A Walk on the Wildside

Dawn was just breaking and there was still a distinct chill in the air as we clambered into the baskets of the giant balloons. As the sun rose above the horizon, we rose too, and floated gently over the plains of the Masai Mara National Reserve. At first it was hard to take in the scale of the view and to appreciate that those little dots were actually a family group of elephants. A lone hippo was trotting down a well-defined track back towards the Mara river, already glinting in places as the first rays of the sun hit it. The deep purples and midnight blues of the plains gradually turned to golds, almost camouflaging some tawny shapes below.

“Do any of you watch Big Cat Diary on the BBC?” yelled the pilot over the noise of the gas burners “That’s the Marsh Pride.” Sure enough, there were a dozen or so lions below, their round bellies suggesting they had recently eaten. “It’s all filmed around here. Some people come just to see the animal stars of it. In fact, many famous wildlife documentaries have been shot here.” We crossed a wide stretch of river where the banks had been badly eroded “That’s one of the crossing points used during the Migration” Scott shouted, pointing down. A hundred thousand wildebeest cross there every year, just as they have for generations. You’ll have to come back in August to see it – the most amazing wildlife spectacle on Earth!”

This was already my fourth visit to Kenya, but I made a note that next time I would, indeed, time it with the migration. But then there are also so many other parts of the country that I want to visit for the first time. Kenya is blessed with stunning diversity in its people, its landscapes and its wildlife. Whether it’s in fashion or not, it’s a country you never tire of. What I certainly don’t tire of either are champagne breakfasts! As the balloons landed we saw a ‘crocodile’ of four wheel drives approaching. Within minutes a long low table was assembled and we tucked into a delicious breakfast. Despite the lack of physical effort, we were ravenous. Why is it that food eaten out of doors always tastes so much better? Each game drive brought a different highlight. On one, it was sitting quietly in our vehicle as a herd of elephants passed by, one mother and baby coming almost close enough to touch. We could hear the rumble of the mother’s stomach!

 

Another time, it was watching Kike, a cheetah made famous through Big Cat Diary, patiently stalking a gazelle, tail gently swishing just like a domestic cat, until she was close enough for that final amazing sprint. We didn’t know whether to cheer or groan as the antelope managed to dodge her through some nippy manouveres and escape safely away.

 

However, the joy of a safari is becoming fascinated with the less likely critters. I hadn’t appreciated that baby hyenas were surprisingly cute. Who couldn’t fall in love with bat ear foxes, their name telling you everything you need to know. And we all laughed out loud at the families of warthogs when they ran, their tails bolt upright.

 

Perhaps my most enjoyable morning was taking a walking safari just outside the Reserve. Led by an experienced guide, Patrick, and a Masaai Maran, Kerore, we set out just as early as we had on the ballooning trip. After a freshly brewed cup of tea, we strode off across the open plains, our shadows long in the short grass. However, we gradually slowed down as we spotted more and more intriguing items. Animal tracks, buffalo skulls, bird feathers and the inevitable mammal droppings were all pored over and discussed.

 

Patrick pointed out wild asparagus, wild potato and wild cucumber, as well as various plants with medicinal uses. As our pace reduced to an amble, we kept our heads down scrutinising the ground around us. Every now and then Patrick would have to remind us to look up too, as a herd of impala ran away from us, or a small group of elephant watched us from under a tree. We paused by the burrows of grass funnel web spiders, Patrick demonstrating how a tap on the web would bring an eager spider running out. We all felt guilty as it realised there was nothing edible waiting for it.

 

The group were amazed that we were nearly an hour behind schedule arriving at our finishing point. We hadn’t realised how famished we were, but as freshly squeezed orange juice, eggs and warm bread arrived, we tucked in with gusto. As we toasted each other with a glass of bubbly, we agreed that life couldn’t get much better than this!