Thanks for chiming Local. I plan to finish this thing tomorrow.

***********MAASAI MARA-MARA TRIANGLE********
<u>Mara Serena</u>
I don’t recall my room number, but every room has a nice view that may include the vast wildebeest herds during migration months. When the light was right, the golden grass dotted with distant black wildebeests looked like chocolate chip cookie dough.

Every single room was occupied during my stay. Even at peak capacity, the operations hummed along nicely, the restaurant accommodated guests without a rush (one night even offering menu service instead of a buffet), and the staff took time to interact individually with guests. I found Serena to be a very professional outfit.

As an added bonus, the wildlife on the grounds was as plentiful as I recall—birds, agama lizards, rock hyrax, warthogs, impala, and bushbuck. One day I even requested returning early at about 10:45 am to allow extra time with the resident animals. All photos of these animals are labeled as seen on Serena grounds.

A relaxed male and female bushbuck were an especially fortunate sighting, as these are usually shy, elusive, and obscured by brush. I wanted to share this lucky find with some of the pool enthusiasts who were lounging in their cabanas. I approached a couple cautiously on one of the stone paths and motioned in the direction of the bushbuck. I smiled, pointed, and said, “Bushbuck.” Not knowing their first language, I limited my interaction to the one key word. Perhaps “Bushbuck” is a vulgar insult in their native tongue because they glared at me until I retreated far away from their cabana. Then their glance returned to their magazines and I don’t think they ever saw the Bushbuck.

In all fairness to this couple, the lovely gardens and pool, along with the bar service and good meals, could entice visitors who wanted a relaxing luxury getaway, regardless of the natural history aspects of the environment. I encountered a few people who mentioned that they had opted out of yet another game drive in favor of relaxing at the pool with a drink.

The rooms were attractive and comfortable with their spherical boma motif. The Maasai themed vibrant array of painted colors and artistically placed window-sized cutouts, positioned in the walls for lighting and ambiance, reminded me of the wall on Laugh In, the popular and edgy TV show from the 70s. (For a nice Serena room visual: http://www.go-safari.com/Masai%20Mara/MaraSerena7.jpg )

I was expecting Joanne Worley to pop her head through one of the windows and belt out her signature resonating note. Or maybe Judy Carne with her famous <b>“Sock it to me”</b> line. (<b>“Very interesting but stupid. You bet your sweet bippy. Say goodnight Dick. And that’s the truth Phtttt.”</b My apologies to those unacquainted with Rowan and Martin. But I liked Laugh In and I liked my Mara Serena room.

And the shower was even better. Mid-shower on my last afternoon I decided I should also wash my hair so I reached out of the shower stall for the complimentary shampoo. I grabbed a bevy of bottles and once again was without my reading glasses in the bathroom so I couldn’t distinguish among the many toiletries. I used a little bit of everything provided, figuring the fragrant, sudsy concoction might approximate one of the 14 spa treatments that were listed in the room’s literature. The first thing my husband said to me when I got home was, “Your hair smells really nice,” and the next thing was, “What’s so funny?”

<u>Meeting Sonali from Fodors at Mara Serena</u>
Sonali was able to arrange her last minute trip to the Mara to include a shared night at Serena. Because I did not have email access to follow her plans, this was a surprise to me. So on my way to my first lunch at Serena, I was stopped and asked if I were Lynn. Immediately I knew she had to be Sonali and we enjoyed a delightful lunch together. One of our first topics of conversation was the hilarious Crosscheck trip report.

That afternoon we headed out in our respective vehicles but met up again late in the day at the Mara River where the wildebeest had begun to cross, using a route that obscured views of the river. Still, the massive numbers could be seen heading down the banks and then exiting on our side of the river. It was an impressive show.

My vehicle had a better vantage point so Sonali hopped out of hers and joined me, allowing us to watch the huge crossing together. Just before sundown we drove in my vehicle back to Serena, stopping for some breathtaking sunset photos.

We quickly prepared for our next activity together--the Mara Serena night drive, which departed at 7 pm. After only 20 minutes, one Dik dik, and an African Hare, the rain commenced. Typical of Mara rains, driving 3 minutes took us out of the drizzle, so we hoped that we could outrun the raindrops. But soon the downpour became heavier and more widespread and it was evident we would have to forego the night drive.

Instead we headed to our table and enjoyed another meal and conversation. After dinner we continued to socialize back in Sonali’s room and even posted on Fodors. We had intended on including some wine to add to our merriment, but never got around to it.

