Oh we had such a great dinner at Baia!!!! Now I am really jealous!

We'll be thinking of you all - enjoy the animals & wine!

In BA lounge at Heathrow. They have five different champagnes on offer tonight - including Bollinger Rose.


We are meeting up with Anne and Gary in Tanzania first - only 33 pounds of luggage allowed on the little plane! Somehow we made everything fit - I don't think we've ever traveled in such a minimalist fashion before. Anne is my packing guru.


So looking forward to this trip!

I wrote this on the airplane from Kruger to Cape Town. I am like a zombie at this stage so any errors forgive me. We only bought one computer and Ken is "itching" to look at his pictures tomorrow. So I will post this now "as is" and Ken can have the computer in the morning

We had a great dinner with Tom and Marcie tonight, then Linda and Chris arrived so they all met. Then coming back to our rooms who was about to go in their room - Ken and Sheila. They introduced us to their friends Dave and Claudia. We gave hugs all round and then everyone was pooped and we all went to bed.

Here is my "airplane" post

What a great two days at Mala Mala. This lodge is in the Sabi Sand area, bordered by other properties we have used. Chitwa Chitwa in the north, Lion sands in the South and the Londolozi, Ulusaba, Leopard Hills area in the west and Mozambique in the East. No fences between these areas. Mala Mala has 27 miles of river front in their area which is a big draw for game animals particularly in the dry months.

The game was fantastic, and the first two game drives were good we saw the big five, elephant, rhino, lion, leopard and cape buffalo. Including a stunning male lion during the day and then roaring at night. Plus a really great night sighting of a mother leopard and her cub very close to our vehicle. They have so many elephants, the best was a young elephant that came right up to the car we thought he was going to put his trunk on the car. Plus many tiny baby elephants.

We also saw a hyena den with a young hyena, a baby giraffe, zebra, waterbuck, dikers, kudu, and of course impala.

Plus others saw some spectacular sightings. The morning we arrived our assigned vehicle saw a kudu taken down by lion in the middle of the river bed. A huge pride of 18 lions arrived and were consuming the carcass. Then a herd of elephants that were quietly grazing on the river bank and suddenly charged the lions and pushed the lions off the kill. The pictures were absolutely amazing. That same large pride took down a kudu the next night as well and some vehicles were able to see that after the kill.

The last morning was OUR turn for amazement it is was incredible. We started out going to the kudu kill from the night before that was literally a few minutes drive from our room. We saw three lionesses with five cubs. One lioness was eating the carcass and a three month old cub was digging in too. The others cubs were nursing, climbing all over mom and having fun. Perfect light for Ken he was in heaven. In the trees were vultures patiently waiting their turn to feed. I really did not want to leave but on the other side of the river was a single lioness and Adam our WONDERFUL ranger said we need to go and investigate as this lioness has the youngest cubs just three weeks old. Was he ever correct we were in for a great experience.

Success was ours, we found two three week old lion cubs in clear site with no obstruction to the sighting. It is very hard to see cubs this young they were still having trouble walking around, they had faces of angels it was such a special moment. Climbing on sticks and each other, so much fun to watch we were totally enthralled. They were the most adorable cubs we have ever seen it was magical. Mom left and the cubs retreated to their den we they would stay hidden until their mother returned.

The lions we had left crossed over the river as well while we were watching these tiny cubs so we went down the river a short distance to look at them again. We were sitting there with the lions and Adam said, “there is a leopard approaching the kill site on the other side of the river” In a few seconds the vultures went flying up into the air, the leopard had arrived at the kill site.
The three female lions instantly reacted and one lion raced crossed the river. We saw her chase the leopard off the kill, the leopard jumped into a tree then fell out of the tree. We could see the lion at the base of the tree but not the leopard. Another lion crossed over as well and we could see them hunting for the leopard. We were afraid the leopard had been killed and we crossed back over the river to see what had happened. This was really thick bush and trees and on a fairly steep bank. It took a lot of skill to maneuver in this thick bush. Adam saw the leopard, Ken and I could not see it. The leopard was on the ground in thick bush. We were all surprised it had not climbed into a tree for safety. Adam knew the leopard from past sightings but had not seen it for about 9 months. It was a 3 year old male leopard not doing the things he should be doing in this situation his inexperience was showing. Adam parked at the carcass that the leopard had stolen and dropped as he felt the leopard would return to get the “stolen meat”. Adam was right again, the leopard returned and he picked up the remains and we thought he would take it up a tree. No this leopard just moved it into an area we could not see well and started eating on the remains. Not a smart leopard!

