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Tarangire
National Park |
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Just before sunset
we arrived at Kikoti
Camp. Far from a rustic camp, it was luxurious beyond belief. My
"tent" had canvas walls, a thatched roof, a wooden floor,
a large porch with a view, large soft beds and a
We spent the morning
in the company of giraffes nibbling at treetops, Grant's gazelles eyeing
us cautiously, and mingling herds zebras and wildebeest. The birds were
an unexpected treat. They were colorful and ranged in size from starlings
to ostriches. We There were three Land Rovers, so we would split into groups of four for each drive. We mixed things up every time, with a different group and driver each time. I can't say enough wonderful things about the group of people I was fortunate enough to travel with. I was a solo traveler, but I was never alone. In our company were a doctor, a dentist, and a woman who could, in a pinch, land a small plane - all talents that could come in handy on a trip like this one. Our guides were real experts, pros in their field. Abu, the head guide, was crazy about birds. Samson was the joker, playing little pranks. Kumbi made the best lion call. He could make a lion turn and look every time. All three were experts at spotting wildlife, whether off in the distance or hiding in the tall grass beside the road. The spotting award this day went to Mary, however. She found the first big cat, a female lion walking through the brush in the distance. A male lion lurked nearby. It was incredible how completely the cats would disappear in the tall yellow grass. Back at camp we celebrated our first big cat over lunch. My dad would have loved it - they served mini pizzas. After lunch we sat to watch the birds that had gathered around a flat stone covered with birdseed. I feel asleep in a lawn chair watching the superb starlings and white-headed buffalo weavers flap about. On our late afternoon
walk, two guards armed with
Maasai Dinner and Night Drive
With the food, wine and long day, we were all well exhausted but at 10pm it was time to head out for our night drive. Because Kikoti camp is outside the park boundary, we were permitted to drive at night and off-road. We climbed into an open-top jeep-like vehicle that sat all twelve of us, plus a driver and "spotter." Perched on a tiny seat in front of the hood, the spotter shone a large spotlight into the bush looking for the reflective eyes of nocturnal creatures. Chuck sat shotgun, literally, as he was handed a rifle to hold on to, just in case. Within a few minutes we spotted a Honey Badger, and much to my surprise the driver plowed straight into the bush after it. It was exhilarating and more than a little scary. After that, we spotted little for the next hour. Most of us were slightly buzzed from the wine, so keeping everyone quiet was hard. Just as we were getting close to heading back, a leopard sprang into view. We quickly took off after it, so quickly that the vehicle hit a huge ditch that left us with banged knees and sent the spotter flying off his perch. It took a few back-and-forth maneuvers to get going again, and meanwhile the leopard was still nearby. I expected to continue on, but the driver resumed the chase. Suddenly the leopard turned and faced us, about 15 yards away. I was on the end, nothing between me and a deadly cat but the night air. After a few seconds, the leopard walked off and thankfully we returned to the road. Thrilling as it was, I assumed we were in no real danger. The next day I found out that as soon as the cat had turned, the driver had taken the gun from Chuck and aimed. Just in case. Pumped from our rare close encounter, we opted to continue for another hour. We saw an aardwolf, mongoose, steenbok, jackal and the movement of bushbabies in a large tree. We returned to camp after midnight. For the first time since arriving, I slept solidly through the night, blissfully exhausted. >> |
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