This is always a reassuring sight before you get on a plane to fly to the Kenyan Bush...
Masai settlements from the plane
The "airport" where we landed in the Masai Mara....with a Masai walking across the tarmac.
An Impala buck, standing on the dry savannah
On our way to our "bush camp," The Fig Tree
These are what each of the "rooms" or "tents" looked like
In the "treehouse" at the Fig Tree Camp
Our tent! Quite a nice tent if you ask me...and with en-suite facilities!
Dan relaxing on our porch. We looked out onto a semi-dry portion of the Talek river--where a hippo lived.
Mommy and baby Zebras
A herd of Zebra
A Bee-Eater...Bee-Cheecked? White-Throated? Little? No idea, they all look the same to us!
A Secretary Bird, known for hunting snakes, lizards, and rodents.
A Lappet-Faced Vulture observes from high in a lone tree
The Lappet-Faced Vulture is the largest vulture in Africa
A lone bull Elephant protects his territory
We came across two Cheetahs, brothers, on our first game drive!
Just beautiful!
Kimberly was leaning perhaps a little too far out of the window...
The stripes under the eyes are one of the ways you can tell the difference between a Cheetah and a Leopard
Look at how close the Cheetahs are to the vehicles!
Cheetah looks in the distance...perhaps thinking of hunting?
Instead, the two brother Cheetahs decide to take a rest
A Topi, which is a large antelope
At 4:30am, we woke up for an amazing adventure...our Baloon Safari!
Almost ready for take off!
Sunrise from our baloon.
The view of the other baloon from above.
Ariel view of the Talek River, where the Fig Tree Camp is located.
12 passengers and one pilot
The wavy "lines" are thousands of Wildebeests, making their annual migration...
...often in single file line!
We don't know why they often migrate in this "orderly" fashion
But when the torch goes off in the baloon..
...the order turns into chaos!
Kimberly & Daniel enjoying their baloon flight
Two lions waking up from a good night's sleep
More wildebeest
Ready with our cameras as we pass over a herd of Giraffe
One of the wooded areas in the Masai Mara
The Giraffe look up at us as we pass by overhead
Preparations being made for our breakfast in the bush
After landing
Our breakfast in the bush...not too shabby!
With champagne...
...and fully cooked hot foods including omelettes!
Vultures enjoying their own breakfast of Wildebeest
Several Ruppell's Griffon Vultures and a Marabou Stork
A lone adolescent Lion playing "King of the Mountain"
Another massive herd of Wildebeest...
A lioness hides in the bush
Wildebeest line up, one by one, on their way to ???
A Cheetah eagerly looks around, clearly on the hunt...unfortunately, she didn't go after anything while we were around.
Mommy and baby giraffe
Buffalo hiding in the bushes
A beautiful Purple Heron
We think we counted 14 safari vehicles, all around this one pack of lions
And people were amazingly standing on top of and almost outside the vehicles...with the lions only a few feet away!
An entire herd of Elephants, with several babies
The Elephants were defending their territory from a few Giraffe that had stumbled into the area
...we think the Giraffe got the message that he was not welcome here!
A rainstorm came through one afternoon, which provided an incredible sunset
Wildebeests lined up again, one-by-one
Sunrise in the Masi Mara
Hyenas on an early morning scavenger hunt
"What did you find boys?"
Yum, Yum...
Zebra
Baby Zebra posing for the camera (this is the same pose that our dog, Zookie, makes all the time...the over the shoulder, push one hip back pose...)
Wildebeest also posed for the camera
One morning we had breakfast out in the bush
We enjoyed our boxed breakfast with a chorus of Wildebeest in the background...
...and nothing to really protect us should a lion or buffalo or rhino decide we were in their territory...
After our breakfast we found the most impressive concentration of wildlife yet..there were 11 Giraffe, a bunch of Zebra, of course hundreds of Wildebeest, and many other animals...all together!
A Giraffe precariously bends over for a drink of water. This is the most common time for them to be attacked, because predators know they are in a vulnerable position and could be easily knocked over.
Oh look, the Wildebeest are coming!!
Here they come! (Don't ask why, where, or why there are in such a rush....they always seem to be going somewhere!)
Eland, the largest African antelope, are usually quite shy. We were lucky we could get this close to this herd.
Wildebeest on the other side of the Mara River. They seemed to be heading for a spot ti cross over...will we get to watch the famous Mara river crossing?
Oh wait, here comes another group of Wildebeest from our side of the river...which way are they going?
Wildebeest and Zebra go down to the banks of the river for a drink...and maybe a crossing?
Oh wait, they're crossing from our side of the river!
Here they go!
They are all piled in on top of each other, trying desperately to get out of the water before a crocodile finds them...
...like this one...
And here come some more, eager to make the crossing with the rest of the group.
A family of Hippos enjoys an afternoon swim
Mommy and baby Hippo
Daniel and a Hippo!
Do the Hippos know the Crocodile is lurking nearby?
A Waterbuck rests in an open field
Dirty messy Hyena in the mud
Wildebeests gathered under a stormy sky
An African Fish Eagle
A Lilac-Breasted Roller
Lone Buffalo bull hides in the bush...this is why they say that Buffalo are actually the most dangerous of the Big Five. They ambush people and charge if you get too close.
Lion looks up from his fresh kill. (We JUST missed the hunt!)
Lion cub happily growls and smacks his lips...ready for some fresh meat
"..hmm, what is this for?"
Lioness surveys the area and calls the rest of the pack in for dinner
The whole family is here...enjoying their Wildebeest meal.
Yummy...intestines!!
Two other cubs, taking a break from the feast
But the third cub is just adamant that he is going to figure out just how you eat the lips, gums, and teeth of a Wildebeest!! (This is right before he falls off the Wildebeest's head...we have great video footage of this hilarious event!)
"Oh, so tired! It's hard work this eating Wildebeest stuff!"
Masai performing their special jumping dance. It's amazing how far off the ground they can get!
Another beautiful sunrise in the Masai Mara
A Lion enjoying the sunrise
A plane landing at the "airport"
The "airport" terminal
