We awoke after the first solid night’s sleep Melissa has had. When we went to breakfast, the Massai warriors were waiting to take us to breakfast. They explained that overnight a herd of buffalo had come through the camp and one of them had died.
A problem. Because tonight the predators will come to eat it.
After breakfast we were off for a morning’s safari. Giraffe’s are particularly vulnerable to the lions when they drink water as they have to spread their legs for their neck to reach.
Off in the distance we saw a herd of elephants headed for the river. We decided to intercept and let them pass by us. It was a herd of females with their babies. Elephant population here is growing. Very slowly, but growing none the less.
The baboons could have cared less about us. This juvenile was sitting happily in the tree next to the truck.
Then we came across a group of cats snoozing under a tree. There are four large females and four small kittens.
Later that night when we went back, one of the kittens was out wandering near the road. It was trying to find its way back to Mom and sat down and meowed like a house cat.
This female, presumably part of the same pride was just down the road a bit under another tree.
Lots of hippos in the rivers around here.
The elephants showed up to drink as we were watching the hippos.
In addition, the elephants cover themselves in mud to keep bugs off their skin.
This antelope kept putting his face in the mud too. Unclear why. Crazy antelope.
And one wily crocodile going into the river. They can stay under for 30 minutes. Yikes.
Here’s another one we would have sworn was a log or rock from a distance.
Buffalo are everywhere.
We came across a pride of lions that had just killed two buffalo – a mom and her baby. They were hiding in the grass and chilling out. Our guide believed the kill was fresh and that they were all resting from the hunt. As we watched, they started to eat. We sent back out after lunch and watched them continue chowing down on their big feast.
Another herd of elephants wandering by.
By the time we got back to camp after the second game drive, the game warden had come and they drug the dead buffalo in our camp down the hill so that when the hyenas come tonight they won’t be in the middle of the camp.
When we went to lunch, they put pizza down at our table. The waitress said “is safe for you – no gluten”. Melissa asked what it was made of. “Maize,” she says. Sigh. Can we please see the chef? The chef comes and explains that no, its not corn, its rice and lentil flour made specifically for us. The waitress just doesn’t know what she is talking about. Sigh.