Maasai Mara - Day 5

From where I sit, I can see a herd of Impalas and a few waterbuck grazing on the banks of the Mara River, the main river here in the Maasai Mara. I am sitting outside my tent at Entim camp, and now I REALLY feel like I'm in Africa!

 

I feel like I’m a character in one of those old adventure books. Native porters clad in traditional colored robes carried our bags while the ‘head boy’ in his crisp camp uniform led the way to our sprawling tent with its huge bed, massive redwood trunk, and a tile-floored bathroom with shower and toilet.

The whole camp runs on solar energy so power only exists between 5am-6:30am and 6:30pm – 10:30.

All during lunch we could hear hippos down by the river grunting. As I walked back to my tent, at a bend in the river, I could just make out some shapes on the water. Focusing my field glasses, I could see the heads of 3 hippos. Returning about 5 minutes later, one of them had hoisted himself half out of the water onto a rock or something, his enormous butt rising into the air.

The grazing herds were in view throughout lunch, with a pair of large warthogs joining the mix. A baboon wandered by about 30 yards from my table.

We got here on a tiny plane holding about 12 passengers. It made 3 stops, like a bus, landing in tiny airfields that were little more than dirt roads. 

Hey, a loud shot just went off! There are armed guards around the camp to offer protection from the prowling predators.

 Anyway, from the air we could see countless kraals, the circular farmsteads or villages of the local population surrounded by thorn-bush barricades just as you read about in those 19^thcentury African safari accounts. On our second take off, I spotted a lone elephant trekking along a vast empty expanse of veldt. I turned my head and spotted six more frolicking in the water. Mind you, this was from 2000 feet, but I could still tell they were elephants.

There’s a weird noise coming from behind my tent somewhere, and one of the guards is staring intently in that direction. The camp has armed guards and you’re not allowed to leave the enclosure without one. Enclosure? There is NO enclosure; the camp is open to the wild – what I meant was the area with gravel footpaths and moderately low grass.

We were met at the airport by our guide, Dominic, and another driver who transported us to a very swanky lodge with a pool and a spa, etc. But we merely passed through here to arrive at a rope bridge swaying over a low gorge. And it really was swaying; enough that is was difficult to cross carrying a duffle bag and a backpack. The sign at the far side read: Do not pass this point without armed escort.

We saw a troop of baboons within 5 minutes of leaving the airport.

Before long we encountered our first elephant! Huge, with sweeping tusks and a large chunk torn form one of his ears, he was truly magnificent! Dominic told us males live alone between 45-60 when they are tired of long marches with the herd.

We got settled in camp and had lunch in the dining tent. It was a vegetable tortilla. Yuck. So I had them cook me bacon and eggs! They were extremely accommodating. There are only two other guests besides us, so they are doting on us and eager to please.

We had our first game drive at 3:30 with the other guests, two Japanese ladies, a mother and daughter I think. Within two minutes, we had encountered a troop of giraffe, perhaps 15 in number with a similar sized host further off down a defile. These are Maasai giraffes, with a more star-shaped pattern on their skins, plus it extends all the way down to their hooves, unlike the Rothschilds with their ‘white socks.’

This area is a HUGE expanse of land (580 square miles) and game is plentiful. One becomes almost accustomed to the vast herds of various antelopes. We saw a Zebra which Dominic said was sort of rare at this time of year, since the migration had already passed through. At Somali, we had seen several herds.

Within 10 minutes of setting out, we found a pride of 7 lions lazing about, 3 on sentinel duty, meaning they were at least sitting up, and four young adults totally sacked out, rolled over on their backs, etc.

We marveled at their cuteness for a while, and then drove on while our guides scouted for the larger lions, reasoning that the rest of the pride would be nearby.

Having known the pride since they were born, our guides had some prescience of where they might be. They drove up to a thick bush, and there, barely visible inside, was a sleeping male.

He would not stir, despite the fact that they drove the jeep right up to the edge of the bush. Apparently, He was accustomed to their habits as well. We pulled a little way off to scan the fields with our field glasses when suddenly he stirred himself and strode majestically from his hiding spot.

The lions are totally unconcerned with our vehicle and allowed us to be within mere feet of them. In fact, this one nearly brushed the bumper as he strolled past. Some of the herd animals are quite skittish, but I guess if these lions grew up around these safari vehicles they know they have nothing to fear from them. Dominic says it’s a totally different story should one get out of the vehicle.

The lion coughed a few times, then out of the high grass, a black-maned head pops up. His brother, Dominic tells us. We watched them yawn and stretch for a while and were about to depart when some excitement strolled in.

A beautiful female walked boldly up to the males; when the black-maned one rose to meet her, the other one got in a huff and the two met in a thunderous, roaring clash.

The battle lasted but a few seconds before the victor strutted off with the female. It was the lighter colored male, and even victorious he now carried a bloody wound under his eye.

He and the female repaired down the road a bit, where she sat in the middle of the track preening herself while he sat on his haunches, licking and yawning, exposing massive jaws.

Shortly after this, our vehicle got a flat tire, and we stood out on the swampy expanse about 100 yards or so from the lions while our two guides worked to change the tire. It was rough going because of the mud, and I had to lend a hand at one point. The slimmer of the two could not turn the jack anymore, and he cast a curious glance at my arms when I stepped in and began rapidly twisting it.

The girls kept a watch on the three visible lions while we got the tire changed.

When we arrived back at camp, a fire was crackling overlooking the river and a spectacular sunset. The shades had been let down in our tent and we were served gin and tonics while we recline on canvas camp chairs.

After drinks by the fire, we went up to the dining tent and had a luxurious dinner of chicken soup followed by tilapia fillets and potatoes with a fruit salad for desert.

When we got back to the tent, our covers had been turned down and a chocolate was waiting on the pillow. Two hot water bottles warmed the sheets.

Luxury camping, indeed!