Kenya part 2
Thursday 23 August
We slept in this morning. We sent postcards to our grandchildren. Lynn believes they will be excited to get mail from Africa. Our drivers and the jeeps left yesterday for an 11 hour drive to the Mara. We traveled on a couple of bush craft airplanes for an hour flight.
We boarded a bus for the trip to the airport. As we traveled, the group easily identified the animals we observed. We're getting good at animal identification.
We arrived at the 'airfield', which is a large open space of grass where a landing strip has been established in the middle of the field. Way off to the side is a porta-potty, which we labeled the 'Delta lounge'. The flight was delayed taking off from the Nairobi airport; so we waited in the sun and talked.
It turned out that Bryce and Margy had spent a while in Riyadh in the 80's on an eye fellowship. They knew all the stories about going to church on Friday and having to cover up to go to the suq.
Waiting at the Airfield
Our plane arriving from Nairobi
All aboard
Eventually the planes arrived. We boarded the first, a twin engine Otter, along with seven other couples. We had direct access to the cockpit. Seating was one by two with six rows. Our first takeoff was aborted when the luggage door light indicated that it was not shut. The second time was the charm, after we waited for some Grant's gazelles to clear the runway.
The flight was about an hour. We could see the ground all the way. We flew over two or three Masai villages. Like the Samburu, the animals are in the middle of the compound and the houses around the edge. Unlike the Samburu, these homes were built with mud. The jeeps arrived to meet us before we even took off due to the delay.
The airport at Mara was much more refined. They had a real latrine bathroom and a gazebo 'gift shop'. They even has a sign.
We drove away from the airport. This road was way worse than the other two areas. Big ruts and holes in the road, and at two points we had to traverse a stream.
Airport at Mara
Road from Airport
But when we came to the open area of the Mara: Wow! Thousands of zebra and wildebeest. The Masai Mara is 1,500 sq km. It is mostly grass with a few shrubs.
Each area we go to, it gets easier to find animals. We saw eagles, topis, elands, giraffes, impalas, hooded vultures in a tree, and a warthog taking a bath. It is interesting that most animals have horns facing forward. The topi horns point backward.
Topi
Warthogs
Strangely, we also saw jeeps parked under solitary trees with the inhabitants out of the jeep, having a picnic. I would be worried about being the picnic!
At the Ashnil Mara Tent (map) resort, we had a nice lunch. Our tent has a 4-post bed in the middle of the room with mosquito netting to protect against bugs. The hotel is situated along the river. We can see hippos from our room.
During the afternoon game drive we saw topi, eland and wildebeest. The wildebeest come from Tanzania. The mara (spotted plains) area here is called the Serengeti.
We saw the saddle-billed stork. It is very pretty, black and white with a bright red beak.
We saw a lion at the bend in the river. It looked like a loan female, but just around the bend was her sister and three others. They were laying in the shade relaxing having just feasted
on a wildebeest. There was a young male there also. Apparently the young male can stay with the pride until he misbehaves and the alpha lion runs him out. We learned that the female lions cross suckle giving them more freedom to hunt without worrying about a cub left behind.
A little further we see a dead wildebeest in the steam. A big Crocodile on a rock was letting it 'marinate'. They like the wildebeest soft, so they just let them sit for a while to soften up.
We saw some Hippos. We came across a wildebeest with just one horn. It had been in a fight and lost, so it got kicked out. We wonder if it will make it thru the night. We drove through hundreds of wildebeests and zebras.
We saw a Nile Monitor lizard and we found a male ostrich.
It was a full day.
Friday 24 August
Morning run:
We learned that hyenas watch the vultures flying towards food. Sometimes they look up so long not watching where they are going and they fall into ditches!
We came upon a Hippo out of water. It was covered in mud. Hippos stay in or near the water during the day. They they come out at night. They are grazers eating grass. They follow a circuit of up to 8 kilometers, depending on the grass. They follow the same path in and out of the water.
Many wildebeest gathered by the river. Wildebeest are in the antelope family. There may be up to 15,000 wildebeest waiting at any one time to cross the river. There were wildebeest as far as the eye can see. They make a braying type of sound. It sounded a bit like no-o, no-o.
A hyena came into the area. If the hyena gets too close to the wildebeest, they would get spooked, so Jackson drove it away with his jeep.
Still they didn't cross. It was breakfast time, so back to the lodge we went.