After a short while and lots of vehicle moving on our part the leopard left and moved down to the river bank to go back to the main kill site. We followed and the leopard ate for while and then abandoned the kill and went to drink from a close by pool of water. Ken got some great shots of him drinking.

After the leopard had his drink he walked into a clearing stopped in the middle of the clearing and looked directly at the lions. It seemed like he was flaunting his success at stealing the kill and outsmarting the lions. The lions immediately perked up and we thought it was all going to happen again. I do want to see a kill but NOT see a lion kill a leopard. It is okay to kill their regular meat source but not a leopard. Thankfully the lions did not cross again and the leopard went off into the thicket.

A truly amazing morning almost all in sight of our room!

MALA MALA

We visited all three camps in Mala Mala staying in the standard Main Camp and then staying in the upscale camp Rattrey’s. I have always heard this place described as a “camp” not a lodge and even Mala Mala describes itself this way. We had heard that the rangers were young and inexperienced with a high turnover. These are the reasons I had not visited before. However I decided I needed to check it out as I have been to pretty much all the other camps I have wanted to consider and I am SO GLAD that I did come here. I should have come sooner!

What I had heard was true but not the problem I had anticipated.

CAMP instead of a LODGE
None of the lodges are all inclusive. All meals at all camps are buffet so no fancy gourmet sit down dinners. This is part of the concept of it being a CAMP not a lodge. Breakfast is standard fare cooked to order eggs. Lunch is salad items and three set hot dishes. Dinner is soup, appetizer served at the table and the main is a choice of two main and vegetables from the buffet. Then they serve dessert at the table. The food is good and tasty nothing fancy. Meals are in the boma or on the deck. They seem to use the dining room only when weather dictates outside is not possible. Bush breakfasts are simpler and the ranger is the chief cook and bottle washer. He cooks the eggs sausages and bacon over a fire. No fancy set up but a table a log seat and some breakfast items in Tupperware containers. The basic set up and clean up is done by rangers that do not have guests that day. It was a ton of fun but again not the “elegant bush breakfast” of a lodge. No morning coffee on the morning game drive, sundowners a simpler affair and no trackers. Afternoon tea is simple with one plate of goodies. Dinner is very late at 8.30 pm, they will not go all inclusive, this camp has been run the same way for years and things will stay to the same schedule and program. If you take a WHOLE camp then you can do things differently if you wish. There are other small differences like this but this is NOT a big thing if you know this going in. Price point is very competitive in comparison to what we use now. Main camp about the price of Kings Camp and Chitwa Chitwa and Raffety’s about the price of Leopard Hills.

THE YOUNG INEXPERIENCED GAME RANGERS
I will agree with the young part but I find a great group of highly enthusiastic game rangers that were so in love with their jobs it was very infectious. They all have full ranger training so they are mostly young but sprinkled with more seasoned rangers. Only Mala Mala vehicles are on the property and the co-operation between them all was the best I have witnessed. We were with a young ranger for two game drives and a more senior ranger for two game drives. Both were really good and I would be happy going out with either of them. Every ranger was happy, communicating with all guests the enthusiasm was bubbling up everywhere. I can see the turnover situation as these guys work SO HARD. They greet you on arrival, they show you the lodge, they handle any problems they are the social host eating breakfast, lunch and dinner with the guests. They are the waiters, the cooks on bush breakfast, the ranger and the tracker. They are also involved in many duties with the animals and work on the reserve. I saw NO down time during the day for these guys. I think they may burn out and move on it is pretty inevitable. They all seem to love doing “it all” and Mala Mala is creating young rangers that will have fantastic skills on all levels as they move on to new lodges. It is a very personal experience that one person is your “everything” but it must be hard on them after a period of time, they burn out and move on.

