Day 3: This is Africa

The day began with a fabulous buffet breakfast overlooking the gardens at the Fairview Hotel. Kevin and John picked us at 7 AM and drove us and our stuff to the airport for an 8 AM departure on Safari Link, a small commuter flight operation that delivers people into the Mara.

The flight was spectacular: left the edge of Nairobi and headed north to the Mara. We passed over small villages and the breathtaking landscape of the great rift valley. The Masai Mara is a vast land marked with rutted roads, game trails, scattered Acacias along with a sprinkling of zebras, gazelles, and other large animals. It was here from above that we saw our first elephants.

I can’t believe it. I am here – this is Africa – this is the Masai Mara.

We landed gently on a rough dirt runway at 9 AM. At the side of the landing strip were a Land Cruiser and our Masai guides: Dixon and William. They escorted our stuff and us into the safari vehicle. Dixon explained the trip to camp was 45 minutes but may be longer depending on what we might see. Five hours latter we arrived at Serian Camp having been awed and amazed by an abundance of zebras, gazelles, Impalas, Wildebeest, Topi, Spotted Hyenas, Cheetah and much much more.

We were welcomed to a lovely lunch on the open deck, were shown our wonderful new tent home with walls of cloth and netting surrounded by beautiful vegetation and a view over the Mara River toward the Serian Escarpment.

By 4 PM we were again in the Land Cruiser for a late afternoon and evening of exploring. We were back at the camp by 7 PM with darkness setting in with a beautiful dinner served at nine. We went to sleep listening to the sounds of hippos bellowing and lions roaring in the African night.

Species list for the day (partial):

• Cape buffalo
• Thompson’s gazelle
• Impala
• Warthog
• Masai giraffe
• Common reedbuck
• Waterbuck
• Hartebeest
• Topi
• Wildebeest
• Plains zebra
• African elephant
• Banded mongoose
• Slender mongoose
• Spotted hyena
• Cheetah
• Black-backed jackal
• Ostrich
• Cattle egret
• Augur buzzard
• Secretarybird
• White-backed vulture
• Lilac-breasted roller
• Tawny eagle
• Eland
• Ox pecker
• And much more