We travelled to Samburu in June 2023 and what a trip it was... We were with Andy and Suzie - a group of friends enjoying the wildlife and beauty of Kenya.
As with every trip away, I always keep a diary. I began with such good intentions but as the days passed, my handwriting deteriorated, time available to write lessened and my diary became a list of memorable bullet points.
It all began at 5.30am with Brian taking us to Heathrow. Despite a two hour delay we were off to Nairobi. Customs were painfully slow and after 4 hours "sleep" at the Nairobi hotel, we caught our one hour Safari flight to Samburu. This flight was shrouded in thick cloud which once cleared, exposed a beautiful red sandstone landscape, river beds, hills, rocks and bush. The giraffe had to be cleared from the landing strip by the guys on a clapped out motorbike before we could land!
Our lodge was in the final stages of completion and was absolutely beautiful, located beside the river. The lodge exuded the most wonderful atmosphere and sense of well being.
The tents were large and spacious, very comfortable and set amid the sounds of woodpeckers, weaver birds, monkeys, insects and more. The outside bed faced the river and was a favourite place to relax after the dust of a day out on safari. The communal areas comprised an outdoor restaurant below the trees where mischievous monkeys were deterred by a catapult. There was a lovely area around a fire pit - a gorgeous place to sit and talk in the darkness before eating dinner inside. The outdoor swimming pool was next door to the massage suite, both looking towards the distant hills.
The factor which captivated us the most about the lodge was most definitely the team looking after us - they became good friends, they taught us Swahili, they laughed with us, danced with us and even made a video with us to send to a dear friend in America for his birthday. They taught us so much about their culture, their traditions, their beliefs and astrology. Even now, we are in contact with Simon and Peter and have fond memories of everyone else.
Mornings began at 5am with tea and biscuits delivered through a hatch in the tent at 5.30am. We would then be collected by a Samburu warrior and walked to the land cruiser where Newton would be waiting for us in the darkness. He was brilliant.
We would be off into the Reserve at 6am. Breakfast was either under a tree or beside the river bank. After a morning of searching and watching and photographing, we would return to the lodge for lunch, a kip, and a chance to clean the cameras before heading off out again at about 4pm. This second safari of the day would end about 7pm in time for a quick shower, a sundowner around the fire pit, dinner then zzzzzz to the sounds of baboons, and lions. Sounds relaxing? Oh no, very full on...
Samburu was very different compared to the Masai Mara. The landscape comprised dense, impenetrable bush, river banks, wooded glades, grassy, open plains, rocky mountainsides, marshland, hills and cliffs. At times my imagination would see shapes in the rocks and clouds - pigs, a row of elephants, tortoises and more. As for the amazing wildlife - we were left feeling very humble and privileged to be able to enter their domain...
We spent a lot of time watching the cheetah mother caring for her three month old cubs, scanning the terrain, hunting, sleeping and playing like children in a playground. She was a very competent mother and all four cubs have continued to thrive. We understand they are becoming very competent hunters, taught well by their mother.
We saw elephant every day - either walking down from the mountains to the river, or crossing the river in line, sheltering and protecting their young, playing with twigs and each other or feeding in the glades and passing right next door to us. They would pause a metre away at times and stare into our souls, decide if we were trustworthy and if so they would pass by beside the land cruiser. We could hear them breathing they were so close. We remained motionless and calm - it was very emotional at times.
The leopards were somewhat elusive on this trip but we saw a male dragging a kill into the bush. The next day, the female was feeding from it high up in a tree. She was one very happy leopard.
The pride of lions spent a lot of time sleeping but we managed to catch them on the move a couple of times. A dog from the village had somehow found its' way into the reserve and was lucky to survive after being spotted by two lionesses who gave chase. It scurried underneath the land cruiser momentarily before facing up to the two surprised lionesses. We also watched them on the rocks in the sunshine, resting after too much food!
In addition to these sightings, we were very lucky to watch the very rare aardwolf, bat eared foxes, reticulated giraffe, ostrich, gerenuk, Grevy's zebra, baboons, antelope, gazelle, impala, eland, dik dik and more. The birds were colourful and at times very comical.
I cannot remember how many photos and videos we have from this wonderful trip but our memories go deeper. Oh how we love Africa...