THE LODGES
All rooms are large, with two full size bathroom, one with bathtub and one with a shower. The rooms have air conditioning, fans and a view. Wireless internet is free and accessible in all the rooms. Laundry is included but a limit on the pieces per day. Not all inclusive they provide bottled water and all drinks are extra. Main camp is not fenced and Rattrey’s is fenced/

THE CAMPS AND ROOMS

MAIN CAMP
Divided into Buffalo and Sable camps, a BIG lodge holds 50 people. Sable can be taken privately by up to 20 people with its own bar, lounge, meal service.

Main Camp has great rooms. All the rooms have two nice sized bathrooms one with a bathtub for the lady and one with a shower for the man. Each bathroom has a closet with 8 drawers. Good sized bedroom room with two lounge chairs facing the river or the water hole. There are three desks in the room, a big mini bar area and a small reading area with couch. A wall of windows looks out at the view and Nyala were eating the grass and shrubs right at our window. There is a large deck with two lounge chairs.

RATTREY’S CAMP
Maximum capacity is 8 rooms for a total of 16 people. The lodge area is very spacious for this many people and with a more upscale public areas.

The main two bathrooms it is just bigger beautifully decorated a stunning room in every way. I have been to so many top lodges and this room rivals the best I have seen. An absolute pleasure to stay there is not only classy but extremely practical as well. I loved this room. Ken has pictures and we will post these on our smugmug site later. There is also a large deck with a large plunge pool. From our room number 8 we saw lions and cubs crossing from one side of the river to the other. Probably visible from the other rooms too we were just closest to the crossing area. We saw giraffe and other animals drinking on the other side of the river. This room is the largest distance from the lodge and if you want it there is a golf cart to take you to and from the rooms. It is not that far though about 4 minutes and totally flat.

Ngaire, as this is the closest I think I'll ever be to an experience like yours, I just want to thank you for such a great report. I could almost see those little cubs and no, I haven't been drinking! Can't wait to see Ken's photos. Lee

Great review Ngaire. Cannot wait to see Ken's pictures. I don't think I have the link to his smugmug would you mind to post it?

The game drives sound phenomenal I hope to go back one of these days!

Ken wont post on our smugmug site until he gets back he will post some pictures here though. Other pictures smugmug from past trips and the address www.ngaire.smugmug.com

The Cubs:

love the cubs
the birds are scary

All I can say is WOW!

Looks like there wasn't much of that carcass left by the time the leopard took possession of it! Cubs are too adorable!

I sure hope I can convince my DH to go on one of these Safaris with you guys someday. I'm certainly ready, but I have to to convince David!

Those lion cubs are precious! I know you had an amazing time watching them and the leopard! As Diane said, the vultures do look scary.

Loving all this safarimail!

Cindy, I am trying to convince George too!

Love the pics, ESP the cubs. So cute. I got to hold a 3 week old lion cub once, and even at that age, they are all muscle, not a cuddly kittie.

Ngaire, Great reports, especially about the lions, lion cubs, and the leopard. And all the specific and interesting information about these camps/lodges.

We'll be interested to see if you decide to select some of these new places for future safari trips. As you say, as long as you know ahead of time what's in store, there are no surprises. That's why it so great that you personally check all these possibilities out.

Wish we were there.

------------------------

Gail and Eugene

Biltong or Bust

We left early this morning for JFK. Found a new off airport lot (Park Plus) that was terrific. Arrived at Terminal 4; good news - could carry on all of our bags. Swiss Lounge offered a selection of 0 champagnes. You could score a beer if so inclined. Had enough time to grab a shower in the lounge before we left. Floor super slippery - stayed on towel to avoid falling. Boarded on time and lifted off around 11:30. The South African nonstop is the way to go - very good in all respects. Only problem is getting a competitive fare vis a vis the Europe stopover routings. I scored the holy grail - frequent flier tix - and am very grateful.

Meet and greet was perfect on arrival. We are holed up at transit hotel for a few hours, then get boarding pass to Kigali for a 3:45 pm departure (tho the transit visa officer remarked "that flight is ALWAYS late"). We'll find out soon enough. We overnight in Kigali (hoping Theo our driver from last year's gorilla trip will be there to meet us) and get up at 4 am or so to make our 6 am Coastal Air connection to Sasakwa. There IS no easy routing to get around Tanzania, it seems. Going through Dar is a 7 + hour elapsed time light aircraft flight via Zanzibar, including 3 hours to cool your heels in Arusha.

