Three Days in the Mara

The word was WOW!

This was the fourth trip to the Fig Tree Camp in the Maasai Mara for Nancy and Ethel.  We were thrilled to see  our waiters Mustafa and Johnson from two years ag, who greeted us warmly, and asked about "the girls" (Hannah, Julia and Caroline) from our last trip.  The manager also remembered us and as a result we received some special surprises..  

Rather than go on three two hour drives on Tuesday, the manager suggested we take box lunches so we could stay out all day.   We spent ten hours out in the savannah that resulted in the best safari we've ever been on.  We saw four of the "Big Five", including lions, cape buffalo, elephants and the elusive leopard.  In addition, we saw cheetah, every type of antelope, wart hogs (nicknamed the Kenya Express by our guide because of the funny way they run), zebras, giraffes, hippos, baboons, vervet monkeys, genet cats, crocodiles and thousands of wildebeest who have made their way to Kenya as part of the Great Migration.  

We felt so lucky to spend almost thirty minutes watching a leopard drag his kill toward a tree where he hung it in the limbs to keep other animals from stealing it.  The migration is one of the last great migrations in the world and usually occurs in mid-July.  Because of lack of ran in Tanzania, the herds which number in the millions have moved to Kenya early this year.  The only big animal we missed was the rhino which is nearing extinction due to poaching.  Only 42 remain in the park.

Another special surprise happened this morning as we finishing up our morning game drive.  As we came around a corner we found Mustafa and a cook waiting for us with an elaborate bush breakfast.  It was a wonderful way to end our safari.

Below are a few photos of the safari.

Baboon mothers carry their babies on their backs.

Thousands of wildebeast dot the landscape as they migrated into Kenya.

A mother lion with her daughter and son resting up before they go out for an afternoon hunt.

This is actually a yawn - not a growl.

Leopard on the prowl.

Mama and Daddy ostrich out for a stroll.

Topi stand on termite hills in order to better spot predictors.

Zebra precede the wildebeast in the migration.

Giraffe.

Elephants.

Hippos.

Parker joining the Maasai in the "jumping dance" which is part of the courting ritual.  Maasai Men participate in contests to see how can jump the highest.  Young women then choose who the want to marry at these contests.  The higher one can jump the more attractive they are as a potential husband.

Our "Out of Africa" moment was a bush breakfast served by Mustafa.  

We arrived back in Karen this afternoon and went to the Nairobi National Museum which has a wonderful exhibit of skeletons that show the evolution of man (the oldest being over 17million years old) and a special exhibit of paintings by Joy Adamson (of Born Free fame).  Tomorrow is our last day.  We board our plane at 1125 pm to make the long journey home.  We leave part of our hearts in this special place, forever changed by its wonderful people, culture and nature.