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
Tuesday, September 27, 2016
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.
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.
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.
Monday, September 26, 2016
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.
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.
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.
Sunday, September 25, 2016
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.
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.
Saturday, September 24, 2016
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.
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.
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