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| 1999 Safari Journal | |||||||||||||||||
Each time an animal looks into my lens, I see into their soul, connect with their spirit, I become a part of them and they become a part of me. They are my energy, my inspiration, my passion, the fire that ignites my spirit and soul. My song is of Africa, The Serengeti, and the animals that are free to roam "the endless plains".I realize that I, again, have left another part of me in the Serengeti and now I call the Serengeti "my home", too. (Sharon Van Sinderen Lyon January, 1999) In the beginning, I was wondering just what I was doing here. I now know. This has been the most incredible journey of a lifetime. I have seen so many animals there is no way I could see more on another trip. I was satisfied by the third day, when I saw my first leopard. With 18 days remaining, I just wondered what else was in store for me. Little did I know that I would see 5 leopards in a day, and 18 leopards in all. I also saw 54 cheetahs, 10 serval cats, a caracal, an African Wild cat and 269 lions, for a grand total of 353 cats. A record that will be hard to top. After speaking to people who have been coming to Africa frequently, the previous record in a trip was 15 leopards. I am ready to return home, but I will return to the Serengeti. I think I have seen so many animals that I need to just stop and appreciate what I have seen. I am anxious to see the results of my photography efforts. There is always concern that they will not look as good as the real things but the memories will last a lifetime. I am home and I am not ready to be here. After being free to roam the endless plains with the other wild animals I feel bound in a cage. Even as I look out into the ocean, I realize that I, again, have left another part of me in the Serengeti and now I call the Serengeti "my home", too. Wednesday January 6, 1999 - Day 1
Well I have arrived in Africa for my fourth safari in the past four years and it has started with a new set of challenges. My first flight left late from Salisbury MD into Philadelphia. My flight from Philadelphia to Amsterdam left late and as a result I walked from one plane directly onto another. A total of 14 hours of direct flights plus the 40-minute flight from Salisbury. Needless to say I was ready to land when we finally did, in Arusha at Mt Kilimanjaro airport. My bags didn’t make it. I was grateful for a nice welcome a pleasant breeze and people I knew. The bed felt especially nice and comfortable and the staff at the Dik Dik did everything they could to accommodate my needs. A toothbrush, toothpaste and comb all arrived in the am shortly after my wake up call. After a great breakfast and quick drive to the bank and then the airport I departed for the Serengeti at 8:45 am and arrived at Sereona Airport at 9:30 am. There was one other couple on the flight from Manhattan and we had nice conversation. Their guide was late to arrive so we waited in case they needed help. By 10:00 am we were amongst the lions. A pride of 9 to be exact. We followed them as they walked through the bush stalking some game. They finally came into a clearing and the young males put on a show of chase the zebras. I think I captured some great shots regardless of not having a tripod. We will see just how steady I can be. We saw another female lion waiting by the water for game. I shot elephants, a warthog family with six babies; silver backed jackal, a golden jackal, and zebra with their ears up watching the baby lion cubs, and a family of six lions at Simba Kopje. As we were driving from Sereona to Ndutu just as we were driving past the Simba Kopje we spotted six lions walking. They looked like they might stalk some game but the game was already aware of their presence. We parked and watched as they approached our vehicle to check out the wounded wildebeest. I might have some shots of one posing on the Kopje as well as one by the side of the road. I had some great opportunities today and shot 2 rolls of print, and one slide on the 200- 400 and one plus a half on the 1000mm.Right now I am sitting around the bonfire at Ndutu Lodge. There do not seem to be many animals in this area this year as the rains have yet to fall. Tonight at dinner I was feeding the Genet cat and on its third attempt to retrieve food from my hand, it also got a piece of me. It wasn’t a very big bite, and I learned to have a little more respect for wild animals, even if they look friendly and domestic. From that time on, I feed it with a stick, just in case. (TOP) Thursday January 7, 1999 - Day 2
Today I had mixed feelings about being back in Africa. I wondered what I am doing here and will I be back. This year is completely different than the previous years and I just wonder what lessons and traits I’ll discover about myself on this trip. There are no animals around Ndutu consequently we drive 2 hours each day, each way, for our game drives. Today we saw a serval cat, 2 mating lions, 1 male lion, 1 female lion, another female lion, 7 lions with a kill (far away), and a young mother cheetah with two nursing cubs. I think I captured some great shots but I just wonder what is in store for me. I know that I am where I am supposed to be. I realize that I may not know how to stop while I am ahead. That I want more when it is good and then I don’t get the thrill I was use to and I am ready to move on. I can use this analogy to many facets of my life. (TOP) Friday January 8, 1999 - Day 3
