. He has one leg on top of his kill, ready to take off with his prey. He keeps a close eye on us as we watch him.

We return to the tent cabins for a quick lunch, and a pool visit or nap before the afternoon. It is very hot and dry here, so this will be a nice break.

Samburu Day 2 Afternoon

Samburu Day 2 PM

After a very hot morning and nice lunch, plans for “sundowners” or drinks at sunset are made, at  a viewing platform that provides a wonderful vista. The food here has been quite good, especially the fish, which is what I’ve generally had. They serve the main dishes with a flourish,  swooping the covers off all at the same time

We’re off for a late afternoon wildlife ride, and start off by seeing a very large male Reticulated goraffe, much larger than the ones we’ve been seeing earlier. Several elephants are down by the river, and we see another herd of Impala, again with. Young male who may be cast out of the herd soon. On one side  are some Vulturines, and on the other side, a flock of Guinea Fowl, which prance away in synchronized hops.

We see some Water bucks, which have rather bovine faces, dark gray, a whole group of females, though somewhere nearby is a male. Then a young Impala male is getting chased by the dominant male. As he drives off the younger guy. Nearby is a troop of about 20 Yellow baboons, which look rather like the Olive baboons we saw in the Swrengeti.

Catching up to the other trucks, we cross a bridge where we have a great view of some large herd of cattle drinking on the shore, tended by Samburu. We are en route to a place called Buffalo Springs. We see a huge termite mind, about 7-8 feet tall, polished smooth because the elephants run themselves on the mounds to get rid of bugs. This area seems the driest yet, with no leafy green visible; even the trees are brown.

We see a gerenuk standing on its hind legs, feeding on a tree with front legs folded under. Their hind legs are powerful, able to lift the lighter front body into mid-air, as the head is small and the neck very thin. These are the only antelope that stand on their hind legs like this. We see more herds of Impala but these are smaller groups, likely because the harsher condition won’t support large groups as easily. A group of oryx are nearby, with quite a few youngsters; prancing about; we learn that the females come together to form nurseries to protect the whole group. In the distance are what’s called the Black Mountains, rising up above the plains. We see some yellow-bellied hornbills; the female sits on her eggs for a long time, while the male goes back and forth to get food to feed her. We see some more Grevy’s Zebras, with heir beautiful white tails with a single black stripe, very dramatic. 

Back near the river a huge  herd of perhaps 80o Impala are gathered under a tree, and two males were fighting, their grunts audible from some distance away. The large dominant male is clearing out the young male, who will form a bat belie group until they at able to get their own females. While the big male is busy, a younger male sneaks up on the side and cuts a female and her young one from the herd, and off they go. Driving back along the river, we see a Goliath Heron, huge even though he is kneeling down. Along the sandbank is a small crocodile, the first one we’ve seen in Samburu. We head back to the lodge, and see a trio of large white-backed vultures lurking in a tree, as one expect vultures to be.

When we are nearly back to the lodge we see three older lion cubs, about 6 months old, who run into a sort of den inside a large bush. They are eating hungrily with the mother. The young cubs look a bit like California mountain lions. We can hear them grunting, and the sound of the animal bones cracking.

Samburu Day 1 Afternoon

Samburu Day 1, Afternoon

We head out about 4:00, after a refreshing rest. It is still very hot, at least 85 degrees. We're now a short ways north of the equator.We’re on the lookout for big cats. First, though, we see some African doves, a soft gray with a ringed neck. I mention seeing some of the Vervet monkeys, and the males have huge blue testicles, which made we wonder why they evolved on that way, and of course a lively discussion ensues about what makes males more attractive to females. A herd of about 10 warthogs goes by, moving remarkably swiftly on their short little legs.

We see four  elephants are eating their dinner, one bull and three females, tearing the palm shoots up effortlessly with their trunks. We learn that the elephants are smaller here than in. Amboseli, because they have less water and less food here. Another group of three includes a mother, a young one about 3 years old who the mother seems to be trying to wean, as she pushes the youngster away as it tries to nurse. Elephants nurse until age 2, and are sexually mature at about age 13, and live to be about 60-65 years, rather like humans, as Joel points out. While elephants don’t attack, they will defend themselves and they, along with Cape buffalo, are the only animal that can actually kill a lion. We also learn that the softball-sized chunks of elephant dung are good fuel, and used by the Maasai as kindling to start fires.

We come to the Wasonero River, and the water comes from Abadayas Hills close to Mt. Kenya, and the water is very low right now. The rainy seasons are October through December and April through June. July through September is very dry. Along the river are Dome Palms, which have multiple branches, like deciduous trees, rather than the single trunk of most palms. On the riverbank we see a monitor lizard sunning itself. Near our cabin earlier we saw an Agama Lizard, with a blue body and bright orange head. 