As a footnote - here are some of the Swahili words and phrases we tried to use daily :-
A Sante (Thank you), Karibu (Welcome), Jambo (Hi), Sara (Ok), Twende (Let's go), Ku ja (Come), Kimbia (Run), Pole Pole (Slowly), Haraka (Quick), Mzuri (Good), Napenda Hapa (I like it here), Wanyama (Wild animals), Hakuna Matata (No worries), Samba (Lion), Chui (Leopard), Tembo (Elephant), Fish (Hyena), Bwana (Mr/Sir), Simba Marara (Cheetah), Mzuri Kucheka (Good to laugh), Kushoto (Left), Julia (Right), Mbele (Straight on ), Kuja Rafiki (Come my friend),Twende Rafiki (Let's go my friend), Tuliona Wanyama (We have seen animals), Lala Salaam (Sleep well).
Whilst we love to travel overseas, the Isles of Scilly have always been on the list of places to explore. It has been nicknamed the Caribbean Cornwall and if you think white sands, beautiful aquamarine blue sea, quiet islands, lovely people, small boats and warm sunshine - well that's what it was this August.
It all began rather early in the morning with Ian, Karen and I heading down to Penzance to catch the Scillonian boat - often nicknamed the "Sickolian" due to the sea currents and swells. Luggage and car sorted, we boarded realising the crossing was predicted to be good. Phew! It was...
It was to be week of walking - in fact we walked 172,000 steps in the eight days - probably 85 miles in total. Every island, every corner and every cove demanded to be explored. We are still left with a list of places we ran out of time to see.
St. Mary's island was our base - the largest island with golden beaches, sailing boats and rowing boats, a buzzy town whenever the Scillonian was in, little boats on the quay waiting to take you to the islands, galleries and artists, great fish n chips and the invaluable and very, very busy Co op. We also discovered an interesting Bronze Age village and related sites.
In prehistoric times, the islands would have been joined by sand bars and more accessible to traverse. A very different vista.
Prime Minister Harold Wilson loved St. Mary's and is buried in the Old Town churchyard. In fact we also passed his bungalow every day as it was very close to where we were staying. The same churchyard has the vast majority of graves from a horrendous shipwreck which affected the islands greatly, many lost their lives. Well worth reading about if you have the time.
St. Martin's island was also quite big and the thundery showers had us seeking shelter under a cricket pavilion, trees and bushes where possible. The downpours were sudden and large.The heather was superb everywhere, peeping through the bracken on every island. The bramble bushes were laden with blackberries along every sandy track and unspoilt pathway.
We spent a long time on one beach watching a group of eight seals messing about in the water. The sea was like an artists' palette of colours - clear, blue, aquamarine, turquoise waters.
Tresco is probably the island most people know about because of its' famous gardens and abbey. We chose to walk around this privately owned island instead. Its' unsignposted pathways through bracken, sand dunes, white sand beaches, over rocks and along small lanes was glorious. Unfortunately it was too windy to kayak around the outcrops off the beach.
St. Agnes was such surprise as it was so different to the other islands. We have never seen such massive and beautiful rocks - it was like plonking Dartmoor onto the island.
There were constant views across to Bishops Rock Lighthouse where "Twitchers" were desperately trying to spot the rare arrival of a red booby and a brown booby. The tide was low when we arrived on St Agnes so we were able to walk across the sand and pebbles to wander around the island of Gugh.
Bryher was an island I was keen to explore but unfortunately the boat departure times were delayed due to massive high and low tides as a result of the massive Blue Supermoon. We managed a short walk and it reminded me of Sark in the Channel Islands but smaller. Boats were beginning to moor up in order to go shrimping at low tide - an annual event which includes a gathering of people in the exposed channel of sand between Tresco and Bryher.
Our return home took place on a grey, drizzly day but the crossing was still good. What a great week for the three of us.
Our Ecuadorian adventure actually “began" in 2022 when Andy Rouse first publicised his Tour. We have never spent so much time photographing overseas birds so it was a new opportunity which we immediately signed up for. We were certainly not disappointed...
The actual trip began in reality in 2023 with a very, very early start on April 14th 3.30am. We arrived at Heathrow ready to fly via Madrid to Quito. Good food, lovely alcohol, interesting in flight entertainment and excellent flights.
