Tuesday, July 1
Leleshwa Camp, Masai Mara
Up early on Tuesday morning and after breakfast we drove
to Wilson Airport, another Nairobi airport used mostly for charters and
internal Kenyan flights. Our charter
plane flew us to a dirt strip near our camp in about an hour.
We were met by two Land Rovers from the camp and by the
local vendors who show up for the once- or twice-a-day arrivals.
It took about an hour to get to the camp, stopping along
the way to look at some game. The path
to the camp from the airstrip was unimproved to say the least:
The Leleshwa Camp is made up of a series of luxurious
tents, bathroom included, each about 100-200 yards from one another. This was ours:
And the dining room was tented also:
The location is very close to the equator at 6000 feet
elevation, with hot sunny days and very cool nights. We are not allowed to travel from one place
to another on our own after dark, but had to have a Masai who carries a spear
and a machete with us at all times.
Also, one of the Masai is awake outside of each tent all night, just in
case a lion or leopard comes around.
After settling in we went for a walk with one of the
Masai and our guide, Andy and saw wildebeest and zebra in abundance.
The Masai man who was with us demonstrated spear
throwing:
We then went for a late afternoon game drive, and among
the animals we also saw the African Monarch butterfly:
Finally, as the sun was setting, we stopped for
“sundowners”, drinks with a fire. Gin
and Tonic tastes wonderful like this:
Marvelous photos! Those wildebeest and zebras look like they have plenty to eat and get lots of exercise--really strong critters! I suppose that makes sense, because they're in their natural habitat, not caged in a zoo. The hooded sweatshirts I see in the gin-and-tonic photo help me understand what you mean about the temperature dropping at day's end.
ReplyDeleteWonderful photos - amazing wildlife! I particularly like the spear thrower - a pose from ancient times! Fantastic trip!
ReplyDeleteBob