This was no ordinary walk in the woods.
We left at 5:00 AM, meaning I got up at 4:30. In my opinion, the earlier you get up, the more exciting the day will be.
Our guide wore a safari hat and carried a rifle. Giraffe stared at us as we navigated our way, single file, through the rocks and bush. Elephants ran away the moment they smelled our scent. Walking is totally different than riding in a car…especially in the Mara.
Our goal was to set a camera trap down in a gorge that is only accessible by foot. It was a fantastic experience for all of us! We made a morning adventure out of it, and spotted a leopard footprint and a mouse superhighway on our way down.
The high point (literally and figuratively) was when we settled down on a big rock that jutted out of one of the cliff faces. We had a fantastic bird’s eye view of the floor of the gorge. At one point, three hyenas ran through the bottom, and made two dick dick stop in their tracks, and the zebra turn around nervously. We could see the whole scene play out right before our eyes, like watching a nature documentary. Two African Fish Eagles continued building their nest as we at our granola bars and biscuits. They flew back and forth, chasing away an irritating hyena.
Occasionally, you forget you’re in Kenya. I may as well have been in our local nature preserve, chasing chickadees with my dad or blazing trails with my best friend. I remembered pretty quickly, though, every time I looked up and saw a herd of zebra scurrying away.
The adventure wound up in an acacia thicket, where, on our way to meet the car, Stratton spotted a Karamoja Apalis. For all of you out there who are not African birdwatcher extraordinariness, (including myself), this is a very rare species of bird that is very endangered. This is the first time the bird was seen in the conservancy, and the second time it was seen in Kenya. That means, our sighting was a HUGE deal. It also means Stratton nearly jumped out of his socks.
We wound up a great Saturday by taking naps and learning how to make chapati. :)
Did I mention we got up at 4:30 AM? This means I was up long before any Americans went to sleep. In my opinion, it’s time for bed. ;)