Today was a great day. I wondered if this year’s safari could really exceed or even compare to last year’s but today was the real test. 7 cheetah, 16 lions and a leopard. How do you top a day like that? Already in my third day on safari I have exceeded last years total for cheetah and leopard. We saw lions every day last year so we are aiming to accomplish that this year also. Again, if I didn’t see any more than what I’ve seen so far I have seen so much more than expected. The leopard was in a tree when Willi spotted it. I shot a few photos and then as we approached in jumped down. It crossed the Kopje and stood as I shot a silhouette. It then proceeded to climb another tree and pose again for me. At the end of the day we came across three cheetahs, a mother and 2 babies. The mother appeared to be middle-aged but the cubs were young. They were great subjects and were very interested in what I was doing. (TOP) Saturday January 9,1999 - Day 4
Today was considered a slow day by my new standard as we only saw 3 lions and 4 cheetah. Not bad for a day at the office. It poured today and it brought back so many memories of last year and El Nino. They really do need the rain so I am glad that it rained for the animal’s sake. Today we saw a mother cheetah by the simba Kopje and watched her for quit a while hoping she would show us her baby. We were sure that she had at least one young one as Willi had thought he had seen a leopard cub the day before for a split second, in the same area so it was probably a baby cheetah instead. We then watched as two young adolescent cheetahs, one female and one male walked towards some Thomson gazelles. It was fun watching as the gazelles would run away really fast only to turn around and walk towards the cheetahs. It was like they kept coming back for more. I believe that these two cheetahs are the same ones that I have photographed for the last two years. We were not close enough to take any shots but I still have lots of time. The lions were a distance away from us so I wasn’t able to get the kind of photos I like to take. We came across some elephants and they let us get really close and the herd had some young babies’. I think I got some good elephants shots. There was a bull elephant that decided it really liked this tree and then he rested his head on the trunk. He put on a good show posing for me crossing his legs and all. I shot some more zebra drinking water as well as a good shot of the same with giraffes in the background. When we returned from safari I did have my luggage, only missing since I left town on Monday January 4. I have learned what are considered essentials especially when you are headed to the bush…1 bra, 1 underpants, 1 pair socks, 1 shoes, 1 pants, 1shirt, 1 sweatshirt, 1 windbreaker was what I arrived with. I bought a toothbrush and toothpaste, a comb, and two tee shirts. That has lasted me for six days. It was great to be able to put on some clean clothes after showering. You really have no idea how dirty your clothes can get after four days of game drives in the dust. I don’t recall ever being so dirty. (TOP) Sunday January 10, 1999 - Day 5
It is my fifth day on safari and I was wondering how each of my past safaris could be beat and guess what…today was the day. We started off by seeing a carcal cat then a leopard in the Masai Kopje at 9:00 am and watching it for at least an hour. It was beautiful. It finally jumped down from a tree and walked across the bush. Willi suggested we drive around for a couple of hours and then come back. We did but I wish we had sat tight and waited. Oh well. We drove around and saw 2 lions one female and a male in the Kopje. We saw two female lions with four very young cubs as they walked across the road. We passed a very nice lion couple right by the roadside and I took some nice portraits of them as a couple. There were nine lions under a tree. It was pouring. We were headed home when we saw 2 cheetah. (TOP) Monday January 11, 1999 - Day 6
Day six on game drives and I must say I don’t think that it can get any better than this. We have been driving 2 hours each way each day to the Serengeti to see game but it is well worth it. On the way we saw another serval cat up close and right next to the road. Tonight we will stay in a classic campsite and leave Ndutu for another year. We came across a beautiful male lion at about 9:00 am and the light was perfect. He stole a kill from 2 cheetah, which we also saw. We spotted a couple of lions that were quite a distance away. We checked into our campsite, which was very quaint and classic. We were served our first hot lunch which consisted of hot macaroni, fresh papaya and mango salad, vegetable salad and a beer. After lunch on game drive we saw a herd of 122 elephants, with tons of little ones. A leopard was lying underneath a tree so we watched for a while. Another leopard had been