FRIDAY--MARCH 4. 2011

THREE LIONS FEASTING ON WATER BUFFALO KILL

BLACK BACKED JACKAL WAITING TURN AT WATER BUFFALO KILL

VULTURES WAITING THEIR TURN AT THE KILL

HYENA LURED BY AROMA OF KILL

SECRETARY BIRD

SHARING ROADWAY WITH CATTLE HERD

BABBOON NEAR HOTEL AT MASAI MARA

FEMALE LION AT ZEBRA KILL

CHEETAH STALKING THOMPSON GAZELLE

HIPPOPOTAMUS IN RIVER

EGYPTIAN GOOSE NEAR RIVER

GIRAFFE ON MOVE

WARTHOG

WATER BUFFALO

WATER BUFFALO HERD

HYENA

CRESTED CRANE

VULTURES IN NEST

SUNSET AT MASAI MARA

ENTRANCE TO MY CABIN AT SENTRIM MARA

BALCONY OF MY TENT/CABIN

BEDS WITH MOSQUITO NETTING

I went to the reception area for coffee this morning before our animal drive/safari began at 6:15 am.  Since we had such a tiring day yesterday traveling, this was suggested so that we could have more rest.  We were scheduled for buffet breakfast upon our return.  I was all right with that schedule, but some did not do well without any food in their stomachs while bouncing from the rough roads.  We traveled some of the same roads this morning as yesterday evening.  We returned to the carcass of the water buffalo where one female lion had been.  Today, there were three female lions feasting on the dead water buffalo.  Gathered on the ground and in a large tree were many vultures awaiting their turn to scavenge.  Staying far from the lions, but always roaming were two black backed jackals.  Apparently the stomach had been ripped open because we could sense the stench of the partially decayed grasses.  This aroma was attracting a hyena from a great distance.  He sometimes stood almost like a statue while sniffing the air for the direction to proceed.  Although we saw an elephant yesterday, today we encountered a herd of approximately twenty.  Our guide, Stanley, suspected they were moving to a lower area past us to get water.  This was truly an awesome sight.  As we were returning to our tent/cabins, we saw two secretary birds which seemed not really bothered by our presence.  On the way to our resort, we saw three baboons.  They moved very quickly away from us, but there appeared to be two adults and a young one.  There is a pool here, and a Jacuzzi.  I swam and then sat a few minutes in the sun while reading.  I did this three or four times before getting out of the extremely hot sun—perhaps about eighty-seven degrees.  Adjacent to the pool area is a hut of a massage therapist on site.  Yesterday, I indulged myself by having an Aroma Massage with eucalyptus oil.  It truly was relaxing after the two weeks of work at the Baby Centre.  Yesterday’s animal drive was very unusual because we were able to see in one drive four of the big five animals of Africa which were elephant, water buffalo, leopard, and cheetah.  The only one of the big five yet to see is the rhinoceros.  We hope to see the rhinoceros and hippopotamus on this evening’s animal drive.  This evening we saw the following animals:  two giraffe, female lion feasting on zebra kill, cheetah stalking Thompson gazelle, nine hippopotamus (mostly submerged in river), Egyptian goose, wart hog, six hyena, two vultures in nest, herd of water buffalo, two crested crane, and beautiful sunset.