We saw a male ostrich. We came upon a bunch of banded mongoose. We found a deep carcass of just bones. When food gets scarce, the hyenas will come out and feast on the bones. We saw a lappet-faced vulture at the tip of a tree. We came across a lilac-breasted roller bird. Very pretty.
Mid day game drive with Jackson:
The first thing we saw was a female lion, two sleeping lions, and a young male finishing off the kill.
Next we saw a pod of hippos, 12 in the water and 14 out. Hippos stay in families and are very territorial. Only the alpha-male mates. Their mouth can open to 45 degrees. We saw one licking the bones of a dead wildebeest to get the salt nutrients.
The wildebeest we watched gathering earlier had crossed during breakfast. So we had to find another group. There were crocodiles swimming nearby.
We observed wildebeest gathering many times. They would gather at the waters edge. But then they aborted. While they waited, sometimes they would play around and spar with each other. We gathered again near the river as the wildebeest gathered at the river. Our guide said when he heard Jackson's jeep's engine start, he knew the crossing was happening.
And sure enough, the animals crossed.
Many of them had trouble getting out of the river. But they eventually clawed their way up the slope. All the Safari jeeps seemed to gather on the edge to the river to watch. In fact, they filed up the edge so much that the wildebeest could no longer cross at the original spot. They had to use a different place.
There were no crocodiles in the river at this time so we didn't see any circle of life events. There was a crocodile at the top of the bank. The wildebeest had to jump over it to get to the plain! But it wasn't hungry so it didn't eat anyone.
A group of about 12 wildebeest chose to go up the far bank in one location and could not make their way through a thicket of brush. They backed down out of the brush one at a time and changed their path to the top. When they went up originally the first was a mom then her offspring. Backing out the mom made her baby go first and she took up the rear.
We saw big white bird, called the sacred ibis, and smaller birds on the backs of the hippos which were biting their wounds. The hippos submerged to get rid of the birds.
In the Mara, animals go to springs to drink, not the river because of the crocodiles. The crocodiles eat only once a year during the wildebeest migration then they slow down their digestion. If the river empties they will dig in and hibernate.
Afternoon game drive with Anthony:
Anthony told us that the river dividing the Kenya from Tanzania is the Sand River and is very shallow. The wildebeest usually go home in October but this year because of the rain they will probably stay longer they also arrived here a month late.
We saw a dead Hyena being devoured by vultures. The largest was identified as a lappet-faced vulture. The smaller one is Ruppell's Griffon. The larger vultures dominated the kill.
We then saw topi, and a herd of eland. Elands are the Maserati of the antelope family. We could not get close to them because they will run. Next we identified a lilac-breasted roller, and a herd of Thompson gazelle. We saw a marabou stork standing on an ant hill and stopped for pictures. We viewed a male ostrich, and a termite mudpile.
We saw zebra, wildebeest, and baboons. There was a cheetah eating a baby wildebeest. It eats quickly while hiding down in the grass so the bigger animals don't come and take away his kill. We learned that vultures hunt by sight and since the weather is overcast they probably won't find this kill. He rose a moment when he heard thunder then returned to eating. We watched her tear at the shoulder for a while then flip the animal and eat from it's underside. When filled she will probably leave this kill. If it were a smaller animal she would take it with her.
We saw yellow-billed storks fishing in a pond, with sacred sacred ibis. We saw some hyenas in the brush and a baby hyena coming out of the den. We saw White billed vulture. And finally, Jackels
It started to rain slightly. We found a very long single file line of wildebeests running on the way back to the lodge.
Saturday 25 August
There was heavy rain overnight. We had breakfast at 6 a.m. so we could get out at 6:30 for an all morning game run. It was now raining slightly. The mud made the driving a little more difficult.
This morning we are with Jim and Edwin.
We came across about 17 hyenas eating a wildebeest. The dominant female ate first, then her cubs, then others at her discretion. There is a pecking order. We saw her chase one male back to wait his turn.
Leaving this scene we quickly found a lion! A pregnant mom. Several zebra were all facing her but didn't seem to be too concerned about moving on. She called out to her pride, but apparently she was in someone else's area. Four lions responded and they were not the group she expected. She doubled back, down the hill towards the stream, and the other lions started following her. She crossed the stream and headed up the hill. The four other lions followed. As she got near the top of the hill, one of the four started trotting. Now, she started trotting and they all were following. Over the hill she kept going and the four decided she was leaving the area so they all growled at her to make sure she knew she better not come back!
