Safaridude and Game Warden's Excellent Adventure - February 2014

[SafariChick]

 

 

Just a note for Graceland......never mind your husband go on your ow n it's great!!!!

Always in the back of my mind......

 

 

 

totally agreed with @@samburumags. I did the Okavango trip on my own. I did miss my hubby at times, but my camp and vehicle mates,and guides, were great and made up for his absence. the managers also made sure i wouldn't feel too alone. it's completely safe altho i was filled with trepidation initially.

 

 

@@graceland @kitsafari @samburumags yup, I agree - I was a bit worried about going on my own to Bots initially but it was a lot of fun and as Kit says, they take such good care of you - I missed my husband at times also but it is empowering to travel on your own also and I met a lot of nice people!

[TonyQ]

@@Game Warden

@@Safaridude

Excellent trip report with great photos

Thanks for the directors cut additions - beautiful leopard

The pith does seem at home!

[samburumags]

Perhaps we should have a girls only safari with GW as the guide. Then we could all go on the Pith!!!

[Game Warden]

Chapter 5 – Mara North Conservancy – “Masai Mara… crazy…” (GW)

 

James was home and we set off in his own vehicle from the landing strip. Already there was a large density of wildlife - in five minutes in the Mara North I had seen more warthogs than on the rest of the trip put together. Zebra, antelope, giraffe: well browsed acacia trees - quintessentially Mara. Long verdant grass, tracks cutting through it. The line from Denys Finch Hatton, (Redford) in Out of Africa bemoaning the fact that tourism would change the landscape. There were many tracks criss crossing the plains: would I be seeing more minivans than predators? Time would tell...

 

I was looking all around me: every step of this trip was a completely new experience, a new adventure and here, what better place to finish off than the Mara. I was excited and eager. I was hungering for lions, leopards - I was also hungering for lunch. After a very brief breakfast at Sosian I was in the mood to eat like a lion. Previously I'd stood with James on the back seats in the sun, now he was up front and I took my place alongside him. I wanted to absorb everything he told me about growing up here. He said it would be around an hour to camp. I'd have plenty of time to think about food on the drive in.

 

First sighting off the Offbeat Mara Camp. Our home for the next four days.

The tents looked to blend in well with the surrounds.

Following our welcome, we dumped kit in the lounge area and James Stewart, (not that James Stewart obviously), who it turns out I have a lot in common with, shows me round camp, the kitchens, the staff area where the chaps are playing football presently, the river which curls around the back of the tents, (mine in particular), the mess tent and lounge area. We talk about the camp's history, again expanding upon some of the questions I'd previously sent for the upcoming interview series, occupancy levels, the camp's environmental footprint and so forth. By this time lunch is just being prepared and I sup on a well deserved Tusker before we sit down with the camp's other two guests, Richard and Maureen who would be our dining companions for the rest of our stay.

 

Dumping gear and off we set to explore the camp before lunch.

Certainly the mess and lounge area fitted into the woodland. Or was it viça verça?

The scene of great food and conversation. (Especially the Shoat stew on the last night.)

My tent around which there was much buffalo action at night.

Well appointed and comfortable interior. I had the family quarters.

The front view from my tent out towards Lion Hill.

After settling in, brushing the Ndevu and having a wee, I was keen to set off for the afternoon. And what an afternoon was in store for me...

[Geoff]

Loving this report. @@Safaridude excellent images in at times looking like very testing conditions.

[Kitsafari]

"After settling in, brushing the Ndevu and having a wee, I was keen to set off for the afternoon. And what an afternoon was in store for me..."

 

 

And???? pse don't leave us hanging like that. i can't wait for the next installment......

[pault]

The report that seems to celebrate even a wee! Great stuff. Camp looks perfect. And don't listen to @@Kitsafari - that is the correct way to leave us hanging!

Edited March 13, 2014 by pault

[Safaridude]

@@Geoff

 

Cloudy, cloudy, cloudy!

[pault]

 

 

Just a note for Graceland......never mind your husband go on your ow n it's great!!!!

 

Always in the back of my mind......

 

totally agreed with @@samburumags. I did the Okavango trip on my own. I did miss my hubby at times, but my camp and vehicle mates,and guides, were great and made up for his absence. the managers also made sure i wouldn't feel too alone. it's completely safe altho i was filled with trepidation initially.

I would like to make it clear that I liked this post because I am glad that @@Kitsafari had a great time.

 

In no way an I endorsing this rather radical view that the absence of a good husband can be compensated for by a few guides and vehicle mates!

[kulkulbelle]

A most excellent collaboration from GW and SD - most entertaining, awesome game viewing and photography brilliant!

 

I was with you at every sighting and every sundowners. Thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing your Kenya trip.

 

I was lured to this thread by a tweet, and although I've had to rearrange my day to reflect this sojourn it was more than worth it. I'll be back as there's many questions and comments - one thing I would like to say now to samburumags is that I'm on for a girl's safari (New age, sensitive guys (cough) allowed of course!)

 

Back soon

[graynomad]

 

(New age, sensitive guys (cough) allowed of course!)

SNAGs

[kulkulbelle]

 

 

(New age, sensitive guys (cough) allowed of course!)

SNAGs

 

That's them...met one once

[graynomad]

I are one, you can tell just by looking at my avatar.

[Sangeeta]

This has been a truly hysterical read, guys Have whiled away a lovely Sunday afternoon in your company - thanks for the many, many laughs!

 

Are you going to be a Lesser Bearded GW or Greater Bearded GW in CPT?

[Game Warden]

To be continued...

[twaffle]

Hopefully a little faster than the finish to your Tanzanian report!

 

Just sayin' .........

[Super LEEDS]

Did he ever even finish that? Hippo-crit!

[graynomad]

Good news (for me at least), by gazing wistfully at these photos with an appropriately hang-dog expression on my face I've manage to get tacit approval from 'er indoors for a return trip to the Mara. Not for a couple of years (no money yet) but at least it's back on the agenda.

 

Have we started a "What are your plans for 2016" thread yet?

[Atravelynn]

I am on only post #2 of this report that stretches to 10 pages--as of right now--but I have to let you all know I am laughing out loud already. What a trip this is going to be in every sense of the word!

Edited March 17, 2014 by Atravelynn

[Atravelynn]

Now I'm howling at post #20 regarding the temporary contents of GW's beard, but I'm also concerned about the lost cheetah brother in Meru. Safaridude not only offers eloquent descriptions of the antelope, but also of the observers of the antelope. That narrative of finding and photographing lesser kudu is spot on!

[Morkel Erasmus]

This has been a HOOT to read! Looking forward to more - assuming there's more?

[Safaridude]

This has been a HOOT to read! Looking forward to more - assuming there's more?

 

GW?

[Peter Connan]

This is how trip reporting should be done! Wanderful!

 

I have read it through three times already!

[Game Warden]

Sorry, yes, lot's more, but problems of a family kind at the HQ which is sapping a bit of my time. Will try to do more tongiht when all are in bed asleep bar the GW and a glass of vodka...

[Atravelynn]

No rhino sanctuary for me either.

 

"standing with the beard flowing behind me in the slipstream." No matter how many incarnations your avatar makes, this is how I will always envision you, Matt!