(we've had some shoddy internet connections, so post below was written on Wednesday, 25 July 2012, not today!) 


Lions and cheetahs and leopards, oh my!

Yes folks, we have officially seen it all! Of the "Big Five" animals we have here in Africa - the African elephant, leopard, lion, and Cape Buffalo - we have now seen all but one. We are still on the lookout for an African Rhino, but seeing as we spotted all three major cats - male and female lions, a sleeping leopard, and two brother cheetahs all in a span of 3 days - I think we're pretty set!

So where have we seen all of these animals, you ask!? Well, after we left the Ngorongora crater Tuesday morning, we headed Olduvai Gorge where the Leakey archeologists discovered fossilized remains of some of the earliest know human species. We then continued to the Serengeti National Park, which means vast plains in Swahili. Imagine seeing miles and miles of endless fields - multiply that times a bajillion and that is what it looks like. The roads are even less than what I would consider "dirt roads" and by the end of the day on Wednesday we
were absolutely filthy. But it was completely worth it! All day, we spent driving around, jumping up and down on our seats snapping pictures of zebras (my new favorite animal - they are absolutely gorgeous and look as though their stripes have literally been painted on), gazelle (imagine as tiny/medium sized deer, but they come in two different breeds - thomson and grant - one has thick black stripe along its sides and the other has an "M" in black on its rear end. Both breeds are by far the happiest animals in the entire world, as their tails NEVER stopping wagging!), and giraffe, elephants, and cats among others!

In the Serengeti, we saw all three of the big cats - lions, a leopard, and cheetahs. The lions are the easiest to spot, as they usually come in pairs. The females stick together with the babies, while the men do what men do (some things are universal across species!). Yesterday, we saw two female lions and a baby under a tree, though they were quickly pushed aside when a large pack of elephants decided they needed some shade from the heat. Oddly enough, the lions and elephants respect each other, so it was a natural move for the lions to the next shaded area...which happened to be where a completely oblivious warthog stood all alone. He could've been wrapped with a bow in his hair the way he was standing, entirely unaware that he was about to be eaten. So one lion laid down as the decoy while the nearby gazelle started to run off (smart little things they are!), which made the warthog aware of what was going on. Meanwhile, the other lion began to circle around the tree to narrow in on her kill. Unfortunately, the lion must have been a bit too lazy because the warthog quickly scampered off and the
excitement was gone. The lion barely even put up a chase. Though I'm not sure how much we would have liked to have actually SEEN the live kill, especially after seeing the dead wildebeest in shreds at Ngorongora. Later in the day, we found two cheetah brothers laying in the grass (the exact opposite of the lions, as you never see a female cheetah out, only the men) and then we found a leopard literally twisting itself around a tree branch and sleeping. To say that it was rare for us to see all of these cats in one day is certainly an understatement! We've been so lucky - even our tour guide was impressed!

Today was another game drive in the morning. This is when we came up with the “Ugly Five” for Africa, which include: the wildebeest, warthogs, buffalo, baboon, and hyena. I guess Mother Nature cannot always be fair. These are honestly hideous creatures and once I can figure out how, I will post pictures (really, I promise!). Because we went out in the morning, the ride was not as dusty and was much more enjoyable. One interesting thing they do here in the Serengeti is that they start controlled fires to preserve the land. So for instance, if
they notice that the animals have destroyed/eaten all of the vegetation in a certain area, they will burn this section so that they seeds can regrow. As you drive by, you see (and smell!) patches of burnt land with baby grasses sprouting up. This is also done to help get rid of some of the insects in the area (and it actually does work!). It’s a bit odd looking and sometimes I think the fires quickly become uncontrolled as in parts it looks as though the black ash continues on for miles and miles, but it certainly makes sense!

This afternoon was great – we actually had some free time! So we all had lunch back at the lodge where we are staying. This place is absolutely gorgeous and is rumored to be purchased by the Four Seasons in the future, so that should  tell you a little bit about the caliber of this place. Unfortunately, Aunt Kathy was feeling a bit under the weather, but the rest of us spent the afternoon laying by the pool…and swimming with the elephants. Yes, you read that right. Here at the Bilila Lodge, they have an infinity pool which looks right out to a little watering hole and the rest of the Serengeti plains. So naturally, animals frequently come up for a quick drink. When we first arrived last night, we saw herds of elephants from our room coming up to the water and today was just the same – then came the zebras, then the buffalos, and finally the giraffe – all less than 50 meters from the pool deck! We truly felt as though we were in the middle of the wilderness all afternoon and it was absolutely amazing!

Tomorrow we head out and leave the Serengeti to Arusha en route to Kenya. With any luck, we’ll be able to see Mt Kilimanjaro (though I’m wondering whether or not this mountain is actually there as we can only see clouds!). We’ll arrive in Amboseli for lunch and will continue on for a game drive in the afternoon. It should be a great day for pictures – so send your requests now for any specific animals you’d like to see!

And finally, some Swahili for your vocab – assante (thank you), jambo (hello), sowa sowa (okay, okay), hakuna matata (no worries… what a wonderful phrase!)