Our first “landing" in Quito in 2010 was quite literally a thudding drop like a lead balloon onto the runway, something you tend to remember. However, this landing was smooth, controlled and a relief. As we flew over the Andes we could see grey, billowing clouds and later learned the volcano was spewing out ash and gas as we flew in.
We had travelled a day early in order to be on good form after over 13 hours total flying so the chill out at a local airport hotel set us up. It also gave us chance to engage with the locals - we have always found the Ecuadorian people to be some of the best. In fact without exception, they were genuinely pleased we were exploring Ecuador and not the Galapagos as most tourists do.
The day was spent anticipating the arrival of the rest of the group whilst also watching Leicester City on the television in the hotel foyer - quite surreal with adverts across the bottom of the screen detailing South American sporting events and results. Even the hotel staff cast curious glances across at the television.
The weather closed in and torrential rain began to fall. The group arrived and we were off in the minibus along dark, wet, single carriageway roads, through the city over the equator, passing so many people going about their business before heading along more hairpin bends than I could count, through forested areas, often in single file traffic behind cars, trucks, bikes and lorries. After a couple of hours we turned into a deeply rutted track arriving at our first lodge.
It was wonderful - the sounds of the rainforest was everywhere. The vegetation was a paintbox palette of every shade of green then as the birds emerged, the vivid colours of nature stunned the senses still more.
The Lodge had three viewing platforms, each with a unique perspective across the canopy allowing us to watch and hear so many wonderful birds. A muddy, twisty trail down into the valley provided a distant view of an owl but gave us further insight into the environment. Our daily routine settled into photographing different species of birds in various locations at the lodges or on route through Ecuador. We slept soundly with the frogs chorussing through the nights.
The day we left the first lodge was like every morning - we were up well before daylight. We were heading east towards the Ecuadorian cloudforest, past homes where everyone seemed to have free range chickens, tethered cows, a few goats, washing hanging on lines and muddy gardens.
By now we had enjoyed seeing so many birds, too many to name at this point. We’d visited local homesteads to view different species, all of which were lovingly cherished by the locals. Our 4x4 driver taught us Spanish words as we circumnavigated the most beautiful mountain roads, climbing to higher altitudes, crossing mudslides and looking down at deep valleys and gorges on every side.
The second lodge was more remote and surrounded by forest, mountains and valleys. It was here we were able to watch swallowtail kites and vultures as well as toucans, toucanettes and hummingbirds. We even had a fleeting sight of the rare quetzel. As with the first lodge, we ate outside, traditional Ecuadorian food, accompanied by a briefing for the next day before sinking into well needed sleep.
Back in the 4x4 vehicles we travelled up into the mountains again, it was so beautiful.
We photographed hummingbirds where the views across the mountains was phenomenal. By now we were probably at 11,000 feet with clean, pure air and a sky so blue. This was possibly one of the highlights of the trip. On the way our driver gathered fresh eucalyptus leaves for us to inhale should we get any symptoms of altitude sickness!
As we were heading back towards Quito to another unique lodge, it was getting cooler, so much so that the next lodge had an open fire in the bedroom as well as in the communal area.
The following day we continued up to over 12,000 feet and from the high altitude clifftop we watched critically endangered condors flying above and below us - such majestic birds. The area was also home to spangled bears but they were nowhere to be seen that day.
Lodge number 4 was very unexpected. We had driven from Quito for a few hours, most of the group were asleep on the journey but I wasn’t prepared to miss anything so watched every mile pass by as we drove through high mountain passes, down into valleys, hairpin bend upon hairpin bend until the minibus pulled over in the middle of nowhere - no lay-by, just a series of steps leading up a path. Following these steps we walked about 10 minutes along the edge of the bank through the forest before coming to a most wonderful lodge overlooking the mountains across the valley. Unbelievable beauty…
The next morning Ian and I were up well before 6am to watch the sunrise from the main deck area.
We continued on our adventure towards the Ecuadorian Amazon. The sights along the way included many, many people on motorbikes - forget helmets and forget limiting the passengers to two. We saw families squashed together, chainsaws and machetes being carried, heavy duty strimmers stuck out from passengers arms as they beetled their way along the roads. We passed through larger towns as well as small settlements where everyone walked along the roadside. We had the chance to visit a lovely homestead where a very rare hummingbird had been spotted. We spent a very hot morning photographing it as it kept us on our toes while it flitted about.