The next day I saw Sonali briefly at a lion sighting (of course—her favorite) and she was one her way to other parts of the Mara. What a lovely encounter that Sonali was able to arrange and I believe she had more Fodorites she was hoping to run into. Her report is here. Her cat sightings were in the 100s!
http://www.fodors.com/community/afri...-sept-2010.cfm

<u>Mara Serena Night Drive</u>
It was $90-$100 worth of good fun and nocturnal species. I had booked the night drive for my first night at Serena because it was furthest away from a full moon and I have found night drives to be more productive when it is darker. Night #1 was rained out after 20 minutes, so I went the next night and ended up with a private trip. The professionalism and enthusiasm of Paul and Simon (driver and spotter, I forget who drove and who spotted) was equally abundant whether there was a carload of 6 or just me. A ranger joined us as well, providing 3 pairs of trained eyes to pierce the night.

Paul and Simon told me it would be easy to remember their names. I agreed with them and chuckled at the coincidence. I realized my laughter was misplaced when they explained, “You know, Paul and Simon are both from the Bible.” I was thinking more along the lines of “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” and “Graceland,” which may have been well before these young men’s time. Anyway, they did a great job and mentioned they do the day drives for Serena too.

It is true you do not leave the Serena grounds, but those grounds encompass a large area and any animal that roams the Mara could appear. In our 7:10-8:55 pm outing (which delivers you back just in time for the latest seating of the evening meal) we had nice views of:

Many African Hare
Many Dik dik
1 baby Bat Eared Fox
1 White Tailed Mongoose
1 Spotted Genet
2 Jackals
2 Hyenas

That’s similar to what I’ve seen on some night drives near the wilds of the Zambezi River. We did have very dark, cloudy skies for most of the night, which I believe was helpful.

<u>River Crossings</u>

<i>1st River Crossing in evening:</i>
After waiting at the river for about an hour and watching the wildes retreat,we departed the crossing point since it was nearing dusk. A little ways away we noticed a lot of commotion across the river and realized the wildes were crossing at a point where vehicles and observation were very limited. I wondered if that was just coincidence or if the wildebeest chose a time and place that minimized vehicle interference. They do not cross in the dark, but just before dark, the number of vehicles diminishes.

Sonali ended up in my vehicle (as mentioned above) and we watched the largest migration either of us had ever seen. There were about <b>6 other vehicles</b> watching with us.

<i>2nd River Crossing:</i>
The next morning we arrived at the river about 7:30 after spending some time with nearby lions, and secured a nice spot along the bank. Other vehicles came and went, but I counted up to <b>46</b> on both sides of the river. The last photos in the Mara Triangle album below show the waiting vehicles across the river and a couple of vehicles are visible in the second to last migration photo.

We had a lunch box so we could spend all day at the river waiting. Here’s how bathroom stops were handled... During the wait I observed several people relieving themselves next to their vehicles. What I did was this: at about noon when we were the <b>only vehicle</b> for a couple of hours at the river and there were no wildebeest on our side, I stepped behind the minibus. One stop sufficed for the day, but I did not drink as much as usual. Raphael stepped out once as I recall.

The herd mentality and unpredictable behavior of the wildebeests is both fascinating and bewildering. A herd of thousands may stampede toward the river, halt at the edge, take a drink, advance a few steps, get scared off by two plovers, and tear out of site into surrounding trees and brush, only to repeat the process 10 minutes later.

After about two hours of waiting we were rewarded by the largest crossing Raphael had ever seen. As is often the case, several zebras took charge, moved to the front and crossed, which set the wildebeest in motion. For 45 minutes thousands upon thousands of wildebeests galloped to the river and swam across.

There was some drama as groups of young wildebeest who had successfully crossed gathered on the other side of the river and called for their mothers. Eventually some of these youngsters swam back across the river to locate their mothers and family. The zebras that initially crossed and galloped away later returned when they realized they did not have all of their herd members. They too swam back to find them.

Depending on where the animals crossed, climbing the banks could prove difficult. The wildebeests and zebras that had made it could be seen peering over the banks and encouraging the rest of their herd. There was one mother and calf wilde that were really struggling with their final ascent and they gained the sympathy and support of all the onlookers. When they finally succeeded and galloped off, a cheer arose from the parked vehicles.

Of the thousands that crossed, we detected only one that collapsed along the opposite bank and died. The crocs were not around so exhaustion was the only enemy.

