We had our normal 5.45am tea and then fully packed we headed off for breakfast with Roelof, Helen and their two very shy but energetic daughters aged 4 & 2. We said our goodbyes and headed off for a game drive as our flight wasn't until 1130. Helen and the team were preparing for the visit of the children from the local school; game drives, lunch and a tour of the camp were on the cards.
The lions had clearly been busy overnight killing a wildebeest; we watched as one very full female lioness made her way back to the bushes, and no doubt her cubs, we then saw a male lion resting under a bush but he sprung into life as the kill remains were approached by a jackal, the jackal was chased off but he clearly decided that was enough and so he dragged it 100+ yards into the bushes - a snack for later! It was impressive to watch and showed their strength. I also got some good pictures of vultures, with full crops, so he must have shared the carcass a bit - African white backed, Ruppels griffon and lappert faced vultures.
We got to the airstrip around 11ish and the visiting children were there to see the plane land and take off -a new experience for them as it is something they don't get to see. While waiting we chatted to some of the young lads who told us what they had seen on their game drive. It was good to see them looking through the bird and wildlife books identifying the species.
Our plane arrived and we were off to Tanzania - the plane stopped at Magori (Kenya) where like clockwork we were met and transferred to the border crossing -we exited Kenya - the immigration guy had to stop reading his newspaper - no queues like Nairobi - then walked two minutes to Tanzania while our minibus drove across with our luggage - we handed over our passports and $50 each and the immigration guy sorted out our visas and we headed off 18km to the airstrip at Tarime; as we approached the airstrip our Coastal Air flight arrived - on we hopped and 15 minutes later we were at Kogatende airstrip - which is very close to Sayari lodge - our final stop. A great journey which took about 3 hours; far better than the 8 or more hours or the overnight if we went via Nairobi - to be recommended.
On arrival we were met and transferred via the longer route by the Mara river by Joe one of the assistant managers; we arrived just in time to put down our
bags, have a cup of tea, meet our new guide, John, then go out on an evening game drive.
We decided to head to an area a long way from camp where he had last seen eastern black rhino a couple of hours previously.....they are critically endangered with only 635 in 16 areas of Kenya and only 61 in the Serengeti - there is a location programme to get the pockets up to 100 individuals as smaller populations are subject to extinction. The predicament of these animals is clear when you realise that in the1950s there were 65000 this dropped to 2300 in the1990s but the protection programmes have increased all 3 black rhino species to 4200+ so they are heading back in the right direction.
Well we travelled far and fast -but to no avail -we did spot a bat eared fox, oribi - antelope that look like impala but with shorter horns and living in smaller groups, very young jackal pups, a black spitting cobra which we nearly ran over as it slithered across the road and into a burrow- so we turned and headed back. My John mistakenly spotted a rhino but it was a buffalo then a few metres further on both Johns spotted the rhino on the other side of a small river - there was no place to cross and the sun was going down - we were due in camp by 1830 as no night drives are allowed in the Serenegti - but with seat belts on we turned around and found a crossing point; eventually we reached the two rhino (in today's picture) - a mother and her large 6 year old son -she was called Mama Julie - not sure if its a compliment or not to share your name with a rhino! The light enabled me to get some nice pictures. Having spent about 10 minutes with the rhinos we sped back to camp and as we got close we joined other guests from Sayari looking at lions on a kopie close to camp the light was too dim to get any pictures but I did get a photo of an impala standing on a termite mound, like a sentry, in the setting sunlight .
A great drive, we arrived in time for a quick shower - solar heated water here so no bucket showers -a change into fresh clothes and dinner at 8 pm. We exchanged holiday experiences with two Americans and four Australians. Sleep came very easily when we returned to the tent!