spotted so we headed to go see it and were successful in our search. On our way to return to the leopard under the tree we spotted a 6-ft python right by the side of the road. I could have done without seeing that huge snake, especially since I was to be camping the next couple of nights. We got back to the leopard and stayed put for the next couple of hours. We watched as she stood up and the stretched against the tree before she climbed the tree. She proceeded to have her late lunch and then she called her baby to come and eat. Out the little one came in full view for everyone to see. It also climbed the tree and proceeded to have its lunch. It doesn’t get much better than that. I’ve thought that before and I am constantly amazed at what is around the next corner. So far this was the best day ever. 3 leopard, 3 cheetah, 5 lion and 1 serval cat. (TOP) Tuesday January 12, 1999 - Day 7
Right now I am sitting in front of my tent typing my journal on my laptop. This has been a true test for my laptop to see how rugged it is. The roads had not hurt or damaged it in any way even after it took a nosedive from the seat onto the floor. This morning we had an early breakfast at 6:00 am then headed out for game drives by 7:00am. And they call this vacation. So far today we’ve seen a side striped jackal, (which is rare), another serval cat, an old lioness with and old wound that looked like she had been once caught in a snare. We were very close to some small elephants. A Cape buffalo was chasing another lioness and 4 lion’s with a kill. Four cheetahs were way off in the distance before we came across a cheetah and a hyena lying together under a tree. The guides all said that they had never seen the two animals together before. To top off our morning the mother leopard and her baby made reappearance. We’ve now finished a lunch of braised beef, vegetable salad and potatoes with a beer and are planning on leaving for our afternoon game drive at 2:30 PM. We came across 9 lions with a zebra kill by the water. And then we saw the mother leopard in another tree and took some more shots of her. Oh what a day. Oh what a week. Oh what a safari. Just how can you ever top this? (TOP) Wednesday January 13, 1999 – Day 8
Today we drove from Sereonera to Migration camp. I shot some photos of fighting impala and then wildebeest crossing the Grumetti River. The wildebeest were stuck in the current of the river and only one made it to the other side. The others did successfully get out of the river on the same side that they started from. This is the famous river that you see the animals getting eaten by the crocks as they cross. We spotted four lions a long way off in the distance. We finally arrived at migration camp. It was and is still as beautiful as I remembered from last year. The new owners greeted us, and then I was escorted to the VIP or honeymoon suite. I felt a little foolish being in a honeymoon suite as I am by myself. After a nice long hot shower and fresh clothes I went to the library for a cocktail of tequila and orange juice. I met a very nice family from Sweden. Dinner was a five star meal of chicken and pine nuts in a puff filo dough basket, fresh green beans and rice. After a couple of glasses of great South African red wine, I sat around the bonfire talking with the owners. I then went to my suite to the sounds of lions raring in the not too far off in the distance. (TOP) Thursday January 14, 1999 – Day 9
As we left camp today we spotted about 12 hyenas. As we watched them we spotted two cheetahs whom, obviously had finished dining as their faces still had remnants of blood. They were two, beautiful male cheetahs. Later we spotted a lion off in the distance. We drove for a long time, and in the middle of no where, Willi spotted four male lions. We were able to get rather close and spent quite a bit of time with them. They looked like they were between five and six years old as they were just starting to get a bit of growth on their manes. They all were very handsome but one was more blonde than the others were. Probably different mothers. After a lunch in the bush, we again headed out to see what other game we could stumble across. We discovered three elephants rather close by so we stopped and waited. They moved as close a 20 feet of our vehicle. One was so small she almost didn’t know what to do with her trunk. The mother was quite willing to show off her baby. Usually they are very protective and try to keep themselves between you and the babies. The middle elephant did pretend to charge several times which was rather funny as she acted like she was just seeing if she could scare us, but acted like she was hesitant and not sure if she should act this way. (TOP) Friday January 15, 1999 – Day 10
