Working away on an ASSETS report.It’s very interesting and all about Arabuko-Sokoke Forest and Mida Creek, linked in with the eco-tourism and community education aspect.Forest and creek visits have an extra dimension for me now.Agy’s in Malindi getting the car serviced as we’re going off on safari on Saturday for a few days to Tsavo East and West.Tonight we’re having a little party at Ocean Sports for Agy’s birthday.It’s nice to have a get together with the people we’ve met over the last few months.
14th July
Taking a “field trip” to Mida Creek with Bart and the family.The tide is out and we’re able to walk across the mud flats.It’s wonderful to get close to the birds.There are a few greater flamingo there today, we haven’t seen many recently.We learn a lot from Sammy about razor fish, crabs and mangrove.
Back to Turtle Bay for lunch.We’re quite tired, didn’t realise how exhausting it is walking across those mud flats with the wind blowing and the sun on you.I think a little snooze is in order this afternoon.
15th July
Safari time again – hurray! with our first customers, Bart, Veerle, Margot and Anton.Oh no, I’ve just realised something - who forgot to bring the picnic?Er, it might have been me.Looks like being a crisp and cookie survival day.
shagy safaris,tsavo east
The shagy safari bus caused a bit of a stir as it is a photoshop paintjob.Two days after this was posted my boss contacted me to ask if we were coming back to work in Brussels.I wish.
15th July
Safari time again – hurray! with our first customers, Bart, Veerle, Margot and Anton.Oh no, I’ve just realised something - who forgot to bring the picnic?Er, it might have been me.Looks like being a crisp and cookie survival day. The drive to Tsavo East is bumpy but ok.As soon as we arrive we take a detour to Galana river and spy 5 hippo with a couple of elephants to provide a backdrop, I love this.We’re safariing our way to camp on the other side of the park, passing large herds of buffalo, zebra and giraffe.Something is on the road, wow it’s a bateleur eagle picking at something.Don’t think we’ve seen one so close before. We’ve heard that there’s a lion kill close to the Voi side of the park and not far from our camp.Voi is one of the areas where the BBC’s elephant diaries are filmed.We drive around, it’s a beautiful area but no lion today. We arrive at Ndololo camp, tired and very very hungry.The food tastes fantastic
.
batleur,tsavo east
bull elephant,kanderi swamp,tsavo east
buffalo,tsavo east
16th July
We’ve had breakfast, left the camp and fortunately little Margot managed to remember the picnic, we would have starved without her.The plan is (and this time there is a plan) to safari out of Tsavo East and into Tsavo West.Here goes. Well, no sign of any lions but plenty of zebra, elephant, buffalo and giraffe.
We stop at an amazing place called Mudanda rock.The views are incredible.Oh, I think the baboons have caught a whiff of our picnic, sorry guys but there’s nothing left, let’s leave before they get ugly.
masai giraffe,tsavo east
plains zebra,tsavo east
mudanda rock,tsavo east
mudanda rock,trouble on the horizon
Out of Tsavo East gate and we can see to our left a few lorries along the Mombasa-Nairobi highway, about 1 km away.Looking through the binoculars you can see that the back end of an oil tanker has been ripped away and petrol is spilling all over the road.Can’t you tell you’re back in civilisation.The good news is that we are turning right.
Once more into the bush dear friends.It’s very dry in this part of Tsavo West and there’s very little to see.Just a moment, there appears to be something walking along the road and disappearing into the undergrowth.It definitely isn’t a bird, is it a dog?It’s a cat, a big cat.No, we can’t believe our eyes, it’s actually a leopard.A leopard in broad daylight!!!This is such a rare sight. Let’s just creep along to see whether we can catch another glimpse.Yes, there – but that isn’t the same one, it’s much smaller.Oh my, it’s the most beautiful young leopard, probably a few months old.How lucky is that.The feeling is indescribable and I suppose we will never see another like this.
