Best Kenya & Tanzania Day 17

Day 17 - Thursday, October 1, 2009 - Serengeti National Park/Game Viewing

The zebra and wildebeest were munching and crunching along the side of our tent during the night. We knew there was no danger as I had spoken to one of the guards who all carry AK-47s to protect us from any really vicious critters!

Gennie got up several times during the night just to check the noises and she looked out with her flashlight at the zebra. They gave her that “what are you doing in our territory and why are you bothering us?” look!

The porter came by with water at 5:45 so we could take a shower; unfortunately, he only filled it half full so I ran out of water. Rinsing with bottled water was the alternative!

Our game drive this morning started at 6:30. We went over to the breakfast tent for a quick cup of instant coffee – that seems to be all they have here in the bush.

I checked the temperature before we left – it was 65º and the humidity was 68%. There was a cloud cover and we had a nice breeze.

Bariki took us back to the area where we saw all of the wildebeest last evening. Today they were all gone. Perhaps they just had migrated to another area so we went looking for them.

We followed the Mara River and found crocodile and hippos. At 7:15 we crossed the river and saw the huge herd of wildebeest up on the high plains.

Off-roading is allowed in this section of the park because, first there are no real roads, and second because there are very few people who ever come to visit this area.

After watching the wildebeests move back and forth with no particular purpose for about 30, we started to move on. Just then one started to run and the whole herd followed nose to tail in a single file line.

We moved away at 8:30 and went back to the Mara River. Just over the hills to the north and east of us are Kenya and the Maasai Mara National Park.

There are many tributaries to the main river and small watering holes in this section of the park. We saw a beautiful herd of impalas drinking from a clear pool – their reflections perfect in the still water.

When we crossed the meandering river one more time, we were on the short grassy high plains. We encountered a huge herd of more than 40 elephants.

Bariki told us more about the culture in the elephant society. He pointed out the matriarch watching over every one of her charges.

She stayed back, came towards our truck a few steps, decided we were no danger to her family, and then followed the herd across the meadow.

Elephants wander wherever they please and migrate back and forth from the Maasai Mara in Kenya to the Serengeti in Tanzania. It was a delightful experience watching them amble over the hills and to see the little ones run to catch up with their mothers.

Leonard spotted two eagle owls in a candelabra tree so we stopped for one final photo shoot of the morning. It is amazing that our guides can see these well camouflaged creatures!

It was getting to be lunch time so we drove back to our camp where the crew had brunch waiting for us. The temperature had gone up, it was now 73º in the shade and the humidity was 55%.

After lunch we went back to our tent that was 88º but we could not go out because this is the time of the day that all of the tsetse flies are out.

Gennie typed the journal and I sorted photographs. There were frequent breezes so it was not so bad, better than being our in the hot sun!

When it was a bit cooler we all met at 3:30 for a group photo and to head out for another game drive.

Our afternoon game drive started with a group photo with the Maasai Mara and the Serengeti Plains in the background. This was our last game drive in the camp and for some, their last day in Africa.

We were rewarded by seeing our friends the wildebeest, a family of warthogs, elephants and hippos in the river, baboons, zebra, giraffe, Cape buffalo, impala, elan, gazelle, and many birds!

The sun was just setting when we reached the camp at 6:10. We had a marvelous view of the river.

We spent our final evening in the Serengeti with dinner in the dining tent under the almost full moon and starry African skies.

Accommodations: Kogatenda Ongat Camp - - - Meal: B, L, D

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It has been exciting traveling Africa with you! Last night 60 Minutes had a segment on the wildebeest migrations and the shrinking Mara River. I said, "I know that place!"

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