Gary will be unnecessarily cranky if I don't stop typing soon. More later, and can't wait to see the whole group in Joburg on the way to Federal Air and more adventures.

Editing to add: what's biltong? See the wikipedia entry here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biltong

Cheers (soon to be Pleasure), Anne

Bon Voyage, Anne!.

Ngaire, those babies!! I MUST go back. Jerry and I have been yearning to return, so look forward to all of your reports.
--------------------
Helen

Ken, your photos are fantastic, as always! Can't wait to see more.

Have a wonderful safari, everyone. Hi to Kathy and Al!

Mixed review on transit hotel in Joburg airport. Rooms better than I expected from recent Tripadvisor reports (shower and sink are in the bedroom area for standard rooms; no tub) but beware stone floors. Sound travels EVERYWHERE. First cleaning crews, then repairs (sledge hammers, drills, etc), someone who needed to whistle while they worked ... ugh! Were moved to upper floor - but by then, it was time to collect boarding passes.

True to form, boarding passes were not available as advertised. Gary did a bit more digging and found out the South African reps issue the RwandaAir/RwandaExpress boarding passes in the transit area. Headed back out, picked up a sandwich, ate & got last of stuff @ hotel, checked out and then returned to transit lounge. Boarding passes are a GO. No where to check our probably overweight duffels per RwandaAir's max weight of 15 pounds for a carry on piece in coach. Flight only half full; several folks were bringing everything but the kitchen sink on the flight as well.

Flight goes on "indefinite delay" status. Fortunately, that mean an hour's delay. I slept for nearly the entire flight. Our driver was from the same group who took us on the gorilla trek last year - Primate Safaris. We asked Joachim to send our best to Theo and Patrick.

We are staying at the Serena Hotel this time, which it turns out is the same Intercontinental we stayed at last year. Significant improvements in the physical plant were a welcome surprise. Front desk is located just as you walk in the door; the upstairs lounge is far more elegant; the restaurant down near the pool is still wonderful; and the service level much improved. I've not touched down in Dar Es Salaam yet, but if I compare a compulsory overnight in Nairobi to one in Kigali, I'd take Kigali every time. The front desk clerk was all over getting box breakfasts for the 6 am departure tomorrow morning, and called in our 4 am wake up call without being asked. Duty manager was keeping track of guests & visited for a few minutes while we represented the Return of the Gorilla Trek team at our favorite table in the poolside bar and restaurant. Food was better, too - tho the pizza is missing from the menu.

Time for my shower, a quick nap and then Return to Faru Faru. I am SO psyched!

Cheers, Anne

Annie nice to hear you have arrived on the African continent safe and sound. I glad to hear our Rwanda hotel is flourishing. I really fell in love with Rwanda and I had such low expectations initially. Thanks for posting I was happy to hear from you.

We had a PERFECT day in Cape Town on our first day beautiful sunshine. I talked as many as I could into going up on Table Mountain and they all enjoyed it. We went to Baia that night and many of us ordered the wonderful lagastino platter, YUM YUM.

Today we did the Cape Point tour and ended at Birkenhead House. Weather was partly cloudy and windy and a little cold. The guide was the best I have had and I will definitely use him again. He did not think we could arrive at Birkenhead House by 5.00 pm but I told him I be we could do it. We stopped at the Ostrich farm, went up the cable car at Cape Point and most walked down. We went to the Black Marlin and I suggested we all just order a main to speed things up. Then to Boulders to see the penguins and we arrived at Birkenhead at 4.50 pm. Perfect!

I always forget how lovely it is when you first arrive at Birkenhead. Shane was on hand to welcome us and it was so great to see him. We had an hour to freshen and then met for drinks before dinner. We asked Shane if we could take a picture with him and all the girls that Ken can post tomorrow I told him it was for "all the girls he;s met before!

Yes you guessed it rack of lamb on the menu and it was cooked perfectly medium rare as I requested. I did manage to have an extra lamb chop from some else's plate I traded a bread roll for a lamb chop I think that worked in my favor. The staff this time are really a lot of fun it was a noisy dining room

After dinner some of us stayed up and have a wonderful time in front of the fireplace, finally we all decided we had better hit the sack.

