AFRICA 2022 - Northern Serengeti

 After breakfast, we drove from Ngorongoro to the Manyara Airstrip for our flight to the Northern Serengeti.  This was a real airport with a building and everything!  In fact, it had an arrivals lounge and a departure lounge!  

On our way to the Lemala Mara Camp where we stayed for three days, we saw zebras and thousands of wildebeests everywhere.  The Camp is a true tent camp - there for only four months a year during the Great Wildebeest migration across the nearby Mara River.  The tents are spaced far apart in 4' high grass with paths cut down between the tents and back to the center "common" tent where there are couches for relaxing and a dining room.  

The path to our tent

Our tent in Northern Serengeti Grasslands

The tents are very large and include a flush toilet and a "talking" shower.  We all loved the talking shower and it works this way:  We would tell our tent attendant what time we would like to take a shower.  He comes to the back of the tent with heated water and hauls it up with a pulley so it can be gravity fed to the shower head inside the tent.  He asks if we are ready and then continues to check with us about water flow and temperature.  We let him know when we are done, and voila:  The Talking Shower.  Quite the experience.

The "running water" for our Talking Shower

The dressing room just to the right of the bathroom.  That lamp didn't quite do the job in the dark.

Had a beautiful wood floor, but was very uneven and we felt like drunken sailors trying to negotiate from one area to another.

The common area where we could gather and relax.  Yes, the floors sloped that much downhill.

We could walk betwen the tents during the day, but at night we had to have an escort.  We could hear the zebras and hyenas at night.

After sundowner cocktails, we had a fabulous sit-down dinner, all prepared in tents behind the main encampment.  Service and food as good or better than some of the fancy lodges.  

Next morning we headed out in search of a leopard and to witness the river crossing.  Although we didn't find any leopards, we did get to see the crossing.  I did upload a video, but not sure if it will display.  Thousands of Wildebeest were congregating on one side of the river, when suddenly a large group stampeded into and across the river, congregating on the other side.  They run because of the crocodiles laying in wait.  After milling about for a while, the group that crossed suddenly stampedes back across the river and we could see another massive herd heading towards them.  It was like watching a battle scene from on high where two massive armies are running towards each other.  When they met, there was a lot of confusion with Wildebeests and zebras and giraffes running in all directions.  Before long, they regrouped into a massive herd and all started running down the slopes of the riverbank across the river.  This time they all stayed on the far side, eventually moving away from us.  It was a thrilling sight.  

Hippos in the Mara River near where the Wildebeest cross

A small group of Wildebeest milling about the banks of the Mara River

Crocs waiting for a Wildebeest Dinner

A terrible photo of the Wildebeests who started running, getting the herd in the background moving.  

Wildebeest herd continuing to build for the crossing

Elephants were also seen crossing the river

HERE IS THE VIDEO OF THE FIRST GROUP OF WILDEBEEST CROSSING BEFORE TURNING AROUND AND COMING BACK TO BE JOINED BY ANOTHER, MUCH LARGER, HERD.

We did get to enjoy watching a male lion and his pride.  

Of course, more elephants and giraffe and unfortunately, a very dead zebra.

Storks and buzzards having lunch

The male is darker than the female

Momma and baby

The male ostrich turns bright pink when he is on the prowl for a female

Monster termite hill

As every night before, we marveled how each day brought ever more exciting adventures.  My sister came down with a terrible cold that we had all passed around and didn't feel up to going out on our last day in the Serengeti, so I stayed behind with her.  A day of rest and relaxation before enduring the very long journey home was welcome.  Unfortunately, the group did get to see a Leopard, but they also had to witness its kill - something that Linda nor I would have wanted to watch.

They also saw a much larger group of wildebeests cross the river and it would have been wonderful to watch them for two hours like they did, but glad I didn't have to hear the screams of a baby zebra caught by a crocodile while crossing.  

Next morning we were up and out to the airstrip to fly back to Kilamanjaro, then onward to Dar Es Salaam on the east African coast before flying overnight to Amsterdam, followed by New York and finally home to Charleston.  Forty-nine hours door to door.  Ugh.

We have come to the end of our travel adventure, and what a fantastic experience - much better than I ever could have imagined and am grateful my sister and I could enjoy it together.   If you ever have the opportunity to visit East Africa, do not pass it up.

Sunset on the Serengeti  Was I really there and see all this?  Surreal.