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This is our first camp of the trip. But this is not like staying a three-man pop-up tent at Glastonbury. It's a cabin, with double bed and en-suite. It just so happens that most of the walls are made of canvas. The camp is run by locals, including some Masai. Apparently, as the camp is in a Masai area we are their guests on their land, rather than customers. Oh, and the view from the tents is spectacular – you’re in the middle of nowhere, but what a beautiful nowhere.
On arrival, it looked like it might rain but we were keen to take up Issac, the Masai, on his offer of a walk to the hilltop to watch the sunset. And as it turned out, our North Face jackets hold the rain off a bit better than a Masai robe. We couldn’t actually see a sunset when it came, but it was a nice walk with an interesting man, talking about his life, where he lives and the surrounding area and its wildlife.
Had a feed (great soup again, odd frozen choc thing for pud) with Dot, John, d*** and Trish, some Brits travelling in the area, and had an early night.
A night that was disturbed for two reasons:
1 – Andrew’s trip began its lucrative sponsorship by Imodium (but at least he had a friend in the bathroom, a janet – cute grey & black feline thing with a long tail).
2 – Suzie was woken by booming "ooh-urg-oorgh" noises. Days later, Godfrey did an impression of what a lion sounds like, walking about at night. Identical.
Next morning, we visited the Oldovai (or Oldupai in proper Swahili, apparently) Museum at the Oldovai Gorge, the area reputed to be the birthplace of mankind. Here, in the early 20th Century, paleoarcheolgist Leakey found the remains of human ancestors from millions of years ago such as Homo Habilis and Australopithecus. It was fab. Really interesting chat, good exhibits (including footprints of ancient humans – ace!). And they sell Christmas decorations.
Onwards, via the bumpiest roads yet, to enter the Serengeti by the Nabi Gate. We passed many Masai villages on the way to the Serengeti but left the Masai behind at the gate – the government won’t let them live in the National Park. We were also leaving behind the dry, arid landscape of Olduvai for the greener views of the Serengeti.
We started off trying to have lunch by some kopjes* but – and let’s be all casual with this – we couldn’t as there were four lions hanging out where we wanted to. Ace.
* Kopjes are granite outcrops, often occupied by cats as they provide shade.
So, after some lion photos, we had lunch under a tree, eating off the bonnet of the car and taking advantage of the outdoor loos provided (behind the tree). And Andrew spotted an elephant. Okay, so elephants are pretty big so perhaps relatively easy to spot, but at the time it was our first one and therefore very exciting.
Suzie then spotted a big male cheetah sitting on a mound. Top prize.
Best thing so far: MASSIVE wildebeest migration. Honestly, there were thousands of them, mingled in with zebras, literally as far as we could see. And we stood snapping and filming, no other cars around, as they slowly checked for predators and made their way, as few at a time to a watering hole directly in front of us. It was just amazing.
When booking our trip, we had been advised that if we wanted to see the migration, we should make sure we go to the Northern Serengti as that’s where it should be at that time of year. But with the chaotic climate of today, the rains had not come in the way they used to and the wildebeest were in the south very early. Over the next few days, we’d see many different groups of wildebeest migrating (usually in groups numbering in the thousands but sometimes in small groups who had got left behind) and the sight left us speechless many times. Yeah, you can talk about the 'Big 5’ of Africa, but this a different league – nature again showing her power and scale.
On the way to our next camp, we saw giraffes up close for the first time. They’re remarkable creatures and we could watch them for hours. This was also another advert for overland safari – there is no time when you are ‘just’ driving from one place to another, rather you are always on safari, spotting new animals and able to stop any time to see them closely.
On arrival, it looked like it might rain but we were keen to take up Issac, the Masai, on his offer of a walk to the hilltop to watch the sunset. And as it turned out, our North Face jackets hold the rain off a bit better than a Masai robe. We couldn’t actually see a sunset when it came, but it was a nice walk with an interesting man, talking about his life, where he lives and the surrounding area and its wildlife.
Had a feed (great soup again, odd frozen choc thing for pud) with Dot, John, d*** and Trish, some Brits travelling in the area, and had an early night.
A night that was disturbed for two reasons:
1 – Andrew’s trip began its lucrative sponsorship by Imodium (but at least he had a friend in the bathroom, a janet – cute grey & black feline thing with a long tail).
2 – Suzie was woken by booming "ooh-urg-oorgh" noises. Days later, Godfrey did an impression of what a lion sounds like, walking about at night. Identical.
Next morning, we visited the Oldovai (or Oldupai in proper Swahili, apparently) Museum at the Oldovai Gorge, the area reputed to be the birthplace of mankind. Here, in the early 20th Century, paleoarcheolgist Leakey found the remains of human ancestors from millions of years ago such as Homo Habilis and Australopithecus. It was fab. Really interesting chat, good exhibits (including footprints of ancient humans – ace!). And they sell Christmas decorations.
Onwards, via the bumpiest roads yet, to enter the Serengeti by the Nabi Gate. We passed many Masai villages on the way to the Serengeti but left the Masai behind at the gate – the government won’t let them live in the National Park. We were also leaving behind the dry, arid landscape of Olduvai for the greener views of the Serengeti.
We started off trying to have lunch by some kopjes* but – and let’s be all casual with this – we couldn’t as there were four lions hanging out where we wanted to. Ace.
* Kopjes are granite outcrops, often occupied by cats as they provide shade.
So, after some lion photos, we had lunch under a tree, eating off the bonnet of the car and taking advantage of the outdoor loos provided (behind the tree). And Andrew spotted an elephant. Okay, so elephants are pretty big so perhaps relatively easy to spot, but at the time it was our first one and therefore very exciting.
Suzie then spotted a big male cheetah sitting on a mound. Top prize.
Best thing so far: MASSIVE wildebeest migration. Honestly, there were thousands of them, mingled in with zebras, literally as far as we could see. And we stood snapping and filming, no other cars around, as they slowly checked for predators and made their way, as few at a time to a watering hole directly in front of us. It was just amazing.
When booking our trip, we had been advised that if we wanted to see the migration, we should make sure we go to the Northern Serengti as that’s where it should be at that time of year. But with the chaotic climate of today, the rains had not come in the way they used to and the wildebeest were in the south very early. Over the next few days, we’d see many different groups of wildebeest migrating (usually in groups numbering in the thousands but sometimes in small groups who had got left behind) and the sight left us speechless many times. Yeah, you can talk about the 'Big 5’ of Africa, but this a different league – nature again showing her power and scale.
On the way to our next camp, we saw giraffes up close for the first time. They’re remarkable creatures and we could watch them for hours. This was also another advert for overland safari – there is no time when you are ‘just’ driving from one place to another, rather you are always on safari, spotting new animals and able to stop any time to see them closely.
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