We drive for a while along the dusty paths, with dark clouds I. The distance and a very faint rainbow. Our guide Ali has been working in this area for 17 years so he knows the park well. We see some large shrubs almost completely overtaken by huge termite mounds. Then we spot a male dik-dik, not moving; seeing one solo is unusual, since they pair up for life and are always together, so something might have happened to his mate.

We see another group of giraffes, and learn that, like the elephants, they are smaller than the Maasi giraffe, again because of limited food and water. These Reticulated giraffes can survive even if they drink only every two days. A trio of gerenuks walk by on their impossibly slender legs, and we learn that they are also called antelope giraffes because of their exceedingly long necks. We see the Kori Bustad bird, similar to the Secretary bird, but larger; they are the heaviest flying bird, weighing about 3-5 kilos.

Back down by the river, we see a family of eight elephants crossing the river, the golden pre-sunset light on them is stunningly beautiful. We hear that a lion is nearby, under a small shrub. He is a young male, with no mane yet, soundly asleep despite the trucks going by. We learn that females are usually together, one hunting while the other cares for the cubs, while the males are sometimes alone,  doing some hunting, but mostly sleeping and eating.This particular male is so sound asleep that he does not even react to a gazelle that is nearby.

As sunset approaches, we arrive (along with several other trucks) to where a cheetah is lying behind a bush. After some maneuvering we get a view of the cheetah, whose belly is bulging from a recent meal. We can see that the backside of the cjeetah’s ears are black, while the rest of her is the beautiful pattern we’ve come to know. We then head over to another spot where there is a cheetah sitting upright, but the many trucks make it hard to see, and then the cheetah moves off, alert and possibly on the hunt. The sun sets so quickly here, and we drive back to the tents in the darkening dusk.

Amboseli to Samburu

We arise early, 5:30am, for 6:30 breakfast and 7:15 departure for the Amboseli airstrip. On the way, another guide alerts us to a cheetah, far off in the distance, laying down so she looks like a log on the ground. We arrive at the Amboseli airstrip, whose main reception room is quite nice with a leather sofa and two leather chairs, and that’s all. Likely people do not wait here long. Our last two flights were on an 11-seat Cessna Caravan, but this flight to Nairobi is on a 50-person Dash 7, with four propellers, which feels like a 747 by comparison. Because there were no new passengers to pick up in Nairobi, the pilot changed the flight plan and went direct to Samburu – we learned this after we landed. When we saw the red dirt runway instead of a paved runway, we all wondered where we were landing, thinking we were picking up passengers, as multiple stops are the norm here. Then Joel said we were in fact in Samburu, so we should deplane, and off we went. This is the most rustic of the airstrips we’ve seen so far: red dirt runway, pit toilets, no other buildings. They did have about 10 Maasai women selling traditional beaded items, displayed on tables made of sticks lashed together with colorful scraps of cloth. Wanting Barney to have some bargaining experience, I sent him off to get a bracelet for Madeleine, and he did very well. The woman were dressed in multiple layers of different colors and patterns, two with young babies, and the ubiquitous beaded neck collars and large earrings.


Because of our early arrival, we are off for a game drive. In the distance from the airport is Mt. Kalama, which looks a bit like the Rock of Gibraltar. We load up, and for a while we are on a paved road, which feels exceedingly smooth. We go through a village which also seems to be a truck stop, with large trucks parked, petrol and car service stations, and metal and wood small shacks and general stores. And camels, which are apparently imported here. Now on a dirt road, we see both stone and mud houses with metal peaked roofs, and smaller huts with walls made of vertical sticks lined with cardboard and fabric, with rounded roofs made of clothing, tarps, and cardboard. 

We come to the gate to Samburu Game Reserve, and Joel tells us the story of the mural on the gate of a lioness who adopted a gazelle and protected it (until the gazelle was killed by a male lion). Near the road we see three gerenuks, a type of antelope with very long necks, which look quite elegant. They stand on their hind legs, front legs tucked under, to reach leaves on the upper branches. As dry as Amboseli was in parts, Joel tells us that this is much drier, with about 6 inches of rain a year. During the rainy season, all the grasses and trees which look brown and dead now, will green up entirely. We see a pair Dik-Diks, a tiny antelope which looks quite delicate but must be the tough to live out here. Several Guijnea Fowl are on the road,  both sides, with bulky bodies, slender necks and fluorescent blue head markings, and nearby is a red-billed hornbill. We can see the weavers’ nests up close, with their entry holes at the bottom. Under a tree we see an Oryx, a lovely antelope with beautiful markings, black and white angles and bracelets on a dove gray base, with dramatic long horns. Then a rare sight: a male ostrich with a flock of chicks about 3 months old, and the mother is away . The ostrich are fully grown and colored at age 2, and then they pair off. But suddenly these chicks all arise as one, loping away, then stopping. We have a sighting of the Grevy’s Zebra, very different than the zebras we’ve been seeing, with a white belly and much thinner stripes, a white tail and tan hair at the end (vs. a striped tail with black hair on the plains  zebra).