Six are going on the shark tour tomorrow and the rest plan on just enjoying the house and taking the walk. The weather is supposed to be warmer tomorrow and hopefully less wind.

The internet is wireless in the rooms now and working GREAT that is a big improvement from our last trip.

Be back later.

Greetings from Singita Faru Faru. It is amazing - quite different from the Sabi Sands area in South Africa. The reserve is adjacent to the Serengeti and has spectacular vistas and wide open savannah. Anne and Gary have arrived and are resting up in preparation for their first game drive.

The lodge overlooks two watering holes and there is a lot of activity. This breeding herd of elephants spent quality time with us yesterday afternoon. This is the view from our deck - I took this with my blackberry! No "real" camera required!


This afternoon we had some giraffes stop by


Lots of cats to watch. We followed this pregnant female cheetah for about 30 minutes yesterday. She was auditioning for Africa's next top model - just striking pose after pose.


She needed a little rest after wandering around


There are a few lion prides in the area. The one we were visiting with yesterday had killed a giant gazelle the day before and they were really lazy - and conveniently located just off a main path.

Great images, Ken & M'Ellen! Africa just never ever disappoints no matter where!

M'Ellen & Annie, give Kate & Brad our best at Faru Faru..

Wonderful reports and pics. Wish we were there with you all.

Ditto what Michele and Andi said! LOVED those pix of the cubs!

Wonderful photos!

Loving them and yes we wish we coud be there too

lovely reports from all of you.
awaiting Anne's glorious prose.
enjoy and enjoy

I absolutely have to make the trip to Africa one day. Anyone want to join me?

Two wonderful days at Birkenhead House. Sunny weather every day and again this morning not a cloud in the sky. Lots of walking along the pathways and in the morning lots of close in whale sightings.. In the afternoon the whales seem to have gone further out.

Those that did the shark trip loved it and all but one went in the cage. We were all ohhing and ahhinb about their pictures last night.

Food and staff have been terrific no one wants to leave but La Residence is next and they will love that too!!

Ken has not had time to post the picture of Shane with the girls yet but hope to get that up before we go to the game parks as it is harder to post pictures from there.

Ngaire

Cape of Good Hope & Birkenhead House:

The fun continues here at Faru Faru. We've had some wonderful game drives.
The khaki crested safari companions settled nicely into established behaviors


The terrain here is different to what we have seen in South Africa - it's vast and there are hundreds of elephants and zebras and thousands of various antelope species.




Many kinds of birds. Anne added four new ones to her life list. This is a Marshall Eagle.


There are only three groups allowed at any sighting and they always park so that everyone has a clear line of sight to the animals with no vehicles in the background. Lots of laughs at dinner - eventhough it's wonderful here we are looking forward to joining the rest of the group.

We had two great cat sightings. I will upload those photos in a separate post.

Crazy cat lady reporting in. We spent quality time last night with a cheetah and her three young cubs. The cubs are just about three months old. We found her sleeping in the grass, listened to her call for the young ones and then watched their joyous family reunion.

Thanks so much for all the photos and reports! We're loving all of it!

Great pictures! Thanks

Great pix!

The cubs are adorable - but they will grow to be "teenagers"!

Sounds Abound

Faru Faru free standing villas are composed of solid walls and canvas tent-style roofing. This allows the night sounds to permeate one's personal space. The climate control, if left on at night, serves as adequate white noise to filter out garden variety sounds and rhythms of plains life in the dark of the night. After only one night, we are acutely aware the prime time bird chatter is 3:27 am - and Lordie, it is anything but garden variety volume. No sooner did the birds go off than lion calls boomed nearby. Cool! Lions before breakfast danced through my head.

I made a halfhearted effort to go back to sleep as those lions teased us with more calling, creeping ever closer to our camp. Did I fail to mention we were unhappily hosting an univited applicant for House Pet, September 2012 who took it upon itself to out-sing the entire avian population from the depths of our bathroom wall?

Despite the Sounds Abound early morning interruption, we about jumped through said roof when startled from a sound sleep by the safari wake-up telephone call at 6 am. I shakily headed over to heat water for a fresh french press coffee; voila! the kettle was full of water and rocking with a rolling boil in no time. We made our 6:20 pick up time and advised staff the House Pet applicant (be it rodent, insect or avian in nature) required removal and relocation in a remote region. We left, confident we'd be back to 2 occupants by breakfast time.