Today we started late. It was a day I could have stayed in bed. It was overcast and dreary and bed felt so good and toasty. After breakfast at 7:00 am we went for a game drive knowing that it would be a fairly short one as we were coming back for a hot lunch. A serval cat crossed right in front of our vehicle. They are beautiful and look like a small cheetah. We then came across five lions waiting by the river for some unlikely victim to wander close to the river edge for a drink of water. It then started to downpour. When we arrived at the camp we waited at the bar for the other Thomson group to finish their lunch and said our good-byes. There were some really nice people in the group and we exchanged business cards. Willi and I then went to the dining room for our lunch. There were only two others having lunch as well. The two guys were lawyers from Australia. They have been in Africa for three weeks. After a lengthy conversation we all went our separate ways to our tents to hibernate from the rain. Even with El Nino last year, it never rained while we were on game drives. I told Willi there was no sense in going out for a drive in this weather, as I knew I would not be able to shoot any photos. At this point I am ready to go home and am not sure if I have to return next year, and if I do, I’m not sure I’d have to stay this long. Of course I recognize that having seen so many animals at this point in my trip I am satisfied. I also recognize that each year is totally different in many respects. Different weather conditions determine what animals are where, and there are no guarantees that animals will be anywhere. I will just have to see where life’s adventures take me. Right now I’m sitting on my bed typing on my laptop waiting for the rain to stop, the water to get hot, (for my shower), and cocktail hour to begin. Tonight we were going to have dinner down by the river with the hippos and crocks but the weather has put an end to that idea. My clean laundry just arrived and it is amazing how little things mean allot. It was great knowing I will have some clean fresh pants to wear for tomorrow, if not for game drive, for cocktail hour at Serena Serengeti, which is where we will stay for five nights. It is a beautiful property with quite a bit of activity, which I am looking forward to. I have thoroughly enjoyed each aspect of this trip and appreciate the move from one lodge or accommodations to the next. Ndutu is a great place to start, classic camp was a perfect change, migration Camp was a perfect change from classic camp, and the next step will also have its benefits. I am going to update my slide show so I am prepared for Serena Serengeti as I will be able to show my photos to people there. I am really glad to have my computer here with me as I can accomplish something worthwhile as I wait for the storm to pass. As far as I am concerned, it can rain as hard as it wants to, just so long as it gets it out of it’s system. Get it over with in one day. I did speak a little prematurely regarding the stability of my computer. It has developed a minor (hopefully minor), little glitch as a gray area now blanks out the bottom portion of my screen. It is an annoyance, but I can overcome it at this point and can still work on my computer. I just have to guess where the start button is and that creates a challenge of another dimension. I am constantly amazed at what I settle for and what surprises are in store for me, when I am open and willing to the next adventure. After all, I would have settled for even one leopard and I have seen seven so far. Seven fold, so to speak! (TOP) Saturday January 16, 1999 – Day 11
We drove today from migration camp to Serena Serengeti. It was sad leaving Migration Camp. The new owners are very nice and I think there are some possibilities of doing business with them. They loved my photos. They said that they were the best they have seen. They want me to send them 25 photos for an album that they will sell various sizes. We agreed that they would donate for the small ones and pay for them and when an order is taken for an enlargement that I would donate my 20% to an organization that they are to set up to help anti poaching in the Serengeti. They also want to do a calendar and postcards. Jennifer is going to check out mass distributing of both the calendar and the postcards. I am going to link to their web site and include information on my web site about Migration Camp. Both Anthony and Jennifer were a delight to meet and we spent a long time discussing business possibilities. They both thought that I captured the spirit and soul of the animals of the Serengeti. They said that they could feel and see that I have a passion for Africa and that I should continue to pursue that passion. It was very encouraging. Our game drive started off slowly with a couple of small giraffe. Five lions, 3 babies and 2 mothers were off in the distance. As we watched the one mother attempted a pseudo kill. Her potential victim spotted her before she could get too close. The younger lions then walked over to some water and joined their mother for a drink. They then walked right over to our vehicle and sniffed. I was mesmerized. I put my head out the window and my head was less than three feet away from the lions. It sort of scared me as I looked directly into its eyes. I realized that it just might view me as food even if I was in a big vehicle. I also recognized the benefit of the Genet cat at Ndutu who bit me my first night while I was feeding it. These lions looked much larger than that Genet cat. I asked Willi what he would do if they had jumped on top or reached into the vehicle. He didn’t really answer. We all laughed. On the way back to the lodge we came across five more lions by the side of the road. It was a great day. Another great day! (TOP) Sunday January 17, 1999 – Day 12
