EAST AFRICAN SAFARIS

Excerpt from an East African Safari diary

6.00 a.m.
Mwiba, my tent steward, after a discreet "Hodi", unzipped the tent and brought in our early-morning tea and a couple of slices of hot buttered toast. Sitting up on one elbow, I looked through the insect-proof window to see the beginning of the day. I heard Bob stir beside me in the big double bed. I passed him his cup and slipped from between the sheets reaching to the other bed for my clothes and warm jersey. Outside on the veranda I splashed my face with steaming hot water from one of the basins. Murray and Linda, our guides, were waiting beside the Land-Cruisers. Before long, we were ready and Laboso and Chose, our trackers, had opened up the roof hatches and were standing in the back. Off we went.

The sky on our East African Safari was very nearly clear as we drove across the short grass. By the time we reached the top of the hill you could see the sun coming up. Soon after this Murray spotted two old male lions. We had seen the same pair the day before yesterday, but today they were with three females and some cubs. All the lions, except for the cubs, who were romping, were very alert. They were sitting up and looking at something we couldn't see. We stopped and waited. Before long we saw a warthog moving through the bushes on the edge of the 'lugga'. One lioness immediately maneuvered to position herself to one side. The others remained still and the cubs quietened. More warthogs appeared, all moving slowly towards us now, all very relaxed. Suddenly they froze and stared fixedly ahead. Perhaps the movement of the lioness? If they had come in our direction the other lions would have ambushed them. Instead, the one impatient lioness jumped up too soon and away the warthogs went like the wind, their little tails stiff with fear. As usual, a terrible blunder! We were getting used to lion failures.

Driving on through the bush, keeping our eyes open for Lesser Kudu, we were constantly awed by the fabulous landscape, huge craggy cliffs, stained white in places where vultures had roosted, and bigger pale blue hills in the distance. The skies were always wonderful, and the light, early in the morning, absolutely perfect for photography. A small herd of Grant's gazelle crossed the track in front of us. Before we reached them, we spotted a tiny Pygmy falcon perched in a dead tree. Not much bigger than a sparrow, he had the fierce face of a hawk. His credentials as a raptor were clear. Was it a mouse or a lizard that he held in his talons and tore at with his bill?

The Grants were gone, blending in so well they were now invisible. We bounced on down the little sandy road. There was so much to see. Not always lions, cheetahs or leopards, but one felt so much affection for the smaller things, curiosity for the giraffe and zebra with their strange markings and shapes. Even the buffalo would stare one in the eye so balefully that one couldn't turn away.

9.30 a.m.
Breakfast on the road might be later than usual but it was worth it. Fresh juicy slices of pineapple and orange. Large sandwiches, bacon, sausage and fried egg, all inside two slices of toast. Coffee and tea had a special flavour when you are sitting under a large Acacia in the mid water. Hundreds of cattle were standing about - waiting to drink. The men climbed down to different levels in these deep wells, chanting as they passed noisy baboons and brightly coloured birds. A large crocodile was sitting with his mouth wide open. This morning the hippos were all very shy, only showing their nostrils.

1.00 p.m.
Back in camp, we washed and sat down to lunch. First, kebabs, small delicious morsels of lamb alternating with onion, tomato, and green peppers, on a long skewer served on a bed of rice. A lovely fresh lettuce and avocado salad to go with it. To follow we had tropical fruit; mangoes, bananas, pawpaw, passion fruit, with a large dollop of cream. Cheese and coffee rounded off the meal. Lazily we headed to our tents for some "Egyptian P.T." Our afternoon siesta time was really the only moment we had to make notes and write postcards, if we didn't succumb to a luxurious nap.

4.00 p.m.
Tea time in Kenya, including a wondrous freshly-baked sponge cake. Then, back out again. We drove to an area outside the reserve. At the end of the track we left the cars and carried on on foot. The path took us through scrubby thorn bush for half an hour or so. The sandy soil after recent rains showed perfect impressions of animals' foot-prints. Laboso, the tracker, was able to tell us exactly who did what and when. We heard the sounds of bells in the distance, and Linda pointed out a desert rose, whose juices are used for arrow poison. Murray laughed at a hyper-active dung beetle scrambling along backwards, pushing his enormous ball of dung ahead of him. Suddenly the path opened up into a clearing and we could see the cattle and camels whose bells we had heard ringing. We were at the singing wells where the herdsmen from two or three different tribes bring their livestock for water. Hundreds of cattle were standing about - waiting to drink. The men climbed down to different levels in these deep wells, chanting as they passed the full buckets up from one pair of hands to another. At the top the water was poured into clay troughs while the animals came forward in orderly fashion to drink. There were Samburu men with their red shukas, ornate long hair plastered with ochre. The Somali men had no decorations and were more aloof.

Their womenfolk, however, are the most elegant in Africa with long flowing garments in brilliant colours. They moved gracefully as they loaded the filled water containers on kneeling camels. These sights moved us in spirit and time. Unbelievable!" - " Excerpts from an East African Safari diary "