Next we drove to the top of a mountain. On the way we saw a vulture drying its wings and hundreds of wildebeests. At the top of the mountain we were able to get out and walk around as long as we stayed near the jeeps. We could see for miles. There were wildebeest as far as the eye could see. There was also a sign, written in German and Italian, telling the visitors to take out the trash.
Vulture drying its wings
Dyrk and Lynn on the mountain top; the animals are so close!
Wildebeest, as far as the eye can see
We took some pictures then drove down the hill. We did not find wildebeests lining up to cross the river today. We found four lions lazily resting. Then we came across three more lions, 2 males and 1 female. Honeymoon time. That makes 13 so far this this morning.
Then we found some hippos, two that were sparring. It seemed quite difficult for them to get those big bodies out of the water and up on the bank. There were also a couple crocodiles. Next, we saw a cheetah resting on the grass. It had some small kill it was snacking on.
The sun came out about 10:30 which made it more enjoyable. The animals were drying out, as were the tourists. Some of the jeeps were covered in mud as they had to make their way across the plains during the rain. It'll be car wash time when we get back. The nicer weather also brought with it more vehicles. We had the park to ourselves in the morning.
A little bit down the road we find another cheetah seeking shade. There was very little foliage here. We watched a super long line of wildebeests. The line was about four animals abreast. They walked near a pair of lions. These lions were too big to be in the main pride but too small to have their own. We wondered if they would attack the wildebeest, but for some reason the two lions ran away. We couldn't figure out what made them leave. The wildebeest decided the lions were fine, and they continued their march. But to where?
We wandered off the path and came upon two more lions getting some fresh air out in the open! We went into the bush and found two more including the one male with a slashed nostril. That's 19 today.
Evening run
We told our guide, Anthony, we wanted to have him point out birds. He spotted a tall white herron. It was immature. It's head was a blue-ish color that will turn darker/blacker as it comes off age. It's called a black herron.
Barry asked: how can you tell if a termite hill is active? The answer is if it has vegetation growing on it, it's no longer active. It has a different color from the construction if it is still active. The colors of construction change from year to year, but darker dirt indicates recent construction. The hill will get worn down as it rains in the rainy season, and then will get built up again.
The ants in an ant hill can get as large as an inch in size. A mongoose may move into an empty ant hill. We examined an ant hill and noticed a lizard. It was waiting for some ants to eat. They say that the wildebeest is the most prolific species, but it's actually ants.
We noticed vultures circling. Anthony called them 'Daytime Stars'. Big cats and hyenas can take down a cheetah. That's why the cheetah stays low to the ground in the grass while it eats it's kill so the vultures don't spot it and give away its position.
The cheetah's survival skill is speed while the leopard's survival skill is climbing.
Hyenas have a very good sense of scent and move a lot at night. They run in big packs.
Eva was taking pictures that highlighted the strata of colors on the Mara plains.
We saw some elephants in the bushes. They are intelligent and shy and do not like the wildebeest. Wildebeest are noisy and dumb and they annoy the elephants. So the elephants hideout while the wildebeest are around.
We saw a lone baboon with a robust body. We learned from our driver that the yellow baboon is more slender, which is an adaptation for the warmer climate. Baboons are very fast and can climb a tree for protection. At night they sleep in the trees.
We came upon some ground-hornbill birds. They are black in color and have a red head and underside. They feed on insects and snakes.
We found a lone wildebeest.
Next we found some hippos and crocodiles. Hippos are superior. They allow the crocodiles to hang around. But a bite from a hippo could kill a crocodile. We learned that crocodiles can go for months without eating. They are cold blooded and can obtain energy from the sun. Crocodiles kill in the water by biting and pulling their prey under water then twirling them so they are disoriented, swallow water and drown. The sudden thrust to catch a prey comes from the tail. We were told that the crocodile buries her eggs on the river bank but sticks around to carry her hatchlings to the water.
We spotted 4 lions. That makes 23 lions spotted today. They have dark brown spots behind their ears and on the tips of their tails so their cubs can follow even in high grass. They appeared to be looking for dinner. One was limping. The others take care of the injured by letting it have some of the kill. They chased a mongoose. One swatted it like your pet cat playing with catnip. It got away.
Next they stalked zebra. The grass was too short for camouflage so the zebra got away, too.
Sunday 26 August
Breakfast is at 6:30 a.m. and we leave Anshil at 7 a.m..
One last game run...Right off we found 2 jackals. We watched 9 air balloons rising.
Just as quick we found a cheetah hunting gazelles. But the grass is too short side the gazelles can spot the cheetah. We also saw Coke's hartebeest. We saw hyenas and jackals at a kill.
