Our-African-Safari-Adventure
A pair of beautiful Bateleur eagles with bright orange beaks surveyed the scene from a nearby perch.
We drove back to camp for lunch and a midday break, enjoying a calamari salad as the hippos entertained us. Not long into our afternoon drive, Waziri picked up a report of a lion sighting. We discovered a male in a thicket, who started walking slowly towards a clearing, the most active lion we had seen. Another lion emerged and walked slowly towards our vehicle, stopping to rest about 20 feet away. We watched breathlessly as a whole pride emerged, one by one, and came to rest in front of us, unconcerned by our presence. Ten lions in all gathered, and we remained there for quite a while. Our return to camp crossed the river at a point where we could see four of the mighty Nile crocodile.
The following morning we were to depart for Klein's Camp, which enjoys a beautiful ridgetop setting. The circular, white stucco room was nicely furnished in a Colonial style. We enjoyed a late lunch in their open air dining hall, and met the rest of our afternoon party... Jeff and Amy, a honeymooning couple from Manhattan...in the clubby, comfortable bar with its sweeping views.
On the afternoon game drive, we employed a Masai tracker, Labo, who sat in a chair mounted on the front of the vehicle. We encountered the familiar giraffe, elephant, impala and baboons, until a radio report of a lion sighting led us to a male and female lion enjoying a siesta under a tree. Suddenly, the male mounted the female, shuddered once and dismounted as the female let out a cry. The whole thing took perhaps five seconds. We found out that lions will mate for a period of five to seven days, every 20 minutes or so, and that it is painful for the female. Apparently foreplay is not part of the lion's mating ritual.
Sometime later, Labo spotted a group of cheetah lying in the long grass. They did little other than raise their heads on occasion, but we were thrilled to see these seldom-spotted creatures, and spent a while observing and photographing them. Soon it was time for the "sundowner" and we stopped to toast our adventures. This night we were scheduled for a night drive, in which the tracker shone a spotlight into the bush, looking for pairs of eyes. We failed to see many animals...the experience of bouncing along in the moonlit bush the only entertainment to be had.
The following morning, we scoured the river areas for trees for leopards. Herds of hartebeests, zebra, gazelle and impala caught our interest from time to time, but we were captivated by a cheetah that suddenly appeared just a few feet from our vehicle, apparently stalking something. As sundowner time approached, we parked on a flat granite outcropping, and set up the bar.
As we finished our drinks, another vehicle picked us up for a surprise honoring our 30th anniversary, and we took off into the long grass. 45 minutes later, we saw a group of lights as we approached a clearing ringed by hurricane lamps. Two giant bonfires burned in the center, and a smiling group of Klein's staff stood next to a candlelit table for two.