I just keep wondering how it can get better. I am amazed every day at what I see. The Serengeti is s big and it is not just teaming with animals. It is like looking for that needle in the haystack. It changes constantly and just because we saw animals in one area one day does not mean that there will be any there the next day or even in the next hour. Today we started off by seeing a very small giraffe. It was the smallest giraffe I’ve ever seen. Willi said that he thought that it was about a week old. We came across three lions by the side of the road. It was 1 female and two males. They were not interested in the wounded wildebeest, as they were fat and happy. A while later we found a mother cheetah and two babies. They were on some rock Kopje and we watched them for a while. While we were there the mother stood up and started to walk. I switched over to my video and happened to capture my first kill. It all happened so quickly and apparently rather painlessly. All of a sudden the mother turned around with a Thomson gazelle in her mouth. She then called her babies and they charged over to her. We congratulated her on her great show and her success. I was so glad that we had stayed around for a little while so as not to miss the action. It was allot different than I had ever imagined. I had always opted to not take photos of a kill but this time I shot quite a bit of film. The babies seemed to play capture with the kill at first. It was if they weren’t sure what to do with it. I wasn’t sure if they were hungry or not as they didn’t start to eat for a while. The mother walked away after the kill as she watched her youngsters play with it. It was sort of like a game of cat and mouse. She eventually walked over and started to eat. It wasn’t like she tore into it. She was very gently and seemed to take her time with her gourmet meal. I never thought that I would be saying what I am and feeling what I felt. The baby cheetahs were so close to our vehicle I was almost breathless. They walked around the back of the land rover and were within 3 feet of my face. They were not frightening at all and I didn’t seem to frighten them either. I really wanted to reach out and touch them and probably could have but I restrained myself after my experience with the Genet cat at Ndutu. After we left the cheetah we came across 7 lions on the Simba Kopje, another in the grass and two more on the Kopje further in the distance. We had lunch here as the wildebeest were getting very close and I thought that we might witness another first, a lion kill. My list of first’s is definitely getting longer and my list of haven’t seen is shorter. I’ve yet to see an actual lion kill. I realized today that on the days that I have seen leopards I have also seen cheetahs and lions. We drove towards Moru Kopje and spotted two lions in the grass. After that we came across 5 lions under separate trees. Hyenas were all around. As we watched more hyenas came running and fought for what had been the lions kill. It did not take long for them to devour it. I just keep wondering how you can ever top this. I fell like I should stop while I am ahead, as there is no way a safari can top this one, but I’ve said that after every trip and each one has been better than the previous ones. (TOP) Monday January 18, 1999 – Day 13
We started the day off by coming across 13 lions. This is the largest pride I’ve seen so far on this safari. There were four large females and 9 very small babies. Willi estimated that the babies were about 1 month old. After lunch four cheetahs surrounded us. Literally they came next to our Land Rover and lay down beside it. It was all I could do to stay inside. At one point I leaned out the window and looked directly into ones eyes and I swear that it was as close a one-foot away. It was not a threatening feeling like I had with the lions the day before. There were five cheetahs total in this group. Later we saw 4 lion cubs on the Kopje, which was a new total for lions in one day. I keep wondering just how it can get any better than this. I’m afraid that the next safari cannot compare to this one. I’ve said that before and I’ll probably say it again. Maybe I should stop while I’m ahead. I’m not sure that I’ll return next year, it just depends on what’s in store for me. Who knows what is in store for me, even tomorrow? (TOP) Tuesday January 19, 1999 – Day 14