<i>3rd River Crossing:</i>
About 2:30 a wildebeest-led crossing began. They did it without any zebras in sight. This crossing lasted about 20 minutes. Once it ceased, there was a mother and calf that really wanted to get across. They bravely entered the water and swam to the opposite bank alone.

<i>4th River Crossing:</i>
Around 4:30 one more small group of wildebeest crossed in a rockier area that required some cliff diving. They were all across in 15 minutes.

We had seen 3 crossings in one day and for a couple hours during midday, we had been the sole vehicle observing the tentative herd that advanced and retreated on the opposite bank. Perseverance and a lunch box can bring great rewards. Some luck is needed as well. To compare, in my previous 3 Mara visits (in Aug), I had seen two river crossings that each lasted 5-10 minutes.

<u>Other vehicles, sightings, and photos</u>
Overall, I’d break down the vehicle encounters throughout the Mara, with the exception of waiting at the river crossings as:

80% of the time, no other vehicles in sight—pretty good considering the landscape is mostly flat and it is possible to see for miles, viewing vehicles on the horizon

15% of the time, other vehicles were visible as we drove

5% of the time, we shared sightings with at least one other vehicle

* Enroute to the Mara Triangle we waited as a herd of <b>elephants</b> lumbered across the savanna for a drink in a small pond that was formed by the abundant rain. <b>No other vehicles.</b>

*There was a pride of about <b>9 lions</b> hanging out near where the wildebeest exited the river. We witnessed a little stalking but no serious hunting. The cubs were more interested in chasing vultures or playing together than hunting wildebeest. The proximity a likely crossing point that meant that <b>up to 13 vehicles</b> could be present in the general area, but they were generally spread out. A sleeping <b>male lion</b> from this pride attracted a row of <b>6 vehicles,</b> all staying on the track.

* We happened upon a <b>cheetah</b> one afternoon with <b>one other vehicle.</b> The cheetah was on the move and we enjoyed it about 5 minutes.

* Near dusk I spotted a <b>serval</b> not far from the road. There were <b>no other vehicles</b> during the bulk of our 2 minute sighting of this mobile cat. One other vehicle arrived for the last few seconds of viewing.

* We watched a herd of <b>zebra</b> move from the horizon to the waterhole next to us for a quick drink. During the half hour, <b>one other vehicle</b> stopped briefly.

* We spent 15 minutes watching a <b>warthog</b> family at a distance with nursing piglets. It was an <b>unshared</b> sighting.

* Herd of about 25 <b>eland</b> with <b>no other vehicle</b> in sight.

* <b>Private viewing</b> for all the <b>antelopes and giraffes.</b>

* <b>Zero or one vehicle</b> at about 5 <b>hyena</b> sightings.

* A half day search for a rhino yielded no rhino but a nice <b>baboon family</b> shared with <b>one other vehicle.</b>

* We were briefly part of an atrocious leopard hunt that resulted in <b>no leopard</b> seen by me (although Raphael got a glimpse of the cat on at a distance on a high slope in heavy vegetation) and one fender bender between 2 of the other <b>12 vehicles.</b>

* We spent 20 minutes with 2 pairs of <b>bat eared foxes</b> and <b>no vehicles</b> and then the rain began.

* On the way back to the park entrance we spotted a <b>male and female lion</b> near the road. A herd of wildebeest grazed contentedly behind them, apparently aware that a mating lion pair are not hunters. <b>No other vehicles.</b>

*Our first and only <b>leopard tortoise,</b> just before exiting the park was <b>all to ourselves</b> and our last wildlife sighting in the Mara.

The album contains 112 photos from the Mara Triangle. #4-#14 are at Serena. From #66 to the end are wildebeest crossings.

http://picasaweb.google.com/Violette...QE&feat=email#

<u>Interesting birds seen in the Mara:</u>
Helmeted guinea fowl
Superb Starling
Wattled Plover
Ruppell’s Griffon Vulture
Hooded Vulture
Lilac breasted Roller
D’Arnoud’s Barbet
Burchell’s Starling
Fish Eagle
Baglafecht Weaver (Serena Grounds)
Ground Hornbill family
Black Headed Heron
Little Bee Eater
Yellow Throated Sandgrouse
Ostrich Family (Raphael’s favorite bird)
Marabou Stork
Sacred Ibis
White Browed Robin Chat (on Fig Tree grounds)
Paradise Flycatcher (on Serena Grounds)
Grenadier (on Serena grounds)
Common Bulbul (on Serena grounds)
Speckled Mousebird (on Serena grounds)
Whiteheaded Mousebird


<u>Mara to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport</u>
Drive time from Serena, stopping frequently for game and 40 minutes for lunch and breaks = 8.5 hours. Only 3 hours out from Nairobi were expansive fields with giraffe and antelope. Our Sunday trip had noticeably little traffic until we got about 90 minutes from Nairobi. Raphael remarked we would have had more cars other days of the week.

