...This post has been too, too long in coming, but...
Well, it has finally happened. Its been a long road from watching 'Mutual of Omaha's; Wild Kingdom' with Marlin Perkins as a very young boy, to finally realizing my dream of being on a proper African Safari. Add to that going on it with your best friend ever, a dream come true.
Over Christmas, Gabby and I along with Dena a friend from the other St Jude campus, went on a 5 day tenting safari going first to Lake Manyara, then a couple of nights in the Serengeti, finishing up in the stunningly beautiful Ngorongoro Crater.
Now although we didn't get to witness a hunt by a big cat(s), we did see our share of them. Lions we saw several times with a couple of 'moments of interest' by the felines on a potential meal (warthog, cape buffalo). Upon arrival to the Serengeti on our way through to the middle, we came across a male and female pair of cheetah sitting majestically on some low rocks, giving them a vantage point on some far off wildebeest. So beautiful! Once in the Serengeti, we did four half day game drives and saw three separate, solitary leopards relaxing in their own tree.
Our friend Dena who came with, is a hard core birder. We saw dozens of species that were new even to her eyes and some of them were a treat for us too. Beautiful. The four or five better quality photos you will see below are from Dena. If you too are a birder, here is a link to her site. http://www.dparis.com/
Here are photos from...
Lake Manyara:
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| The rare African Two-Headed Giraffe... |
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| We could have watched the baby elephants all day. So cute! |
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| Zebra bums- the beauty of symmetry in nature |
The Serengeti:
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| As we were driving in to the Serengeti, one of the first sets of animals we saw was this pair of cheetah. They were stunning as they posed on their rock. Photo credits: Dena |
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| We saw quite a few lions in Serengeti, but unfortunately Brent could not fulfill his dream of seeing a hunt. Photo credits: Dena |
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| These hyenas were quite eager to check out our safari vehicles. |
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| Two young jackals playfully nudging each other. |
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| Waking up on Christmas morning to a Serengeti sunrise! |
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| Gabby had never heard of a topi before. What an educational trip. |
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| You might think we were just hanging out with this leopard in the tree. Now pan out to the 40 safari vehicles all crammed into a small space, trying to get a better view. Photo credit: Dena |
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| We found these boys by the side of the road... this is the Maasai traditional paint to indicate that a boy has been circumcised. With no anesthetic, might we add. They are then off to roam the world as a man, fend for themselves and find a wife. |
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| What a treat to catch a glimpse of the great migration. This pic does not do justice to the "herds of wildebeest sweeping majestically across the plains." |
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| Dena is an avid birder, and took many stunning bird photos, such as this lilac-breasted roller. |
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| Baboons are everywhere in Tanz... they're considered a pest, a bit like squirrels in Calgary. However, I think they're way more interesting to watch than squirrels. |
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| As we were leaving the Serengeti we got a flat tire. Amazing Richard the guide and the cook had that thing fixed so fast, we almost thought we were in the grand prix. |
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| As we waited for our super-speedy tire change, the Maasai kids in the area started coming over to "talk to us" (translation: ask for money). They are very friendly and fun, though. |
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| A stunning view as we were driving out of the Serengeti. |
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| The drive from Serengeti to Ngorongoro Crater provided us with surreal views of the sun lighting up the valleys. |
The Ngorongoro Crater photos seem to not be loading at this moment but we will post them later!
To be continued...