Lodge number 5 was by a lake inhabited by cayman and snakes. No way was I going anywhere that lake! The lodge itself was like nowhere we’ve ever stayed before - its opulence was very welcome that day. It even had aircon, something we usually refuse to use - not so this time.
It was from here we walked up our first tower to be above the tree canopy. Amazing…Our knowledgeable Guide was wonderful at calling in the wild birds, identifying them and sharing his passion for the birdlife of Ecuador.
The trip then changed as the minibus approached the Napo River, the only route through the Ecuadorian Amazon. All the travel was now by boat down the muddy, wide and fast flowing river. One boat was for the luggage, the other for us for about 2 hours past mangrove swamps, deeply wooded forests, muddy banks and oil installations with their flatbed transportation tugs towing oil tankers back to the road network.
Our Lodge this time was community owned and managed - far more rustic than anywhere else - but with the most wonderful people you could ever meet. Communication was limited because they spoke indigenous Amazonian. It was a very humble experience to be so well looked after by such genuine people.
We walked up a few towers whilst in the Amazon, the highest being 85 metres. The breathtaking views spread far and wide across the tree canopy, over the river to still more and more forest.
The community brought breakfast to us on the top of one of the towers having travelled from the lodge by boat, boardwalk, mud and forest. They also brought lunch to a parrot lick hide later that day where the hot food was plated on individual proper plates in the actual hide! That afternoon the thunder and lightning came in, a very atmospheric experience whilst heading back on the boat or up the tower.
The Amazon chapter holds many memories and included a visit to the local “Hospital” a boat ride across the river and a muddy walk to a breeze block building where we were the object of curiosity by the locals. We suspect we were the first Westerners ever seen by some of the children who peeped at us shyly around the open doorway. I managed to find out their names amid giggles and smiles and cheerful “bye byes” as we returned to the Lodge.
Of course, the Amazon wouldn't be so beautiful without torrential rain...
The final days were long ones, we had a long journey to make back to civilisation. We had done nearly 800 miles in all and our adventure was nearing the end…A final hummingbird homestead and a last Lodge 2 hours from the airport closed the chapter on a wonderful adventure. This Blog barely touches the detail of everything but it was a trip to remember to be sure...
This was no wildlife safari, no very, very early pitch black mornings, no need for camouflage clothing, no need to carry plenty of medical items and no need to carry dust covers and waterproof covers for cameras. We were on holiday - our first overseas holiday since the Covid years.
Of course, there was a reason behind travelling to Canada and Washington USA for nearly four weeks. The core reason was for Ian to do Air2Air photography over the mountains and glaciers and valleys along the Fraser Valley and across the Pacific Ocean near Vancouver Island and the USA. This was such a wonderful experience for him, flying with Eric and the Photocrew, landing at the famous Abbotsford Airshow, meeting top pilots who were keen to talk everything aeronautical and flying in the evenings with the most wonderful lighting and cloud formations.
We combined this reason and decided to see my friend who lives on Saltspring Island with her partner. We spent a brilliant twelve days together - exploring Saltspring Island, sailing and stopping overnight in an idyllic cove, walking, swimming, dancing to the supermoon as it rose over the ocean, driving to the Pacific Rim National Park for a few days and spending such special times together. She even came to share some of the Air2Air fun.
With these reasons in place, Ian and I started to create a route across Canada prior to seeing my friend and the Air2Air. We flew into Calgary and spent a week driving around the Rockies - it was not enough time because the Rockies are outstandingly beautiful. We viewed it as a taster - creating a rather long list of places to revisit and hike and kayak.
The mountains were captivating, grey, pink and mauve according to the light and the lakes stunning, edged by trees and bushes.
The Summer meadows were awash with flowers, berry bushes and forest glades. We had an interesting array of airbnbs to stay in - one was smaller than the smallest caravan, another was on a horse ranch and the best one was in a very attractive wooden lodge with a gorgeous hot tub! We then drove across to Vancouver, avoiding the horrific wildfires everywhere.
From Vancouver we took a floatplane into Saltspring Island - such a dreamy blue mountain vista as we crossed the water to the island.