We started off this morning by seeing 3 lions after they had killed a wildebeest. Further on down the road we saw three baby lions and two adult female lions. A single lioness was spotted and then we went towards where we had heard there were leopards. We were fortunate to see the mother leopard while she was still in the tree with three kills. We then saw her baby, who proceeded to climb the tree and eat. Several vehicles then came to the area and both of the leopards jumped from the tree and went into the bushes. We headed towards the area that we had spotted a leopard in the earlier days. After lunch we were headed to see if the mother and her baby had returned and before we got to that point we spotted yet another leopard in another tree. I thought that it was another view of the same leopard that we had seen earlier but it was a different one. We then came back to the first leopard mother and baby. She was again in the tree but the baby was not. We watched her for awhile and she jumped down from the tree when crows annoyed her. We watched as she walked through the bushes and climbed another tree. She had another kill in another tree that she went to protect. We then spotted the baby, again, which was in a tree to the left of her. We watched as a lioness walked by searching the area for game. It started to rain so we left. On our way home we drove by the same area that we had spotted another leopard earlier in the trip. No luck. Another vehicle shared some information with us that a leopard had been spotted just up ahead. As we proceeded to the area we did see the baby leopard in a tree. It was well hidden but the light was getting right so we waited. Patience paid off and the little one poked its head up and around so I could capture some photographs of it with light in its eyes. I couldn’t believe that we had seen four leopards today. That is a new record and 11 leopards total. As we were headed home we were blocked by another vehicle in the road. I thought that they were watching the lions that we saw first thing in the morning, but low and behold, it was another leopard. That made five leopards for the day and twelve leopards's total in twelve days. I can’t believe it. I would never have dreamed of seeing five leopards in a day, let alone 12 in a single trip! What will tomorrow bring? (TOP) Wednesday January 20, 1999 – Day 15
Every day I learn something new. Today I learned that I need to really appreciate each and every moment as it is happening. I tend to take for granted some of the experiences I am having. Today we were amongst a ton of wildebeest, maybe 100’s of thousands. I realized afterwards, when we were driving in an area not so populated with game, how unique that was. Just like when I was amongst 122 elephants. There have only been small groups of maybe 10, at the most, since that experience. When I was amongst 1000’s of zebra, which has not happened since. Some experiences I do appreciate right away like the leopard experiences. I also saw a major change in the Serengeti while I was here. When I first arrived, everything was boned dry and looked like sagebrush in the desert. After a few very hard rains, those deserts are now as lush as well manicured golf courses. We started the day with seeing three cheetahs that were quite a distance away. The mother was watching some gazelle, hoping to catch one. Her youngsters became anxious and walked over to her, giving her location away so the gazelle were alerted to their presence. One of the young ones decided to go after some wildebeest and the mother had to go tell the little one not to do that, as it would be dangerous. All of the game was aware that they were there so we left. We drove towards the area that we spotted one of the leopards yesterday. On our way we came across two big male lions. We checked out the area where the mother and baby leopard had been yesterday and they were not there. As we drove along the top ridge of the same area where we had spotted another leopard the day before we found a leopard. As we watched it jumped down and took off into the bush. It was because baboons had spotted it and leopards are afraid of baboons. I shot some photos of giraffes; there were 13 total in the group. This was the largest group of giraffes I’ve seen this trip. A lioness was sitting on a rock and we didn’t see any others. A serval cat crossed the road in front of us. As we were headed home we spotted two more cheetah off in the distance. As we watched, one climbed a tree. This is very unusual. I had not seen a cheetah on a tree branch and as we watched the one in the tree climbed out on the lower branch and posed for a perfect picture. Now my list of never seen is down to a lion kill and a leopard kill. I won’t be disappointed if I don’t get a chance to see either. Tomorrow we are headed to Kirawira, which I’ve never been to before. As I was sitting here typing my journal watching the sun set over the Serengeti, a complimentary bottle of wine was presented to me from the general manager, Charles. The Serena Serengeti is very special. When I first arrived, everyone recognized me and welcomed me back. They are so friendly and are so interested in everything. I will have to come back. I sat on my balcony tonight watching the stars and listened to lions roaring in the background. The African night sounds are wonderful. (TOP) Thursday January 21, 1999 – Day 16