The time had flown by from my excited arrival at the Olekiombo Airstrip in the Mara to my parting gesture of presenting the farewell gift of chocolate covered cranberries<red>†</red> (and the beanbag) to Raphael.

<red>†</red> Wisconsin produces enough cranberries to provide every person in the world with 26. Raphael got more than 26 AND they were chocolate covered.

<U>Conclusion</U>
I take satisfaction in knowing that as a result of my safari, somewhere in Meru an agama lizard can bask in the sunlight.

<B>“Stay free, where no walls (or porcelain bowls) divide you. You’re free as the roaring tide (or swirling flush) so there’s no need to hide.”</B>

Thanks Lynn. That was excellent.

Atravelynn, great trip report, and from the description a great trip! Thoroughly enjoyed your descriptions and your pictures were awesome.

Excellent pictures Lynn. Which camera and lens did you use ? Really enjoyed seeing your pics.

@indiancouple had asked the same thing; "Sony DSC H2 with 12x optical zoom and a Sony DSC H9 with 15x optical zoom. The H9 is history though because the sensor on the right side is shot so everything is blurry on the right side at max zoom. I also used a bean bag with Navy Beans. "

Atravelynn shows thats its not about the camera but about the photographer, allthough Id love to see what you would do with a 'proper' DSLR and nice lens

by the way, the serval looks like it was hunting small prey.. did you witness it catch any?
so great you saw this marvelous creature!!

Thanks for the kind comments.

The serval was on the move and visible for just a couple of minutes. Did not see it get anything.

Don't think a 'proper DSLR' is in my future, but I may upgrade to Pintos in the bean bag.

one silly question talking about beans; did you bring the contents of your bag? I was just wondering about that, seems silly to do but since I'll be going straight from Dar to the camp I might have to bring my own beans on the plane (or do they have them at the camp?... wouldn't want to steal some english folks their tomato sauce beanbreakfast

Love your mousebird pics! The grounds of the Serena are almost as good as a game drive.

I should have thought about the English baked bean breakfast as my source of bean bag contents. Could get a little mushy and messy, though.

I brought along a 16 oz. bag of beans that I had reinforced with another bag and lots of duct tape. If I had been asked by airport security to rip open the bag, that probably would have been the end of my beanbag. However, I could have handled a tear or rip because I always take about 2 feet of duct tape wrapped around a pencil. That can come in handy even if you don't take a bean bag.

I usually either shoved the bean bag in the hood or sleeve of a jacket. At places that had hand towels, I wrapped the bean bag in a hand towel and kept it secure with a couple of rubber bands and/or safety pins.

I've heard of people taking ziplocks and then once in Africa, filling them with pebbles or sand. I did that once.

Serena grounds were quite productive. I asked to return about an hour early from one game drive to try to get those mousebirds, along with anything else. I was rewarded with mousebird flocks and a bushbuck pair on the grounds.

lol, would have been funny to see the faces of airport security when they open that bag... bringing beans to africa.. sounds like really bad/poor aid

Another great trip and report under your belt. Where are you off to next or what is calling you back? Could you possible list your favorite trips and why you liked them? I always look forward to your insights.

Great report and beautiful pictures! Some really great shots!

I could be my own NGO, Nikao, as long as I'm toting a bean bag.

Thanks, Wildlifepainter and Renoduck. In March I am going to India for the first time to Bandhavgarh, Kahna, Corbett, and Taj Mahal. I'm hoping to visit S. Tanz, especially Mahale in about Sept. I just noticed--Mahal and Mahale in the same year! That's living high!

Below is a hijack of my own thread for an off-topic response to Wildlifepainter, which I'll put in <tan>tan

I've been fortunate to have no bad trips so favs are hard to determine. Of course Africa is where I return so it is at the top, but here are a few other favorites. Not a complete list and in no order:

<b>Empire Builder train</b> across Northern US with stops in Glacier Bay and Seattle. <b>Via Rail Train</b> across Canada with stops in Banff, Lake Louise, Vancouver. Train travel is a great way to see the country and get to these beautiful destinations. My husband and I like the compartment for more privacy.

Some of the best canyon scenery was the rail trip through the <b>Copper Canyon</b> in Mexico. Again, the element of rail travel added to the experience.

