to be ready for the game drive at 8am.
We don’t move from the dining area until after dinner. By then the rain has stopped. The night is cold but once we are tucked under our blankets, sleep comes quickly. Upon inspection, Rian reports to me that our shower area is literally open, the door and window area have nothing covering them. It will definitely not be possible to shower like that. Just before we said goodnight, my friend comes up with a genius idea, we will use the bed sheet covers as curtains on both the door and window.
When we wake up the next morning, the hot water is not running. After much fixing, we are informed the water will soon be hot. The method of warming running water in Mara is by heating a small tank directly outside the tent with hot coal. This water is then pumped through a pipe into the taps. We end up having a shower with luke warm water that morning, with 2 bed sheets covering the shower door and window. I still regret not taking pictures of Rians invention!
After breakfast, we join two German men in the land cruiser which brought us to the camp the previous day. Seated in the front is our driver, Simon and our Masai guide Kantai. We are directly behind the guide and driver, with the two German tourists behind us. There are two empty seats further at the back. Above us the roof, made up of canvas has been rolled up and we can see the clear blue sky up above.
The rain clouds have cleared, though many of the dirt roads are still wet and soggy. We are taken left of the camp into the vast dotted plains of Mara. The literal translation of Mara is “dotted plains”. Amongst the game we see that morning are two heavily pregnant Giraffes, - giraffes are one of the most graceful animals in the wild, with their long gangly necks and thin, stick like legs. It is a joy and wonder to watch how their legs move in unison..quite different to many other animals.
Further on in the drive we see a solitary Buffalo in the bushes, a huge herd of zebra, two solitary lions, lazing in the sun. a lions paws are big enough to down a man with one blow. Spotted all over are Thompson Gazelle, Impala, Topi and Grants Gazelle. Along the way we catch a few Warthogs, also known as the Kenyan Express because they run in single file, with erect, needle shaped tails, these animals are named such because they have a large wart on their face. They are known to have a short memory and are easy prey for any predator.
It is while we spot a cheetah on the hunt, we unknowingly drive through a marsh area. As the female cheetah, who according to Kantai has three cubs hidden away some distance away, disappears over a hill, we are stuck fast in the ground. No matter how much Simon puts his foot on the peddle the land cruiser stays fast. In the end each one of us has to get out, collect stones and place them behind the front two tires. We all know that by now the cheetah is feasting on its catch of a Thomson Gazelle.
By the time we manage to get the vehicle moving, the reverse gear has been burnt. So here we are moving around in Mara in a vehicle that has reverse gear. When we eventually reach the cheetah, it is busy tugging at the carcass. What made all the wait more frustrating for us whilst we were stuck, was the fact that we had followed this cheetah for quite sometime, only to get stuck in the marshes!!! Anyway, they say, “it aint a safari if you don’t get stuck”!
Since the two Germans are flying out of Mara at 1pm, we decide to stop for a picnic lunch under a tree in the midst of many wild animals far off. Through with our picnic lunch we make our way to the Olkiombo airstrip and wait for the their plane to arrive. It is whilst at the airstrip that we – Rian and I decide that we would not mind staying another night in Mara. The thought of leaving the next day, is too soon.
After calling John – the agent who had offered me this trip to Mara, he says accommodation at Olare would be no problem for an extra day BUT the flights might be a problem. He would call me later to confirm the change of dates in flying out. On our way out of the airstrip, Rian cant hold herself any longer and is forced to “take a leak” in front of the vehicle, with the hope that no one is coming up the road. As there is a broken down vehicle alongside us, she is pretty much shielded from unwanted eyes. Had I not been on my mobile talking to someone, whilst this went on, I’d have been in tears of laughter!!
We head for a place called Talek, where huge herds of Wildebeests have been spotted as they make their annual migration across the Mara plains. The sight that meets us on arrival at the Talek conservancy is of hundreds of thousands Gnu – the other name for Wildebeests. Black dots can be seen in the horizon. These strange looking animals migrate to the Mara during this time because the grass is plenty, after the long rains. They also come to give birth in the Mara. Mara becomes a maternity wing for about 6 weeks. Amongst the many gnu, zebras too move along with them. They feed on the lower grass that the gnu have left behind. On their departure from Mara they leave behind the ground bare and trodden on.