Today we drove to Kirawira Tented camp from Serena Serengeti. It was a rather uneventful drive. We saw allot of giraffe. We stopped several times to check out the Grumetti River for crocks and hippos. It was rather unnerving being on foot by the rivers edge checking for crocks. We saw some really large ones and I jumped about three feet when one decided to move. It scared me. I shot some hippos messing around in the river. We came across seven lions and some were in a tree. That is the first time I’ve seen lions in a tree. We called it a day at 5:30. I came back to my tent and relaxed. The tents here are very fancy. They are very hard to describe accurately. After a wonderful dinner consisting of lobster tail and a great South African Merlot I am now sitting in the bar/ library tent. I have met some more very interesting people, a couple from Tampa, Florida, Diana Winoker and Bart Hartsock. I also met two guys from Finland who are producing a film for Finland. Their names are Jarmo and Folke. They invited me to come to Finland but I’m not sure that they are serious, I doubt it. As I reflect on my remaining time on this safari, I am starting to regret that the trip is coming to an end. Many people on this trip have said to me that I would be moving here. My first reaction to that statement was that I have no desire to do so. Last night I had a dream after I had an inspiration. As I was sitting on my balcony watching the stars and listening to the lions, I felt like I was suppose to approach Serena Hotels and represent them in the north American market. I actually had a dream that I announced to allot of people that I had a new job. This morning when I awoke, I was a little frightened a t the prospect of pursuing a new venture. I just have to focus on what I have to offer and follow my passion. I also realized last night that one of the things that I love about Africa is the night sounds. There is nothing more sensual and stimulating than hearing a lion at night defending its territory. It sounds like someone is having the best orgasm of his or her lifetime. We had a late night partying with my new Finnish friends. (TOP) Friday January 22, 1999 – Day 17
Today we started early, at 6:00am. We soon saw a lion by himself. We came across a huge group of 11 crocodiles. The largest one appeared to be at least 14ft long. Needless to say we watched from a distance. As we were driving we came across two groups of lions. Part of the same pride we saw yesterday as well as some others we had not seen. One group had six lions and the other group had eight. One lion was posing in a tree in full view. I had some great opportunities for photos. After lunch I decided to give Willi some time off and opted to not go on game drive. I relaxed and read a great book "A tent with a view", by Vara. It was about a man who went to live with the Masai. I finished the book then showered and now I’m writing. Tonight we are having a party with Elsa, the famous Finnish Painter, Jarmo and Folke the Finnish film producers. It should be a good time as they are very interesting. Folke has expressed both an interest and a need for photographs for articles that he writes. Who knows if something will come of our chance encounter? Mark, their guide who is from New York, also has expressed some ideas on markets for my photographs. Tonight we all sat around the campfire and Jarmo did some filming. It was great sitting by the fire, sipping wine and absorbing the Serengeti sounds and the feelings they evoke. Tonight will be my last at Kirawira. I feel much more at home at Serena Serengeti, so I will be leaving in the morning for the central Serengeti. (TOP) Saturday January 23, 1999 – Day 18
We went out for an early game drive this morning, before breakfast, and happened across some of the lions that we saw yesterday. Initially there were 11 lions in the first group. We then came across the rest of the pride, which consisted of another 4 for the total pride of 15. Other than the regular resident game of giraffes, waterbuck, Thomson Gazelle, etc, we didn’t see other cats until we entered Sereonera and was greeted by a leopard. This leopard was posing perfectly, partially up the trunk of a tree, eating a kill. The light was great and I was thrilled to be welcomed home by an appropriate welcoming committee. The staff at Serena Serengeti was very gracious in welcoming me home to the Serena Serengeti. I truly felt like I was home. After lunch we again, went for a game drive and came across a sick lioness, I prayed for her. Remey spotted an African Wild Cat, which is very rare. I might have to rename my exhibit "Cats of the Serengeti: Leopard, Cheetah, Lion, Serval, Caracal and African Wild Cat". We then went to see another leopard that we had heard that had been sighted. We were fortunate enough to see that leopard. That put us to a grand total of 15 leopards. We saw another two lions, one of which was in a tree. Until I had been in Kirawira, I had not seen a lion in a tree. We then went back to catch some more shots of the first leopard, in the late afternoon light. By the time we arrived, there were quite a few vehicles, as word had spread rapidly about our initial spotting. That is part of the thrill, of spotting the animal first and then being able to share that with others. It works both ways. Others spot animals first and then we get to drive quickly to that area to see if we are also fortunate enough to spot them. In most cases, we have been very blessed. Tonight will be an early night and off for a whole day of game drives starting at 6:30. Well, tonight was early only in one respect, early the next day. Folke and Jarmo and I partied until the wee hours of the morning. These guys are alot of fun. It is also exciting sharing our passions for looking through a lens. (TOP) Sunday January 24, 1999 – Day 19