Soon we see some Reticulated Giraffes. Slightly  smaller than the Maasai giraffes we saw earlier, with spots that are sharper-edged rather than flower-like. While the Maasai giraffe had large irregular tan areas between their dark brown spots, the Reticulated giraffe has pale beige narrow spots, almost like grout, between lighter brown spots. We go down into then up from a gully which carries water during the flash floods. Right now, though, it is very dusty.  Suddenly we see what the giraffes were keeping an eye on, a pair of elephants. One was stripping a tree of bark, a monkey climbing above him, and a Martial Eagle in a nest in the top of the tree. A young elephant, about four years old, is about 10 feet away from us, lifting branches to get at some palm fronds below. He is so close we can see into his eyes. There is a lot of elephant dung here, in softball-sized chunks.

A whole herd of giraffes are on the left, 9 in all, and they are also watching something. Our guide, Joseph, thinks maybe lion, but we do not see any nearby. A hill in the background is a perfect pyramid shape. We continue on, arriving at Larsen’s Tented  Camp about noontime, tucked away under a grove of trees. We have a lovely lunch, and there is wifi in the restaurant, which is a large tent. Now for a rest, and the wildlife viewing at 4:00pm.

Amboseli and the River of Green

Amboseli: Huge Herds in a Sea of Green

24 September 2016

Because we arrived so late, Joel changes the program for a 9:00am departure, instead of 6:30am, though there probably would have been a revolt if we had had to go at 6:30am. And because everyone else went out at 6:30, we have the place to ourselves for the morning breakfast. Omelets made to order, many pastries, fruits, various juices and meats, plus Mbazzi beans in coconut milk, which are delicious. We hear the a young elephant got through the electric perimeter fence last night and could not get out, so just busted through another part of the fence.

Heading out, Joel points out the rocks, which are igneous rocks from a long-ago eruption at Kilimanjaro, which we see now from the Kenya side. The landscape here is very flat, only Kilimanjaro rising above in the distance. We pass the camp of Cynthia Moss, who runs a major elephant research program near where we are staying, and works with the Zoo. Very quickly we see a family of elephants in the distance, and then some wildebeests, one of whom looks pregnant. They have fluffy beards and long thick tails with wavy black hair. A herd of zebra are on other side, and a Black-Backed Jackal is on the prowl. Suddenly we see a large bull elephant, all alone, and a pair of cheetahs in the shade. The cheetahs are eating their kill, and we can see the blood in their faces. Every so often they raise their heads or get up to move to a new area. Joel says the kill is probably  a prong-horn antelope. On the photo, the cheetah is a tiny raised head just below the large clump of vegetation. Around the area are large number of palm trees, because this is water from from the Kilimanjaro snow melt.

We turn around, and see a large family of elephants crossing the road, matriarch and many mothers and babies and aunts. A lovely vista includes the elephants, zebras, cattle egrets, and wildebeests, all together, with the cheetahs still occupied with breakfast. More Thompson’s gazelles and Grant’s gazelles, and then we see two ostriches crossing the road, a male (black) and female (gray). Up close we can see how truly large the ostrich are, they can run about 45 mph. The male’s tail is ridiculously elaborate. A large herd of wildebeests are headed for the water, as all the animals seem to be headed in that direction. We come upon a huge herd of zebra, at least 100 or more, and they pose for us … I could watch zebras all day. Their tails constantly switch back and forth.

We’re now in the marshy area, a sea of green, where a small group of elephants are in the water, submerged almost to their bellies. Many have white cattle egrets on their backs. In the distance, a large bull elephant with only one tusk approaches across the plains, and even from a long ways away he is huge. Some of the elephants are now in the water up past their bellies. This vast expanse of green is the water all the animals are seeking, and because there are no crocodiles here, the animals feel safe in the water. In the distance are more elephants, submerged almost up to their eyes. The big bull is much closer now, but still keeping a distance from us. The contrast of the white tusks against the dark gray of the elephants’ skin is stunning, enhanced by the white egrets perched on their backs. Another large bull approaches from the other side at some speed, as a large dust cloud is stirred up behind him. I count 144 elephants visible here, from one side to the other, quite a crowd. A big male Cape buffalo approaches alone  in the distance, eyeballing us. The underside of the Cape buffalo’s ears has a lovely light gray pattern, almost like a butterfly’s wings, unexpectedly delicate for such a huge animal. We see group of three hippos also enjoying being partly in the water.