Since we had not seen any elephants, the prospect for Rian leaving Mara the next day (if our flights could not be changed) was unthinkable. So both Kantai and Simon promises that she will see an elephant before we return to the camp. But as much as they search, no elephant is seen. We see more zebras, and the common Thomson gazelle but no elephant. Even a pride of lioness are visible up on a hill. As we near the the camp, we are lucky enough to witness a beautiful Mara sunset but still no elephants. Kantai promises that we will leave early the next day in order to look for the elusive elephants. Now the main reason for the lack of elephants during the month of September, is because the migration takes place and the elephants cannot stand the sounds made by the Wildebeest/Gnu. So, they take off and move as far as possible from the advancing herd of Wildebeest.
I get a call from John ( the travel agent) that evening, telling me that the flight out of Mara on Thursday is full but the one departing on Friday for Nairobi is available. My flight back to Malindi is still unsure as the plane is full both on Thursday and Friday. Kantai, helpfully informs us that he knows quite a number of pilots who, if asked would be willing to give me a “lift” back to either Mombasa or Malindi. I am still apprehensive. Rians flight for Friday has yet to be confirmed. As we settle for dinner, we are still unsure of whether it is to be our last night in Mara.
The next morning we are up early in readiness for our game drive at 6:30am. Elephants are on Rians mind! We set off in the wilderness admiring the various fauna. Amongst the many birds spotted is the Ugandan Crane – with its fiery yellow mane, the Secretary Bird, with its black stockings and extremely elegant walk...like a secretary. Ostriches, the biggest, non flying bird in the world, are seen in groups of three females and one male.
Kantai (we have now nicknamed Masai) spots a lone male cheetah (madoadoa ya chini – the Kiswahili name) in the distance. He reckons this male is on the hunt and if we are lucky we might just catch the spectacle. We follow the young cheetah at a distance. Within a few minutes more vehicles appear, all in readiness of soon to be kill. As we wait, I get a call from John, saying that Rians flight has been confirmed for Friday but I will have to get a “lift” from one of Masais pilot friends. We breathe a sigh of relief. No need to rush back to the camp.
A few minutes later, Simon gets a call from the camp, informing him that Rians flight is due in 2 hours time. He wants us to rush back to the camp. We counter that her flight has been changed and she now departs on Friday. In the confusion, we leave the cheetah and rush towards the camp. I call John again and ask him to confirm Rians flight on Friday. He says it is confirmed and that there is no need for her report at the airstrip. I advise Simon and Masai accordingly. Simon calls the manager at Olare and informs him of the change. It is now settled that we are staying till Friday.
With this in mind, we turn back and head for the cheetah, sure that by now he has already made his kill. But we find he has yet to kill anything and has moved further away. We follow, only to find he is being disturbed by a Hyena. Hyenas are sworn enemies of a cheetah, as it will wait for the spotted one to hunt and then steal the kill. Masai and Simon decide to chase the hyena away as far as possible, so as to give the cheetah a chance to hunt. But our attem
pts are futile as the cheetah looks tired and decides to rest himself under a tree.
We decide to head back to the camp for breakfast. After breakfast we head out towards the Mara river, which is closer to Oloololo. Here we are sure to see elephants. Today we shall be carrying a packed lunch. Not much game is seen on the way, but I can see the grand Oloololo looming ahead of us - vast and magnificent. As we near the marshes, elephants are visible. At last, my friend has a chance to see an elephant. They are in herd of about seven to ten, made of the matriarch, to the youngest calf, each busy ripping away at branches. I was once told that the shape of the ear of an African elephant is that of Africa and the shape of that of an Indian elephant is India!
Further on from the elephants we are informed by another driver in a passing vehicle that a Leopard has been spotted ahead near the marshes up on a tree. So we make our way towards the Leopard. We are indeed lucky, for such sightings are rare. As we near, we notice a pride of lioness and their cubs directly