Can you believe it - we're halfway through the Serengeti Trip 2011! This fact shocked us a bit this morning when we set out on yet another game drive. In some ways it feels like we departed from Pretoria yesterday, but mostly it feels like we've been away from home for a looooong time. It's hard to believe we have still so much to see, experience and enjoy.
Today was an emotional day on safari. Both Ji and I arrived in the Serengeti with great expectations - large prides of lions, cheetahs sitting on termite mounds, leopards in trees and of course thousands upon thousands of wildebeest! These are the images you see in your mind when you think of this iconic park. But experienced 'bush people' as ourselves should know better than to think that what you see on the documentaries and in magazines is what you'll see on game drives, at least when you only have one week in the park! Those images take years to collect!
Our great expectations quickly turned into disappointment when our morning drive produced very little to get excited about. We drove next to a beautiful stream, but not even the massive fever trees or palms could cheer us up. When the bush is quiet like this it's hard not to start thinking: "WHY?? We get up early, drive good roads at good speeds at good times...and still - nothing! WHY? WHY? WHY?" We decided to go back to camp a bit earlier than usual just to get some rest. It didn't help that our American neighbours saw two prides of lions and cheetahs on their safari!
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| A pearl-spotted owlet seen on our morning safari |
There's nothing like an afternoon nap to...no, not make you feel better - make you feel like an elephant sat on your head! I got up all sweaty from the heat and a bit disorientated after dreaming that I won a 200m sprint..against girls!??? Cold showers, however, did the trick and woke us both up properly. We set off again at 15:15, this time to the Moru Kopjes.
As it goes in any game reserve in Africa, the tables turned. And it didn't turn just a little bit! We saw tones of general game, as well as three lions and two leopards! The first leopard was a shy young female that ran towards a nearby kopje for some shelter, only to notice two lions lying on top. This made her stop dead in her tracks and slink down low to the ground. And there she stayed for about an hour. The second leopard was also a small female, but this one was extremely relaxed! She walked right past our car (and a million others) in stunning golden light!
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| Our first, shy leopard for this afternoon |
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| And leopard number two - this time VERY relaxed |
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| Leopard sighting madness! |
The leopards were great, but what I enjoyed most about today was seeing Seronera's many faces - the landscape changes around every corner. Each scene more beautiful than the previous! As the sun set over the Serengeti plains, Ji and I put on our favourite trip song and just soaked it all in - this place is very special indeed!
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| Lake Makgadi |
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| Elephants in a typical Seronera scene |
When we got back to our campsite a herd of elephant were feeding no more than 15 metres from our tent! A crowd had gathered and in a wonderful moment that lasted about 20 minutes or so, humans and elephants were living together, respecting each other in every way. The scene was incredible!
Our camp is now full of other guests, but fortunately most of them go to bed relatively early. We, on the other hand, sit up every evening to listen to the night sounds. We haven't heard lions yet, but hyenas are very vocal right throughout the night, along with the resident froggies in the adjacent stream. The campsite has a wonderful wild feel to it!
At this stage, halfway through our trip, I'd like to thank our sponsors again for their support! This post would not be possible without our Sat4Rent satellite equipment and data, and Ji wouldn't have been able to take such great wildlife photos without his lens, sponsored by Outdoorphoto! You'll have to wait for the GoPro footage, as well as the footage taken with the equipment sponsored by Clive Morris Productions...
Enjoy the second half of the Serengeti Trip 2011 and keep commenting, please - we LOVE it!
Cheers
Villiers
PS: Ek wil al ons vriende net weer herinner om Saterdagaand die 2de April oop te hou - ons gaan GROOT kuier!!!
Highlight of the day:
Villiers: The scenery around Seronera!
JI: Celebrating halfway on such a high note!
Lowlight of the day:
Villiers: Our disappointment after a quiet morning safari
JI: That the trip is already halfway through
6 comments:
More more!!
Sjoe ne, halfpad, ek kan dit ook nie glo nie!! ek het gister actually gekyk en gesien julle sit al op 34 dae, en ek kon dit nie glo nie! Maar julle het al sulke wonderlike goed gesien en gedoen!! soos ek vroeer al genoem het, hierdie is verseker op my top 10 lys van goed wat ek moet in my lewe doen!
Baie bly oor julle groot katte!! dis rerig awesome!!
Geniet julle dag! hoop julle sien alles wat julle will
Lekker ouens! Bly dinge het gedraai in die middag. Julle is daar vir 'n paar dae so wees geduldig. Die eerste keer wat ek daar was het ons LAND ROVER gaan staan en nie ek of die Amerikaner kliente was baie inpressed met dit nie die volgende oomblik sien ons 'n Lion Kill 5m van ons af. Ek sal nooit ooit in my lewe die... uitdrukking? op daai Zebra se gesig vergeet nie. Sy het die Leeus gesien voor ons. So ja geluk het ook 'n invloed maar hoe langer jy daar is hoe gelukkiger raak jy! So by the way ek dink en ek dink ander sal ook so voel.... Julle moet twee keer 'n dag Blog! Die excitement is net te veel vir my om te wag vir More! Come on guys you're killing us! Geniet die Freedom! Staan buite in die oggend laat die son op jou gesig skyn en SOAK DIT IN. Dit is die beste ding van Afrika. Ons kan julle foto's kyk maar julle het daai vrede in julle harte. GENIET DIT!
Ja ek stem saam met Ben, soak dit in... al is die diere soms bietjie skaars onthou waar julle is dan kan julle daai rustige "Screensaver" in julle gedagtes bêre wanneer julle terug is in die gejaagde lewe. Lekker vir die katte!
Wat is julle "favourite trip song" dan???
Wys julle hoe goed 'n middagslapie is! Villie, jy het altyd geglo dat hoe meer tyd jy op die pad spandeer hoe gelukkiger raak die sightings..... Kan nie wag om Saterdagoggend die fotos van die lugballon safari te sien nie. Julle moet dit BAIE geniet! Tjirs.
Kan nie wag vir die kuier 2 April nie!
Dit gebeur in die beste parke (veral die wildtuin) wat jy niks sien nie en dan later baie.
'n Paar sterk brannas & coke help ook om meer te sien.
Enjoy julle!
Derrik
En lykmy dit was toe: goed, beter, beste! Onthou 'n mens se oog moet eers aan die nuwe omgewing gewoond raak en ingestel word daarop, want skielik is dit 'n nuwe omgewing en nuwe landskappe. Jammer oor al die mense in die kamp, maar julle kan ook nie net die heeltyd lekker he nie. Hoop jul beste was vandag nog beter!
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