1-safari photos

What you've been waiting for ... actual photos from the safari not just of our tent camp. The blogger software only lets me upload five photos at a time, so hang in there and you'll see many posts with animals.

This first photo is so funny to me even though our guide, Dominic, did not get the humor. You drive around the Mara and there are no directional signs, no landmarks that make any sense, no real roads, tire tracks from where the jeeps have cut through the landscape to go see an animal. Then you stumble upon a sign like this. I laughed so hard because it made no sense.

There is a gatehouse in the middle of nowhere. It doesn't look like it divides anything from anywhere else, but it must. Regardless, we were at the Talek gate most of the time.

The landscape varies depending on where you are in the Mara. You'll see photos of what looks like the Kansas plains stretching out to nowhere, or you'll see croppings of trees and rocks or creeks.

This is a termite hill which is about five or six feet tall. Folks duck behind these to take care of necessary business. 'nuff said.

At the camp they come to your tent in the morning with a pot of coffee or tea with some biscuits at the same time that they are saying "hello, this is your wake-up call." Yup, a live wake-up call, not a phone call from the front desk. The best time for viewing the animals is early-squirrelly and then mid-afternoon. Because you go out early, breakfast is served on the road. We ate around the hood of the jeep. It was a very substantial breakfast of a hard-boiled egg, sausage, toast, gobs of fruit, passion fruit juice and then coffee or tea. Lisa took this photo for my mother, it was such a Norma kind of shot.

5-safari camp residents

Sorry, could not get this posted last night, but it is the last of the safari camp photos.

The residents. Nope, not the human kind. There were about 10 guests, a bunch of staff (all male staff, never saw any females except for the guests), and then the animal kind of residents.

Baboons are noisier than monkeys on the roof. They screech like raccoons at night when they are chasing each other through the camp and then up the fig tree behind our tent. Then it rains figs down on the tent ceiling. There was a troop of baboons — about 30 or so hanging around. I think these might be Olive Baboons.

The first evening we were at the camp, there was a very low grumble growl. Everyone heard it at about 3 in the morning. We all thought that was it. Some predator had come for easy pickings regardless of the Masai with the spear. We talked about it at breakfast wondering if it was a leopard, a lion, don't know. Robin, the maitre de, said it was a velvet monkey. We have a hard time thinking that a monkey, of any size, could make that kind of noise. Mark, one of our safari mates, said he looked around his tent to see what he could use as a weapon. I didn't go that far, but said a prayer, must have been comforted because I then fell sound asleep.

Another visitor was the crocodile. Well, he stayed on the opposite bank of the Mara River, but he was always there.

A cow wandered in from a local Masai herd. The baboons scattered but then when they saw it was only a cow, they came back to hang out under the fig tree. The baboons scattered again when the tribesman came to check on his cow.

I'll post safari animals next but right now we're heading out on the Tube to see the London monkeys and baboons.

4-safari camp photos

Lisa enjoying a scrabble game on her iPod.

Anna with her MAC. Yes, I brought it with me so that I could download photos every night from my camera. We had electricity in the morning for about four hours, and then for about six hours in the evening. There were three electric lamps in the tent and then in the common bar area tent, there were two electric strips for recharging your camera batteries.

Lisa in the gift shop. Yup, a gift tent not a shop. A bit overpriced. If they cut the prices in half they could have made a mint. They took US Dollars and Kenyan Shillings. I didn't ask about British Sterlings (pounds and pence).

This is a Masai Tribesman. I don't believe this actual man guarded our tent at night, but some similar man did. They would stand out there with their spear, knife and stick, ready to take on the animals if necessary. Don't laugh. They kill one lion per year as a ceremonial right, and sometimes more if necessary. They do not go out and hunt just to kill, but kill if attacked. The Masai believe that all cows belong to them. So if a cow is stolen, they plan a raid, fight other tribes using arrows, maybe kill the men from the other tribe to get their cows back.

They wear red or bright orange because they say the color will keep the wild animals away from them. That is why you will see Masai out among all of the animals in the Mara, walking with their sheep, goats and cows, only carrying a stick, a spear and a knife.

3-yet more safari camp photos

Yes, a flush toilet was part of our tent.

As was a shower with hot and cold running water.

One of the camp residents as seen through our shower window (that would be an young baboon).

A view of the Mara River as seen from our front porch.

Lisa enjoying that front porch.

2-more safari camp photos

This is how the water is heated for the hot showers, two barrels with fires lit under them and then plumbed to the tent.

Lisa welcoming you to our home for three days.

The entire tent was actually pretty big. Bigger than our room at the conference center, and way bigger than this city hotel in London.

Two photos of the inside of the tent.

1-Safari camp photos

Lisa said that you will never see photos like this again. Why? She'll never camp again, ever. These photos are of our home for three days, Camp Ilekani, at Masai Mara, the national game reserve park in Kenya. The only thing separating us from the animals might be a fence and a Masai Warrior with a spear. Wowser. We had a great time and even adapted to the atmosphere. The only photos that I don't have are of the dining tent and the main room/bar tent.

I think I can only upload about five at a time, so watch for more!

We arrived in "the Mara" on a 12-seat puddle jumper. The airstrip had a terminal hut and bathrooms, but never saw a control tower.

The camp reception sign and then reception tent.

Should you care to visit us, here is one of the two public bathrooms. Yes, running hot water with flush toilets.

Lisa welcoming you to the east side of camp.

Cheers love, we're here

We're in London. As we learned on the way over, we know how to sleep on airplanes. We did, and we are fairly well rested for the big city.

We picked up the train out of Heathrow which took us to Paddington Station (yes, Paddington of Paddington the Bear from darkest Peru). The hotel was right around the corner so we didn't have to schlep our luggage too far. The hotel is holding onto the luggage until the room is ready so we are wandering London.

Actually, we are wandering Harrods. Harrods is a sensory overload. All of the beautiful items, the window displays are incredible, oh my, the food court is a literal feast for all senses. As artists we are attracted to the architectural details, the variety of foods and the way they are displayed. It is culinary heaven for Lisa and photography heaven for Anna. Not to mention that Anna wants to sample all of the chocolate.

You'll need to wait for the photos which will be the next post after we collapse in the hotel room.

We loved Africa, but we are city girls. You can take the girls out of the city but you can't take the city out of the girls.