<b>Polar bears in Churchill</b>--The community along with the bears, makes for a good trip. I happened to be there for Halloween night. The town’s 3 squad cars turned on their lights and sirens and shined spotlights as they continually drove through the streets on the perimeter of town. All this to scare away any polar bears that might be lurking about as the kids went trick-or-treating. It is so cold by the end of October that the kids have to buy costumes two sizes too big so that they’ll fit over their parkas. All the houses had their Christmas lights up for Halloween. Everybody puts up lights about the end of September because it gets too cold later in the year.

As we would drive to the tundra each day, several small shacks were noticeable about one to three miles from town. These were retreats for the residents who just had to get out of Churchill and away from the other 800 residents every now and then. City life was too hectic.

The <b>Katami Coast of Alaska</b> for Brown Bears (grizzlies)--Whether on staying on land or on a boat, seeing these creatures at fairly close range is an honor.

Closer to my home is <b>Orr, Minnesota</b> and the Vince Shute Black Bear Sanctuary where it is also possible to get fairly close to black bears in the wild and watch them go about their business.

In <b>Holbox, Mexico</b> near the end of July, start of August the whale sharks migrate through. When I was there in 2007 the town was delightful and the whale sharks were unbelievable. I probably saw 100 and swam with 15-20. I went with some people I met in Africa and we had a blast, even though we were there just 4 days.

<b>In Indonesia</b> I did a boat trip to some of the islands, including Komodo, where there were some. Always wanted to see Komodo Dragons. Then I volunteered briefly at an orangutan sanctuary, (you can still do that) Tanjung Puting, and even briefly met Birutė Galdikas (she was sponsored by Leaky for orangutans like Fossey was for gorillas and Goodall for chimps). These creatures are so endangered, it was a special opportunity to see them. The orangutans were followed by the most remote thing I've done--a week in a long house in the jungles of Borneo, just hanging out in the village. I had a guide.

<b>Round Island</b> for walruses in Alaska, along with the pre- and post-island stay in Togiak at Esther's B&B (about the only place to stay) was a great taste of rugged, remote Alaska along with tremendous hospitality and beauty. I ran into someone last summer in Alaska who was going to Esther's and I was thrilled to have them deliver a warm hello from the guest Esther went hiking with and saw a porcupine with.

<b>Kodiak, Alaska</b>, is one of that state's best kept secrets. Maybe because it takes an extra several hundred dollar flight to get there. Again the warm hospitality is amazing and so is the hiking, wildlife along the coast, and kayaking. It's all right there. I was amazed at how compact the thrills were in Kodiak.

I <b>slept on the Great Wall</b> for a night (that just started a few weeks before I went and you can still do it) before heading to <b>Mongolia.</b> Staying with a nomadic family was a highlight, especially helping them herd their semi-wild horses to bring in the mares for milking.

<b>Wolong Nature Reserve</b> has recoved well from the earthquake and is again allowing volunteers for the pandas. That was a week of great times and lots of poop and bamboo hauling. It was a really special place and a privilege to be able to help in maintaining panda numbers with the goal of returning them to the wild.

The <b>Pantanal in Brazil</b> has so much nature activity going on that it can get annoying trying to take it all in. You can be concentrating on one sight and another distracts you.

The <b>Galapagos</b> lets you get closer to birds than probably anywhere on Earth. The proximity and amount of time you have to linger with lizards, boobies, sea lions, is unique anywhere. The added element of snorkeling, which most trips offer, makes this a well rounded wildlife destination. A real camaraderie develops on the boat. I made friends that I visited and kept in touch with for years along with some travel partners for an Africa trip.

I'd never swim with captive dolphins, but I've spent a week in the <b>Bahamas</b> a couple of times <b>swimming with wild spotted dolphins</b>. It's up to them whether they want to check you out and swim with you or not. They are free to roam the entire ocean and are not enticed with food. My two experiences were probably on the low end of the spectrum in terms of duration and number of encounters, but those moments were magical.

The only time I was moved to tears was in <b>Costa Rica</b> at Tortugeuro when we were on the beach about midnight watching a Leatherback turtle lay eggs, then return to the sea at midnight.

I know the above reads like Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, except for the panda poop; and lots of places I've gone are even omitted. But it goes to show that an average person with an average husband (who I of course view as well above average) can do all this. We both had careers in low to middle income jobs and both of those careers were cut short well before peak earning years, followed by part-time jobs that are still in progress. But prioritizing, saving, and our shared love of peanut butter makes all this possible. </tan>