We had a terrific time on Saltspring - so many great memories - sailing and stopping overnight in a very tranquil cove as well as spending a few days exploring the Pacific rim National Park area.
After a fabulous time altogether, we headed back towards Vancouver and out to Chilliwack for the Air2Air.
Things didn't end there though - another friend and partner from Oregon drove up to spend time with us. Wildfires prevented us from exploring the North Cascades but instead we headed to another beautiful alpine area near Leavenworth - staying in a gorgeous cabin. A hike to Lake Valhalla was hot but worth every effort.
So this trip was one for photographing landscapes and aeroplanes rather than wildlife. The camera on the mobile phone was always to hand as well as our bigger cameras. It was lovely to send images across the world to family and friends giving them a glimpse into the beauty of British Columbia, Alberta and Washington, USA. It was a great trip...
After our flight from London to Delhi and a three and a half hour train journey to Sawai Madhopur in Rajasthan, we finally arrived at our base for the week. Ranthambhore National Park was a mere five minutes drive away from where we were staying. It was 9.30pm, we were tired and had already been exposed to thought provoking images of India. All the advice from friends rang in our ears - to be acutely aware of the water, the food, the environment and coronavirus. What had we let ourselves in for? Was India going to be for us after all?
That first night seemed pretty short as we were up before 5am for a quick cuppa and biscuit before leaving in two jeeps to be first at the gate of the National Park. The single tracked road to the gate passed through trees, streams, rocky hillsides and with a wall for protection for the animals in the National Park. Indeed, we saw a leopard jump off the wall into the forest that first morning. The gate was tall and imposing and lay in the shadow of the amazingly historic and symbolic Fort which hugged the rock high above.
Locals were also gathering, pilgrims could be seen during the week making their way to pay homage to this significant site. In the darkness, we saw silhouettes of peacocks high in the trees and monkeys watching the world go by, jumping and leaping, feeding and nursing. The gate was opened promptly at 6.30am as the sun began to rise. The birdsong was just beautiful, so many new species and so many unusual names.
Ranthambhore National Park is made up of zones, each one different, each one significant to different tiger generations. The landscape was beautiful, dominated by immense rocky bluffs which form part of the Aravalli Supergroup. This is the oldest mountain in India. The zones had high escarpments, rocky gorges, forested valleys, riverbeds and waterholes, lakes and bogs, ancient banyan trees and temple ruins, wells and monuments.
Ranthambhore was certainly an environment in which the tigers could thrive.
We definitely needed woolly hats, gloves, fleeces and windproof outer layers in the early mornings.
By being first in the Park we were able to look for fresh pug marks to establish overnight tiger behaviour and predict where the tigers would be that morning. Our drivers and guides were unbelievably skilled and knowledgeable. Our sightings throughout the week were superb, we were very lucky.
And then we saw them... First a distant male basking in the valley a long way away but looking massive. Next a walking female who disappeared into the foliage. These were but tiny tasters of what would become amazing encounters as the days progressed.
"Arrowhead" was quite a star during the week, allowing us privileged entry in to her world. Her personality was quite dippy and laid back, she rarely looked at us, she was a casual hunter and a steady walker who despite her slow speed covered a lot of ground. We tracked her resting, hunting, sleeping, walking towards us, across us and behind us, lazing in the water and touchingly calling for her cubs and greeting them so affectionately it made your heart melt with emotion.
We nicknamed her 12 month old cubs as "the shy one" and "Dagger" and they were just gorgeous. They were often alone until Arrowhead called them for food whereby they would follow her along the tracks and routes through the National park. The cubs had very different personalities - one was brave enough to engage with a crocodile, snarling and staring at it before walking away to play with the other cub; catching a young fawn as it learned to hunt; play fighting with the other cub; pouncing and stalking hares in the undergrowth and of course, sleeping in the shade and in the sunshine. The other cub was more reserved and watchful, at times temporarily chased away by "Dagger" but not for long. Both cubs were stunning in their appearance and behaviour. To see such healthy, wild tigers was truly phenomenal. After only one day in the Park, we felt stirred to return again in another season, not just in winter.