I can see seven dust devils in the distance along the of the plains. We come to an area with 14 giraffes in front of a watery area, with a herd of wildebeest nearby, as a group of five warthogs (pumba) march by in a line. A line hyena lopes by, covering a lot of ground quickly in his swinging gait. Hyenas generally scavenge what is left after a lion or cheetah is finished, although they will actually kill animals, but only smaller ones. There are several dust devils in the background, tan-colored tornadoes, some that seem to twist all the way to the clouds like Jack and the Beanstalk. A herd of Olive baboons cross the road, with the big male loping in  front, the mothers and babies and youngsters behind, a few babies on their mothers’ backs or hanging on their bellies.  Occasionally we see a lone wildebeest, which our guide Sammy says is either old or ill; it is a hard life. We’ve come in a large circle around the lake. We see some bush bucks, like brown deer, near a group of wildebeests and some Egyptian geese.

We are seeing large groups of animals here, some more  likely to be dinner than others (elephants vs. Thomson’s gazelles) but all seeming to be quite harmonious together. Perhaps there a fewer predators here than in the Serengeti. We see  more elephants submerged, one group with three hippos, also submerged. Soon we come upon a bull elephant making tracks; he will cross the road right behind us, so I could get a video of him moving, quite graceful at that speed.

Some Kiswahili words we have learned:

Jambo = greetings, hello
Jambo sana = hello, I’m fine (response)
Asante = thank you
Asante sana = thank you very much
Poleh poleh = slow down, wait wait
Tafazali = please
Apana = no
Ndyo = yes
Pumba = warthog
Twig a = giraffe
Simba = lion
Rafiki = friend
Chuii = leopard
Juma = cheetah
Tumda Mulia = zebra
Baba = man, father
Mama = woman, mother
Joto = hot
Pikipiki = motorbike

Back at the lodge, after lunch, we have time for a swim, which feels wonderful.

After a tasty lunch, we take a dip in the lovely pool, in some very cold water, like Sierra  Nevada lakes. But this pool comes with a view of nearby zebras and gazelles, feeding in the distance, and Vervet monkeys that seem to be everywhere here. After A refreshing nap, we head out at 4:00 for another viewing ride, and I hear we’ll have a short hike. The wind has come up strongly, and it is much hotter than it was at noon. We see gazelles, zebras, elephants, and wildebeests gathered on the green edge of the water. Most of the wildebeests are laying down now, with just one standing watch; Sammy says once they have had enough to eat they relax, as they are awake all night on the watch for predator s.. It is nap time in Amboseli. 

We’re approaching a large lake, Lake Amboseli, fed by melting snow from

Kilimanjaro. It is very blue, the first lake we’ve seen in Africa, and the large amount of water in one place seems somehow startling in this climate. The afternoon sun glints off the surface of the water, and we see a trio of hippos, partly submerged, and a long-legged Maribou stork. We spot a building on top of a hill next to the lake, which is what ew’ll be hiking up to. The afternoon wind is raising a lot of dust, limiting visibility at times. We see some Golden Crowned Cranes, red and back and white heads, topped by a dark mustard colored fan of feathers.We see two young male zebras fighting, one keeps poking at the other, who responds with a kick or a bite, they tussle a bit, then a somewhat larger, probably older, zebra walks between them to break it up. Reminds me of my father saying “stop it or I’ll come over there.” The two young guys walk in opposite directions, and some other zebras walk between them.

Now we have water on both sides of us, and there are many birds nearby, gray herons, sacred ibis, and white egrets. In the distance is a line of pink flamingoes on the far side of the water that seems a half-mile long. The sacred ibis are simply stunning, with their long curved black beaks, black heads and feet, and white bodies with black tipped wings. I can see how the ancient Egyptians were inspired to use the head of the ibis for the head of Thoth, the God of judgment.

We’re on our way to the lookout, where Joel says we’ll have a wonderful view. We speed along a road as corrugated as the metal roofs on houses here. And when we arrive, it is indeed a spectacular 360 degree view of Lake Amboseli and the sea of grass beyond. The wind is quite strong, and there are actual whitecaps on the water. In the distance we know lurksKilimanjaro, but it is too cloudy to see clearly. One of the interpretive signs notes that the snow cover on Kilimanjaro has shrunk by 80% since 1912, due in large part to climate change.Then suddenly, on our way down, the clouds break and we see the peak of Kilimanjaro, massive and looming, and in a few minutes, it is covered again. Back at the vans, we turn to see a spectacular sunset with clouds striking across the orange sun.Truly a wonderful ending to the day.