As we were leaving the Mara reserve, we came across a truck, perpendicular to the road. It was struck! The sides of the road were high and unpassable. Fortunately, the driver was able to extract himself and we could finally continue.
We stopped at the gate and were descended upon by women in native costumes with their Kenyan goods. But they weren't obnoxious.
The road was better inside the Mara than outside. We had a nice discussion with Eva about family history.
We stopped at a gift shop for restrooms. After taking care of business, Lynn did some shopping. She found a picture made of banana leaves. One of the salesman brought by some different designs. Lynn liked one of the designs. Next she was interested in an ebony elephant carving. We picked one out and them came the hard part, negotiating. These people love to negotiate. The salesman brought around the negotiator. He started the pricing with the elephant at $450 and the picture at $110.
That was absurd. Lynn countered at $15 and $80. He came back with $400 and $100. Lynn told him he hadn't hardly moved at all and she offered $110 for both. He came down to $300 and $80. I noticed that it seems like the final price ends up at 20% or less. I mentioned to Lynn and that helped. I got frustrated and left. Soon Lynn came out, where I was, and mentioned that the price might be better if we paid cash. I gave her a hundred dollar bill and she went back inside.
Later she came out with her purchases. When she stepped out to see me, her bid was $125. But when she went back in, she said her bid now was $100! He balked but Lynn held firm, showed him the money and she was successful.
The trip back was some 6 hours. Long!
We learned that the Rift Valley goes thru Kenya. It's the largest valley in the world, beginning around the Red Sea and ending nearly 200 km later in South Africa. It's not very fertile in the valley but it is fertile along the sides.
As we drove we saw numerous containers using for ocean shipping. Here they were being used for buildings and shops.
We visited Lake Naivasha which is home to a wide variety of wildlife most notably a sizable hippo population, numerous bird species such as fish eagles, grey-backed fiscal, marabou storks and doves. We went out on the lake in boats. There is an island in the lake called Crescent island. Parts of Out of Africa were filmed here. After filming the producers removed the wild cats but left the giraffes and zebras behind. Unfortunately our time was cut short as it began to rain.
Back to the Mayfair Southern Sun Hotel in Nairobi. The Sunday night traffic was extremely heavy.
Monday 27 August
We packed and went to breakfast.
Then into the jeep to take us to the elephant orphanage (map). There are rhinos there also but we were only able to see the elephants. There are 20 young elephants here. We were able to 'pet' them as they walked by while drinking bottles of milk. The elephants also ate the tree brush which was provided for them.
First we saw eight elephants under 3 years of age, then saw some older elephants. The babies need their mother's milk for at least 2 years. These orphans are being raised on infant formula; cow's milk is too hard for them to digest. Those over 5 years old will be reintroduced to the wild. A keeper will stay with them until they are adopted by a wild herd. We were introduced to each of the elephants by name and told how they came to be at the orphanage.
We were then off to the Karen Blixon (map) house, the Danish author of Out of Africa. She cultivated 600 acres of coffee. 25 acres is all that's left of the original property, which is now owned by the National Museum of Kenya. Being there is like going back in time.
Next we went to a mall for some snacks, but not too much since after the giraffe center, we're going to Carnivore, a famous restaurant for our farewell dinner before our transfer to the airport for our 11:35 p.m. flight.
The mall was interesting. The shops were smaller than shops in America. But they did have nice goods. We walked the mall and found a Carrefour grocery store. We then found the Kenyan version of a Magnum [Maxxon] ice cream bar. We also got some tomato flavored potato chips and some chocolate covered cookies to snack on during our trip home.
At the giraffe center (map) we were given some little pellets that the giraffes like to eat. They had us give them to the giraffes one pellet at a time. We also had a little lecture on Rothschild giraffes which are endangered. They passed around a giraffe leg bone and a skull complete with jaw bones and teeth. The bones are really heavy!
For our farewell dinner, we went to a restaurant called Carnivore. Obviously, they serve meat, of all kinds. Pork, beef, chicken, turkey. We even had Ostrich and Alligator. Formerly they served wildebeest and other wild animals.
Then, it was off to the airport. For a very long trip home.
Tuesday 28 August
We travel all day.
In the end, we spent 45 waking hours since we last saw a bed. We were exhausted on returning to Cincinnati. But of course, our refrigerators were empty. So we stopped by a gourmet hamburger place for dinner. They even had passion fruit drink!
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