The other stars of the week were the two male brothers "Pi" and "Jam" who we saw separately. Oh my goodness, were they big! A stare from one of them as they walked within a metre of our jeep was enough to increase the pulse rate and pause time. We followed them walking and in the river, we watched them sleeping and stalking. We heard their breathing and the occasional snarl. I don't think we will ever forget the concentrated stare when one of the males was sizing up a potential meal across the river or the walk through the dappled twilight directly towards us. Whilst we wanted to take photographs, it was also important to simply watch and remember the actions of these stunning creatures.
Our days fell into a pattern, our breakfast boxes were filled with spicy nibbles, omelette white bread sandwiches, juice, a chocolate bar, banana and bread rolls. We ate wherever we happened to be in the Park and when there were no tigers to watch. Lunch was back at the hotel - plenty of choice and plenty of curries. Our afternoon drives began in the early afternoon until the gates were closed at 6pm. Frustratingly, the tigers were often active and in excellent light as the time came for us to leave the National Park. After cleaning the camera kit and downloading the photos and videos taken that day, it was either dinner at the hotel or dinner around the fire pit at the Bagh before getting to bed as early as possible ready to go again the next day. Holiday? What holiday!
What is it about overnight flights from London? Is it seeing a good friend beforehand and having a homemade cottage pie meal together? Is it packing so well that you really don't need to reopen the suitcase to use your toothbrush, deeply buried amongst the well rolled socks? Is it that constant nag and check that the passports are in the hand luggage? No, it's that sense of adventure, slight apprehension, the need for sleep and the desire to explore something new.
So many of our friends have been to India and opinions have been mixed regarding the food, the tummy upsets, the smog, the poverty and the scenery. We had prepared ourselves to travel in the same way as ever - with open minds, a level of safety and a thirst to see Bengal tigers in their wild habitat. We were not disappointed...
Firstly, the Indian people who we met personally... They quite simply could not do enough to help us. They are totally family orientated and as such, everything they do is to benefit their family members who in some cases live in the foothills of the Himalayas or in others, live at least 10 hours away by bus and train journeys. Their work life is concentrated into the months when tourists travel, allowing them to be with their families during less affluent periods. They are keen to share information about their country, to answer questions and clarify observations. We made many friends.
Sadly though, India as a country of extremes has a great many people who suffer extreme hardship and poverty. I thought we were prepared for some of the things we saw.. Not so... At times we were left silent as we drove through areas of Rajhastan, Agra and Delhi.
The rural landscape was pretty flat as we travelled south west from Delhi. We saw large fields dotted with wheat and mustard crops; potato fields being harvested by hand mostly by the women in their brightly coloured clothing; cows everywhere, revered by everyone; small communities clumped together; dung pats drying for fuel; bricks drying in piles around smoking kiln chimneys; people walking. Some family units had their own cow and maybe a goat but life was a struggle for many. Means of transport included walking, camel carts, hand carts, tractors with blaring music or antiquated motorbikes.
In contrast, the cities were noisy, polluted, scruffy and awash with sights and sounds which assaulted the senses. The roads seemed to have an unseen highway code consisting of blaring horns, weaving traffic jostling for position but without any aggression and weaving people, motorbikes carrying four at a time, traffic going in completely the wrong directions, animals in the road, the most enormous trucks and many brightly coloured but battered tuk tuks, at times carrying 6 people squashed together like sardines. Roadsigns were at times hilarious - "Please drive slow, life is precious" "Overspeeding will invite prosecution" "Honking (blowing) of horns is strictly prohibited." "Be Alert! Accidents Hurt!" As our driver said - "All you need in India is good horn, good brakes and good luck."
Delhi train station was like a film set, full of people waiting with piles of belongings, crowding into the spaces in the carriages, watching us walk by. The train itself was a big beast, no flag waving conductors and only two minutes in which to disembark at our destination. No announcements, just be ready. We shared a carriage with a lovely Indian family, also travelling to the National Park. They explained so much about what we were seeing through the windows setting the scene for our tiger adventure.
And so, by the end of our 10 days in India, we had glimpsed a taster menu of experiences. From the Taj Mahal in the afternoon sunshine amid crowds and crowds of people to wandering around Mahatma Gandhi's home and garden. From walking around the very beautiful Akshardham Hindu temple in Delhi and its' stunning pink sandstone carvings to the drive by the F1 motor racing circuit. From the squalor of the streets to the guilty grandeur of the hotels. Yes, it was quite an experience.