Today was cooler, overcast with a beautiful blend of blue/purple/gray skies, and bright and fast sunrise and soft clouds gracing the skies. No doubt the pictures would be tougher; but the upside was a different look at animal behavior in preparation for a storm. The line of fire ants, according to our Ace Ranger, foretells the arrival of rain. We thought it quite possible it also foretold painful ant bites if one didn't step carefully over the column of soldiers on a pilgrimage to somewhere. The vastness of the yellow short grass mixed with sprouts of green contrasted beautifully with the sky and cloud cover.

We're going on a Lion Hunt!

Aboard our trusty Land Rover with Ace Ranger, we were indeed heading out to look for the lions who called in the wee hours of the morning. First off, we prepared to find the perfect spot to ford the Grumeti River. But wait .. we first had to check in on Momma Croc, who was stretched out on a sand bar in the rising tide of the river. Ace Ranger explains she's lying on top of her nest, where the Baby Crocs are soon to hatch. Soon enough, we arrived at the river crossing, noting the river's level had risen in the few days since Jim & Mary Ellen arrived. We assumed the brace position, inched down the short, steep incline and successfully made the crossing.

Bionic Gary spots tons of game at long distances with his cataract replacement enhanced eyesight and is jointly responsible for photographic coverage of the day's spottings. Canon Specialist and Cat Lady Mary Ellen is also on photographic coverage and lead deputy ranger responsible for cat behavior during sightings. Superscout Jim is catching the close-in sightings, adding photographic highlight coverage and engaging Ace Ranger in excellent discussion points on all things wildlife. I've been subdelegated for possible sightings of previously unseen avian species and relaying our day's activities on LCT in a timely fashion. A Well Run Land Rover is a Happy Land Rover.

We looked on the plain where the Big Male lion typically hangs out; but alas, no signs (yet) of Lion Life. Ka-Ching! Griffith's Vulture sighting. The impala and zebra mix on the plain seem awfully relaxed for a hungry lion pride in the vicinity. We press on. Three more Ka-Chings! on the bird life list: Van Doren's Hornbill; White-Browed Coucal; and and Striped Kingfishers. A breeding herd of restless elephants (almost all of whom are looking for a bull) passed the time while we diligently tracked for Lions. Just over the ridge, we find the holy grail for lion spotting:
Safari vehicles from several directions slowly making their way to where a lone vehicle is stopped on the plain.

The first group saw the first act: an injured Thompson's Gazelle who was playing dead in the grass, hoping to avoid the featured role in the Lion Breakfast Lineup. It logged 30 minutes before one of the lionesses dispatched it to its maker. The Big Male promptly grabbed the gazelle and ate his fill. Safari vehicles change places: Second group sees Lioness bat cleanup with very little to show for her effort. Safari vehicles change places again: Last group (ours) sees Biggest Cublet still with the pride grabbing the lion's share of what is left over, forcing two Teen Cublets to dejectedly wait their turn and hope for a lone bone. Teen Cublets were extremely thin. "A Gazelle A Day Won't Keep Hunger At Bay".- a sizeable zebra is more like that pride's minimum daily requirement.

We swung around to follow Biggest Cublet, who opts for the comfort (?) of the nearest tree. Tree Climbing Lions! Who says being last is a bad thing in life? Cameras click; Biggest Cublet finds the Sound Abounds disturbs HIS sleep. He leaves the tree, muttering, and heads for a better tree.

But wait! Along the far side of the river another Lion Hunt is underway. Have faith, Teen Cublets! There may be a mouthful left over for you. Alas - Lioness makes a mockery of the warthog chase. Gazelles are outracing the warthogs - after all, they have already donated a mere hour ago. Lioness stops, sizes up the odds and drops over to snooze.

We start muttering about our own Breakfast Lineup. As we head back .. a lone Safari Vehicle is stopped on the plain. The drama repeats itself. Another lion under a tree. Belly looks pretty empty. A second lioness approaches, with a pretty empty belly. They briefly greet each other and .. the newcomer quickly hoists herself up 10 feet into the vee of the tree.

