Wake up call was at 5:00 am and departure from Camp at 6:00. Night was still clinging to the land with just the first whispers of dawn on the horizon. Gradually, almost imperceptibly the rising tide of dawn spreads across the land. We bumped our way up the rutted road through the dark. A huge black boulder appeared beside the road where none had been the day before. As we approached the boulder stirs and begins an awkward movement to stand. By the time we pulled along side, it was standing with its head at nearly 5 meters above ours and began striding away with a slow purposeful gait. The giraffe’s head was silhouetted against the stars and eclipsed the quarter moon.
We headed out across the Mara.
The air was cool and moist with ground fog filling the swales and valleys. Gazelles, wildebeest, impala, and zebra were beginning their day. Three jackals trotted across the dew-covered grass. The air was filled with anticipation – another African Mara day had begun.
Mara meaning spotted – here meaning spotted landscape: spotted with trees, spotted with termite mounds, spotted with open grasslands, spotted with marsh, and spotted with animals.
In the open grasslands Secretary birds were hunting their small insect prey. Stomp – Stomp – Stomp stomp stomp like a secretary typing on a manual typewriter. This long-legged pale grey bird has a body length of 60 inches. Its conspicuous black head plumes dance in dramatic contrast with the bare orange skin around its eye.
Ever so quietly, we watched as a Tawny Eagle stalked its prey: a spit cobra slithering through the short grass. The eagle would run toward the cobra and bite at its tail and then agilely jump back to avoid a strike. Over the course of an hour or so, the cobra weaker and finally the eagle could tear at the head. Once the snake was dead, the eagle could enjoy its well-earned breakfast.
We drove to the lagga (a stream lined with trees and bushes) and enjoyed our breakfast as well in the warm early morning sun. The day was unfolding on the Mara and ended with elephants at sunset.
- Swahili words today:
- Jambo – hello
- Karibu – welcome
- Asante – thank you
- Hakunamatata – no worries
- Kwaheri – good-bye
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