Driving in the Dark

Before we left for Africa I took some time memorizing the Big Five - elephant, white rhino, leopard, lion and Cape Buffalo.  I thought this described the most sought-after animals on a game drive but, in fact, the term was rooted in the days when the European hunters came after big game concluding that these were the most dangerous animals to kill.  Some of my joy at photographing the Big Five diminished, but I had to get over it because the term is well-used by many, including those who love the land and the animals.   

Our first full day in Leieshwa Camp started at 3:45 A.M. when we arose to prepare for our hot air balloon ride over the Masai Mara.  A swallow of coffee helped as did our scout Pere's keen eye.  He spotted some lions near the road eating a beastie they'd recently killed.  We had no idea how he was able to direct David to the exact place where the action was occurring.  On we went in the dark, staying on the road and avoiding most of the big ruts until we got to the Balloon site.  

Our captain was a crusty, no nonsense guy with a dry sense of humor (I was seated next to him) and a wonderful skill set.  I had no sense of anything but peace while aloft and never a thought but that we were completely safe.  Not long into the flight, we came close to a river where we saw the elusive rhino with a horn of vast proportions standing near the river bank.  The guides think there are less than 20 rhinos in the entire Mara which is a bit over 700 square miles.  This stroke of luck completed our sighting of the Big Five.  

A good breakfast and on we went for a full-day game drive.  Later, Larry was designated to request the lunch stop and to tell David that we would not mind heading back to the camp after one more search for the leopards said to be in the area.   We'd also take a final look at the two cheetahs we'd seen earlier scouting a large group of wildebeests.  They were looking for babies but failed to find a proper target which left us denied (or spared) a look at the hunters in action.  Some things in nature are hard to accept and it can be quite challenging being an observer.

We also decided that an evening game drive (starting around 9 P.M.) was not in the cards so we braved disappointing David again by saying we'd enjoy the sunset drive but that there'd be no late night in our immediate future.  He graciously accepted our plan and we set off for the sunset viewing area which included many animal sightings  along the way.  We saw hoards of giraffes called a tower when in a standing group and a journey when they are on the move.  For sunset, Pere gathered wood, made a fire, set up our chairs, and opened some wine.  Jackie and I had to leave the campsite for the nearest bush before we settled down, but we enjoyed the juxtaposition of roughing it with our long-stemmed wine glasses.  Not a bad life.