Woo hoo! Two shots at Tree Climbing Lions? Lion Hunt in Last Place is a very good thing! Other safari vehicles arrive. Time for us to leave .. Ace Ranger turns to start the trusty Land Rover for our traverse back to the lodge with their signature, crepe-like omelettes made to order.

We're Not Afraid

"And Now for Something Completely Different" crosses through my head as it is clear the Land Rover battery is every bit as dead as the gazelle. Discussion ensues with other safari vehicle. Lions remain approximately 50 meters away, one in the Vee of the tree and the other at its foot. Lions are clearly thinking this is another stupid human trick designed to disturb their sleep. Humans are thinking that was one VEERRRRY small gazelle shared six ways and, at top speed, we could outrun .. not much of anything.

Ace Ranger and the other safari vehicle (now dubbed Rescue Ranger with Rover) work out a plan. These guys are very brave, indeed. Rescue Rover is to push us from behind, whilst Ace Ranger puts the car into neutral and pops the clutch at the perfect moment to jump start the engine. I haven't done that since high school, and oh that came in handy when I got dropped off soundlessly in front of home past my curfew. But I digress.

We are waving and making friends with Rescue Rover guests, counting seats to see if we all fit should we need to hitch a ride home. Conversation is crossing the airwaves in the plains.

Engine Sounds Abound with an eerie resemblance to a dying zebra. Lions are again losing sleep. Not a good thing. Superscout Jim has trained every fiber of his being on watching lions. I am thinking of Barney Fife begging Sheriff Taylor to give him the bullet, Andy, and hoping the pop the clutch trick works.

The pop the clutch trick does not work. Ace Ranger and Rescue Ranger, get out of car, drop the tow hook and line from Rescue Rover, and walk behind vehicles to secure it to front of Land Rover. Rescue Rover is moving at higher speed BACKWARDS as we try one more time to pop the clutch and go. A ditch looms behind Rescue Rover. We all shout "LOOK OUT!" as Rescue Rover stops just in the nick of time. Lions are still hanging out. Rescue Rover slowly tows us well away from lions and clear of ditches. We unhook the tow line. Ace Ranger tries to replace battery (stowed under tracker seat) but technical difficulties ensue. Lions continue to keep an eye on the whole scene. Jim keeps an even keener eye on lions.

Hills, that is. Swimming pools .. movie stars

Rangers decide it's time for us to kindly drop in on board the Rescue Rover with our new found fellow guests. The assembled party looks just like the opening sequence from Beverly Hillbillies. Fortunately, we are only a short distance from camp. On a hill .. with a swimming pool. Fellow guests josh "see, it WAS within walking distance" and we joke about it ensuring a cardio workout we would not soon forget. Staff greeted me with the great news that Larry the Lounge Lizard had decamped from our villa to the great outdoors.

The movie stars? None other than our two very brave rangers, who took utmost care to bring us to the best of the daily wildlife action and take very good care of all of us - and, ladies, are really easy on the eyes

Mary Ellen will follow up with the pictures worth at least 1,000 words after proper consultation with the photographic contributors.

Pleasure, Anne

Back to the photos on canvas discussion...
I saw this deal in today's Groupon email:
http://www.groupon.com/deals/gg-16x...nvas-on-demand&p=2&c=deal_button

Wow, what pictures and what posts! Thank you, all. This is a truly fascinating journey ... even from in front of my computer!

Priscilla

OMG that cheetah with her cubs!
Dead Rover Battery: An experience to last a lifetime.
Thanks for the posts
-------------------------
Helen

BRAVO ANNNE


You had me on the edge of my seat laughing! Cannot wait for Mary Ellen's pictures!!

Love the second by second commentary, and glad you are still alive to write it instead of being lion lunch.

WOW Anne, this is really a thrill....the Cheetah and her cubs, it doesn't get any better than that.

We're here at La Residence and it is beyond belief. I didn't see how it could any better than Birkenhead House, but it does (both owned by the same family). This is the most amazing place I've ever stayed, like a giant castle with views in every direction. Each suite has a different theme and decor, all with a patio or a balcony. They're gorgeous with such detail, huge and the service is top notch.

We had a wonderful group lunch when we arrived yesterday so hopefully Ken will post a picture. It was spectacular. I could live here forever. Today we're off to wine tasting. The weather is clear and sunny with perfect temperatures, life is GOOD !