Kenya's Maasai Mara Reserve - Day 1

 

The largest of Africa's 'BIG FIVE' 

Mr. eagle, apparently waiting
for a bus or something

My tour group was up, fed and out early today. On our way out, there was an African Fishing Eagle on the side of the dirt road, quite close to the lodge. We stopped and offered it a ride, but it seemed to have other plans. 

A bit later the van stopped so we could watch Olive Baboons also loitering along the roadway. Everyone laughed to see one large male baboon, with ZERO shame. 

Cover yourself, you rude baboon!

Nearby a  baboon mother industriously groomed her youngster.

Mom's insistence on
cleanliness is so embarrassing

A few feet off the ground another mother baboon held a cute infant, while an older youngster sat at her side. 

Mom, baby and junior

Soon we headed south for Maasai Mara, another Kenyan National Reserve. It's a little north of the Tanzania border. The Reserve is famed for it's density of African wildlife. 

There were many goat/cattle/and sheep jams along the way that slowed us down a bit. 

Halfway through the morning driver our van stopped at a HUMONGOUS tourist shop, where we could use the rest rooms and purchase anything we decided we couldn't live without.

There were absolutely thousands of thingies one could purchase in the store, but myself and Ila were set on getting additional bags because we each had one main bag, which threatened to explode if even one more item was added. We were told negotiating for goods was OK, so we drove a hard bargain with a sales associate, purchasing 2 large zippered - and quite beautiful bags, for the low low price of forty shillings each. I'm certain I wasn't overcharged by more than ten shillings so it was quite the triumph, lol. 

Get your trinkets and tchotchkes here!

A couple of hours later we reached the guarded entrance to Maasai Mara. Just before we arrived, Jafar told us to be sure to keep our windows closed, because the Maasai women sell their wares to van passengers and they do NOT take no for an answer. Then he got out of the van, to get us all checked in with the guards, and he didn't close his window!

I love the Masai women in their colorful clothing

There was no chance I was going to buy anything from anyone, no how! Having ASSUMED I could get Kenyan & Tanzanian cash at the airport, I was without any local money since we landed in Nairobi. I hadn't as much as 2 Kenyan coins to rub together, and what I'd purchased so far on this trip was through my debit card. 

And as Jafar warned, within seconds the van was surrounded by insistent women, waving pretty, handmade goods at us, while shouting their prices at us, and looking thoroughly annoyed that we weren't buying up all the goods on the spot. 

"twelve shillings M'am, 3 necklaces for only twelve shillings!"

It felt like Jafar was gone for 20 weeks, not just 20 minutes, but we were all of us relieved when he returned to the van and we were on our way again. 

It was after twelve noon when we rolled into Sarova Mara Game Camp. 

Game Camp Gateway

Nice map of the reserve's grounds, just to the left of the reservation desk

Again, we were sorted into our rooms, or in this case buildings. We followed the porters to our assigned buildings - each being canvas tents on permanent platforms.

The grounds were lush, and the 'tent' buildings are in the background

Oh were we impressed with the room! Between the beds, just above the little shelf were oodles of electric sockets for all our electronics to charge up. Truly heaven! And note at the foot of each bed there is a trunk on which to put one's luggage. 

Lovely BIG windows

Add to that, there were large, net covered canvas 'windows', on both sides of the room so a lovely breeze blew over one's bed at night. Ahhhh! 





And the 'tent' had it's own bathroom complete with a nice tub/shower combo. Note the happy lady in the bathroom vanity mirror below.

Snazzy bathroom area

We have a routine now. After arriving at our lodge & assuming our rooms, we take lunch in a huge building with an abundant buffet. Then we digest, I go birding, and at 4PM it's time for us to gather together for our evening safari.

Jafar told us we would be viewing the African Big Five, which were the five species most prized and difficult to hunt. The big five are Elephant, Rhinos, Cape Buffalo, Lions and Leopards. A nice anagram for the Big Five is 'BRELL'. We saw several of the Big Five this evening.  

A Big Fiver - a Cape Buffalo

This Cape Buffalo was content to loll in a nice mud puddle

We spent a few good minutes watching this Topi, an antelope, because it was waiting for its close up shots. The dark mark on its haunch is not a stain, that's its normal coloring - a nice map of Africa. 

A wonderfully posed Topi Antelope 

Huzzah! We finally ran into the largest of the Big Five - the Bush Elephant, and lots of them. There were plenty of young elephants as well as seasoned matriarchs. 

A grand lady

Baby tusker, quite far from Mom

Giraffes happily slurped up the leaves of the many Acacia trees. There are several species of giraffes and the ones we've seen are Masai Giraffes - they have leaf shaped spots. 

A parade of White-bearded Wildebeests/Gnus, more than just the pair below, strolled by. 

Two Gnu

There were other predators seen throughout the early evening. 

Silver-backed Jackal

Normally, periodically Jafar's radio would release a blur of Swahili, as the many tour guides chatted, sharing what animals they were locating. After one such blur of radio chat, Jafar told us to fasten our seatbelts! 

My best blurred shot of the Bat-eared Fox

He tore off, with no explanation. I got excited because I knew he wasn't tearing off after seeing any ordinary animal. Along the way he stopped to point out a little Bat-eared Fox that was off in the bush. Jafar told us to hurry with our photos of the fox, as there wasn't much time to lose. I took loads of shots of the fox but all were blurred as the van hadn't  complete halted.

Suddenly we were veering off road, and we could see at least a half dozen travel company vans circling a bunch of shrubs in an otherwise open meadow... and there it was! A totally chill Leopard! 

Didn't think we'd be lucky enough to see a Leopard - one of the Big 5

On safari, you realize the animals get blasé about all the tourist vehicles. The wildlife don't bother the vans and the vans, more or less, don't bother the wildlife. 

Anyway how thrilling to see this leopard, right out in the open, just enjoying the night air and surveying its kingdom. It's good to be next in line to the throne of the Lion King! 

Several Lions & Lionesses lolled  around in the grass. Honestly, lolling is something that cats, both great and small are particularly good at.

Her Majesty

What a day! I didn't bother posting any of the numerous birds I got on film, but here is my best bird of the day by far. Size of a skinny turkey,  Here is a Black-breasted Bustard. Nearly wet myself getting to see this large savannah bird. 

Black-breasted Bustard

It was getting dark when we finally headed back to camp... it was a half hour past the time that vans are supposed to be safely back at camp. So it was a mad dash for Jafar to drive us back to camp.

We stopped along the way to see where a leopard was supposed to have been seen. We got stuck and I know I was fretting we might have to walk the rest of the way back to Sarova Mara Game Camp. But nope, Jafar did an astounding and fast job of getting us unstuck and we were soon safe in camp, just in time for dinner of course. 

Today we completed seeing Africa's Big Five: Cape Buffalo, both Rhino species, Elephant, Lion and Leopard. Will wonders  never cease!