Simba

the long road home

Sunrise over the Mara plains from Mara West up on the escarpment

We also saw a cheetah this morning, but it was so far away and it slunk away before we could get close enough for a picture. God was good to me this trip. We had checked the weather report before leaving and it promised heavy rains for every day. We didn't see a drop of rain the entire weekend. I prayed for a good weekend and He gave it to us. We saw so many lions and a bunch of other animals. The leopard I had secretly hoped for, but told God I was okay with even just enjoying the scenery, since they're so hard to find. When I saw the leopards and lions I told God I'd love to see a cheetah, since they're my favorite big cats, but that if he had other plans I would be fine. He let me see the cheetah. I was overjoyed. I had to laugh though, because He only allowed me a glimpse. I think I should have asked to get close enough to a cheetah to get good pictures :) The other thing He did for me had to do with losing a lens cap. We were sitting on the roof of the car, going about 60 kph and both Susan and I heard a clank. It took a moment to register, but we both thought it sounded like a lens cap hitting metal, and sure enough my lens cap was gone from my pocket. So we backed way up and carefully scanned the roadside for it, but couldn't find it. I asked God for help, but wasn't too worried, since a lens cap is just a lens cap. Finally I told the others that we should keep going since it had very likely flown way off. Then I just happened to look down the backside of the vehicle. My cap was there sitting on a ledge, upright. It seemed too illogical to me for a lens cap to fly off at 60 kph and to fall onto a narrow ledge and stay there upright without rolling off as we drove back and forth looking for it. Call it coincidence if you like. I don't believe in coincidence.

These birds (a something something Roller..) have beautiful blue feathers on the underside of their wings.

A Walk to Remember. I've been in two places at once (TZ and Kenya). Appropriately my injured foot on the Kenya side.

Me and my family at the borderpost between the Mara and Serengeti

I got to drive from the Mara bridge all the way to the gate out of the park. Man, those roads can be rough. Washboard isn't the best!

This is the biggest group of giraffe I've seen together. They leisurely crossed the road in front of us close to the gate.

And here we come to my favorites.. the zebra. I think I saw less than ten of them inside the park, but hundreds outside the gate on the way to Narok.

Longonot from a distance across the valley

26 April

Paljon Onnea Laura!

These cute paw prints were in the mudbank below our campsite on Sand River

I'm not entirely cured of my fear of sliding cars, especially coupled with water. Most of the crossings I was able to survive sitting down, closing my eyes and holding onto something. But for this one I had to get out. It's too unnerving to see yourself go down at a near 75 degree angle in mud straight into water. So I got out and took pictures instead :) They still laugh at me..

up close and personal to the little flower

These cute mongoose (or is it mongeese :D ) were at the filling station of Serena Lodge. I followed them around. They would peek around sandpiles and bushes, always so curious.

This guy was perturbed. We bullied him off the road and he trotted off trumpeting and looking back at us accusingly.

Gotta love the roads.. We came through this and almost made it. There was one little dip that our car didn't quite make and left us spinning mud. The Hartzell's car couldn't get good enough grip to pull us ( he almost ended up in the ditch himself) but fortunately another vehicle came by and we were able to persuade them to help us. We were happy to be out of there.