“Africa gets into your soul and changes you,” said Ian.
He was right…..
Our adventure started with an overnight flight into Nairobi then a forty minute hop across the Rift Valley landing on one of two airstrips in the Masai Mara . First impressions? Vast, flat, dry, speckled with bushes and filtered with wooded riverways. Did I really see a herd of elephant from the air?
The mobile camp, put up for only two weeks, was in the heart of the bush – no boundaries, no barriers, no walking unaccompanied in the darkness, we were always with a Masai warrior leading us to the camp fire or the dining tent.
Sounds of nature were forever present, especially at night – hippos belching, hyenas laughing, zebra chanting, lions roaring in the distance, a cheetah silently passing through, not to mention the birds, the bats and the mongoose.
Our three Masai Mara guide drivers – Pius, Fred and Salaash, were hand picked by Andy Rouse the famous photographer responsible for organising the adventure. They all enthused us with their passion for their beautiful homeland, answered all our questions and maneuvered the vehicles into amazing positions allowing us great camera angles.
The days began at 5am ready to be out in the Mara by 6am in order to see the sunrise, the best time to photograph the animals.
We experienced hunts by cheetah, leopard and lion. These were of necessity since they all had cubs – boisterous lion cubs who were like puppies playing in the garden; fluffy cheetah cubs who felt they could climb to the top of bushes without falling; leopard cubs too young to be seen but hidden within the roots of a large tree.
We watched stalking behavior, lazing behavior, curious behavior, attacking behavior. We cringed at juveniles yet to learn how to make a quick kill; we aaahed at the lion cub playing with a half eaten zebra tail as if it were a common toy such as those thrown by dog walkers; we looked on in silence at the leopard striding through her territory straight towards us, backlit by the rising sun.
As daytime began, into view came the thousands of wildebeest preparing to cross the Mara river in search of green shoots. Seeing them walking in their thousands in rows upon rows across the vast plains, meeting with others and massing on the river banks before taking the bravest of steps or jumps into the river. Zebra were often within their herds, tentative and skittish, startled by their own shadows. When the decision was made to cross the river, the dust flew, the calls and sounds began, the hippos watched and the crocodiles swam. The atmosphere was one of anxiety – would they make it? Once safe, the long rows of wildebeest continued, wailing youngsters cried for their family members and a lion took advantage of their fatigue. The cycle of life can be bloodthirsty, vicious and cruel as well as elegant, gentle and relaxed.
Each safari drive felt as if you were part of a top documentary film crew, up close and personal with the animals of the Mara, whilst being totally respectful of their habitat and privacy.
Elephant families munched their way through reeds and across plains beside the vehicles and on distant horizons. Giraffe grazed within the trees, happy to stare while we stared back. Warthogs ran quickly whenever they were spotted, with tails like rudders poking up from the long grasses. Hyenas slunk their way through the undergrowth, more attractive than you think and so essential in cleaning up the environment. Hippos lazed in the water or plastered themselves on the banks. Ostrich meandered, determined to keep their backs to the vehicles. Gazelle and antelope ate their way through the grasses. Vultures were in trees then tugged and pulled at abandoned carcasses, entrails dangling from their beaks. Eagles, storks, bustards, hornbills, secretary birds, kingfishers, bee eaters and starlings were just a few of the birds we spotted…
As midday drew near, the heat haze increased and we returned to the camp. Time to download images, recharge batteries, catch up on sleep and share experiences.
Darkness comes virtually immediately when you are 1 degree south of the equator so our second safari drive of the day usually began at 3.30pm with darkness falling from 6.30pm. Could we find a row of elephant or giraffe silhouetted against the fading sun? Would we see a leopard lazing in a tree? Would the cheetah be sitting on termite mounds surveying their territory? Would we get back to camp before our vehicle lights dazzled and disorientated the animals? Would the stars be as beautiful as they had been every night? Sundowners around the campfire then dinner and chatter, sleep came easily despite the magical and loud sounds of the night….
Yes, Africa does get into your soul – it reminds you of the cycle of life, nature and survival, patience and resilience, dependence and support, gentleness and brutality, loneliness and camaraderie. It breathes a sense of peace, space and contentment……. It melts the soul….
Ian was right….
Have a look at the Masai Mara Galleries and see for yourself the beauty of Africa....