Well, today is mom’s birthday and I know that it is going to be a great Day! I look forward to seeing what is in store for the day. We started the day by seeing 3 lion; a male and two females were lying just beside the road. We then stopped by the research center for gas and while we were there, I spotted a baby wildebeest. One of the researchers was with it and I walked over to them. It was about three days old and had lost its mother. It had followed some school kids into the playground and as a result ended up at the research center. They were going to take it to a zoo, as it would die in the wild at this point. It was a thrill getting to pet it. Three cheetahs, a lioness, another cheetah, 2 male lions, two more cheetahs, a leopard with a kill, and two lionesses completed the birthday celebration. Jarmo and I ended up sitting on my balcony, talking until about 1:00am. It is really a new experience talking with another professional photographer about the animals we are both photographing the same day, sometimes the same time, and our perspectives on that experience. It creates a totally different bond. One that I have never experienced before but hope to again in the future. (TOP) Monday January 25, 1999 – Day 20
Today we started the day a little later than usual, 7:30 am as I was only awakened when my phone rang with a call from Willi, wondering where I was. A serval cat was the first animal to cross our path. Then a pride of 8 lions with 4 very small babies and 2 a little older were spotted just a short distance from the road. We then saw two more lions before we came across yet another leopard. As we watched the leopard jumped from the tree. We waited and five minutes layer the leopard returned carrying a Thomson gazelle up the tree. This is as close as I have been to seeing an actual leopard kill. While we were watching the leopard tried to position it’s kill and dropped it in the bushes. We then heard about another leopard in the area so we went to check it out. We did find it and as we were watching it also jumped from the tree. Another serval cat crossed our path before we saw 3 cheetahs with a kill. These were the same cheetahs we saw actually accomplish the kill, the other day. Two more cheetahs were lying on a rock, basking in the sunlight. Three more lions and another serval cat were spotted before we called it a day, and a wonderful closure on the best safari ever. My going away party exceeded my expectations. Actually I didn’t expect anything, but last year they did sing so I thought, perhaps they might sing again. Well the fins had arranged for all of us to eat together, so Willi and I joined them. The whole group added a whole new dimension to my safari, which definitely, would not have been as much fun without meeting them. Charles, the manager sent the table champagne, then the red wine started flowing. We all toasted to the Serengeti, to new friends, and to being together again. All the staff came singing khaire (goodbye), presenting a cake. Everybody else got up from the table and joined in the singing. Jarmo started filming with my camera as Folke directed. After the procession, Folke started singing, "goodbye ruby Sharon, who could pin a name on you? When you change with every new day, sure, we’re going to miss you, sure we’re going to miss you, sure we’re going to miss you." We will see what tomorrow will bring; I can hardly wait for the next adventure. (TOP) Tuesday January 26, 1999 – Day 21 No game drive today as I have seen enough and I wanted, needed, to sleep a little and relax this morning as it would be my last, for this year, or at least for this trip. I was very melancholy as we drove to the airport. We thought we saw seven lions but upon further discovery they were logs. We had a good laugh about that as Willi also had partied the night before and now was feeling a bit of the aftereffects. As we watched the plane landing off in the distance, I knew that it would be the final step on this journey. We turned the last corner to the airport; I actually got goose bumps. There were many times I knew that this would be my last trip to the Serengeti, but now I know that I will be back. I have to come back, therefore, I know that I will return to my Serengeti home and family.
Wednesday January 27, 1999 - Day 22 I am now on the plane headed to reality, I’m not ready to go there. I will just have to wait and see what happens. In the mean time, I will just enjoy what opportunities become available. (TOP) Monday February 1, 1999 - Day 23 I am home and I am not ready to be here. After being free to roam the endless plains with the other wild animals I feel bound in a cage. Even as I look out into the ocean, I realize that I, again, have left another part of me in the Serengeti and now I call the Serengeti "my home", too. (TOP) |
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