AFRICA- The Mara, Entim Camp, Kenya – 21st Sept 2018 – Day 8

A good morning! Lions, leopards, a herd of wildebeest stretching for 2 km (which we didn’t follow as the leopard was of more interest), eland, buffalo, hyena, meerkat, ‘blue jeans’ topi (because of the blue legs), impala, and other antelope. The topi are amusing as they tend to stand motionless on a high point eg an ant hill, staring into space, often in pairs facing opposite directions.

Chasing after the leopards and lions is a constant melee of cars dashing here and there like mad ants once the radio message gets around, each attempting to get the best spot. The Toyotas get a workout on these tracks. The leopards tend to keep to the streams where the vegetation is thickest. My last shot is lovely but for the grass between the camera and the tail. I have spent some time to reduce the ‘misty’ appearance, but there it is. Next time……..These lions are Lolparpit & Olbarnati; my previous image was of an older lion named Hunter. The rangers were there again to ensure order of sorts but it’s a game all play.

We had to pack our main bags at lunch as they leave about 5 am tomorrow. I then lay on a hummock, Tuskers beer at hand to offset the warm afternoon, listening to the constant bird chat, with a view over the plain to distant hills. A few good shots were taken with the iPhone. One of myself, behind me is the lounge tent, and four shots of the old safari decor inside, including photos of those distant times when a shot did not mean using a camera. We used the tent for the photo discussions and when waiting for dinner if it rained. And a last poor shot of our group in the dining tent for lunch. Oh to be back far from the madding crowd!

The afternoon was somewhat quiet; more lions, hyenas, various antelope including eland, and ended with the old lion Scar lying in a shaded gulley on his back, legs in the air (not a pretty sight!) We waited an hour for action before giving up.

A surprise was a stop under a tree near Entim for drinks, to watch the sunset. A pleasant way to end the trip. but that was not the end yet.

It becomes quite cool at night as we sit at the fire before dinner in the dining tent, an amazingly spiced and barbequed lamb, steak, and chicken. This was followed by a jumping dance around the table by the guards and drivers, as this is also David Lloyd’s last night till next year. The table talk, as usual, was dry and humorous which kept us up till 10.

I’m usually up in the media tent till close on power-off time to get this into the blog, so the hot water bottle placed in the bed by the staff is very welcome initially (not my usual requirement). And a chocolate is on the pillow too. Doesn’t take long to sleep, listening to the hippo, sometimes a lion, and the quiet talk of the guards.

6 thoughts on “AFRICA- The Mara, Entim Camp, Kenya – 21st Sept 2018 – Day 8

  1. Yes, maybe all those cars darting around are a tourist attraction for the animals! 🤣

    Sounds like the evening was a nice way to wrap things up. And listening to those sounds at night… you should record them so you can replay them at home! 😀

  2. What a life. God is good. The hummock experience you described sounds so peaceful. And falling asleep to those sounds is terrifying and beautiful. Awesome.

Leave a Reply to Jim Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.