Serengeti to Amboseli

Friday, 23 September 2016

Serengeti to Amboseli

Last night we went to sleep to the high-pitched squeaks of bats and the strange howls of the hyenas, who were quite chatty. We have a final breakfast, as on every morning,  of made-to-order omelet, delicious bacon, fresh fruits, pastries and breads, an delicious coffee.We pack up to depart, enjoying a final view out over the valley. At the receptions area, we sign the guest book and take some photos of the Masai men and the house staff, who have been wonderful. Every morning the Masai men, armed with a long stick, walk us to breakfast in the barely dawn light, and in the evening. They walk us to and from dinner. This seems a bit much at first, but sightings of Cape buffalo and hyena on the lodge grounds, as well, as hearing of the three leopard who live there, make it clear that this is indeed a good idea. We hear that the male staff asked if they could create a soccer field for times when there are no guests, and host Doreen and her husband said yes. In a few hours, they cleared a soccer field near the drive, and play there, with  one man always standing guard for predators.

On our last ride with our driver, John, there is still more wildlife to be seen: gazelles, giraffes including one that was sitting down, and a lioness and her Cuban a downed dead Ted, posed perfectly. A bit over an hour to the airport, and we wait for our flight, which is either at 10:00 or 11:00. It is getting hot, so time for some sunscreen. After much switching of who is on which plane – each carries only 9 passengers . We are off for a very smooth flight to Arusha. The landscape that was so strange when we arrived now looks familiar, winding roads throughout the Serengeti reaching throughout the park.

We arrive in Arusha, go through security, and stop at a very large restaurant, which from the sign appears to do quite a business  for weddings and similar events. They have a huge circular barbecue, and almost all  of us get their special plate, which is barbecued chicken, lamb, beef, and goat, which is delicious. Then off to the Tanzania Cultural Center, which offers every imaginable kind of carving, wooden wall hanging, statues, beaded jewelry and accessory, as well as Tanzanite, a beautiful blue stone from this area. We find a pretty pair of earrings for Madeleine – her birthday is just after our return – and placemats I admired so much at the Soroi lodge.

At the border crossing , we get out of the rather stuffy bus, stand in line for out exit papers, all along the way women in traditional dress and beaded jewelry are selling necklaces and bracelets quite assertively. Ari buys a number of water bottles and small ice creams for the group and graciously distributes them. We then walk over the  border to the Kenya side to get our visas, with about 7 or 8 women again selling beaded items while we waited in line. A problem arises – one of our group’s passport was altered, and the immigration agent was not at all happy about it. Fortunately our Kenyan escort, Eric, was able to help, as it was quite hot by now and most everyone was a little cranky. We walk to our three new vans, load up the luggage, most of the women still selling through the windows as we wait for everyone to board, and we are off. We drive through a village which quickly become countryside, a vey dry and brown landscape.On the road from the border crossing to Amboseli, we see people on motorcycles with huge loads of of firewood, children driving small herds of goats, wood or concrete block and mud houses with metal roofs, some very sad looking wooden kiosks selling various items, and the fewer new buildings mostly seem to be mosques. Seeing these small herds of goats and cattle makes it clear that this is an important part of people’s livelihoods. The road is rough, and all-weather road Barney tells me, the gravel surface making it less dusty than a dirt road, but not paved so it is still dusty. Because of the delays at the border crossing, we are quite late, and the drivers are eager to get us to Amboseli before dark, so they are driving quite fast, about 80 kph. It is a bone-jarring two hours, though we see Kilimanjaro at sunset from the Kenya side. It is too noisy in the car to talk, so I’m writing to catch up on the day. There is work underway on the road, so we take a detour, driving over a dry river which is rather smooth by comparison, and then back on the bumpy road. We arrive at last, dental work mostly still intact, tired and very dusty. We head out to dinner, and Joel shifts our start time from 6:30am to 9:00am, which we’re all happy about.

The Amboseli Serena Lodge is much larger than the Soroi, 60 rooms compared to 13, so it suddenly feels like there are lots of people around, and quite a diverse crowd. The rooms are smaller, but the shower is lovely, After being almost alone at the Soroi and getting to know the few staff by name, it seems a little odd to see so many staff here, plus a large lounge and gift shop. A little stream runs through the reception area, and the sound of water, missing from our soundscape recently, is very nice. We’ll sleep well tonight.