(Continued from Part 1: Read here.)
As we were returning from the Hippo pools we decided that we would give it another 30 minutes and then leave the park. I realised I was kind of dozing off in the odd combination of bright sunlight and cool wind, because I was shaken by the excited voice of my guide, "Look there is the gecko you missed the last time". Some gecko, it was a Monitor Lizard full six feet in length, head to tail, with Matrix-green slimy skin. I quickly managed to get a couple of snaps, before it disappeared under the little bridge. I must have gone back to dozing because then I was startled by, "There he is, at last! I am amazed how fast you can go to sleep." We were looking at the back of a Lion about 80 feet away. On the other side we could see a couple of Safari vans silently parked in anticipation of the Simba to do something spectacular.
Calvin had an idea that we should go around the lion and come face to face with him. So, we started the engines and followed a circuitous route down the hill turning left and coming halfway up the hill on a track parallel to our current one. The route was longer than I had imagined because out of the blue we were beside a pond with a hippo in dark pink and grey hide munching away the tall green grass. He looked up at us when we stopped and made a waving gesture with his head. I kept shooting away on my digicam. In a few seconds another Safari van that pulled up beside us. Hippos are shy, I thought, as I saw the giant pink and grey beast turn around swiftly and in a running-rolling motion ease itself into the pond. We backed our car and resumed the little trip up the hill back to the Simba.
Within a few minutes, we were back in sight of the Safari vans parked by the Lion's spot. Somehow thinking that we had to tread slowly lest we disturb the Lion, we parked the car and turned off the engine. Looking out for the Lion walk his way downhill, we realised he was not alone. I saw the Lioness first, crouched in the grass looking intently ahead into the distance. We were just about 40 feet away from the Lioness. Then the Lion emerged behind her in a majestic gait down the hill.
I kept switching between video and still modes on my camera and remembered that this was the stuff that National Geographic shows are made of, isn't it? I could feel the tension in the air, as we realised that the majestic couple was indeed checking out the dazzle of zebras about 300 feet away. "Animals can sense danger, you know. The zebras are not behaving normally as they do," Calvin kept talking. I thought, nothing was normal about this scene, as far as I was concerned. I could hear every little tweet that any bird was making. If I tried harder, I could probably hear the sounds of the zebras. I am certain this natural drama plays out thousands of times around the world every day. But when have I been a witness to it in real life? I was really lucky that this was happening in the little time window that I was in the park.
Hunting is a patient game. We had played it all morning to sight the Simba couple. Now, we were watching these two lay out the ground for their hunt. It was already about 15 minutes since we landed at the scene and the Lion and the Lioness had hardly moved 10 feet. At this rate, the hunt would take some time to end in a kill. Calvin reminded me that we would not have time to go to the Giraffe Park since we had spent more than planned time here. He knew about my meeting and my flight and he knew the sluggish traffic on Nairobi roads. He had been my driver for the last three days. So, I had to agree with him and reluctantly decided to end the observation of the lions.
On my way out, I was so excited, I made a long distance call to let my wife know what I had just left behind. She could not believe it. She immediately decided that I could watch a full hunt when we went to Masai Mara together. So, there it was, a plan to Masai Mara was made. I am definitely looking forward to a longer Safari that would come about in the next 18 months. The Mara's been on our list long enough. We better figure out how to check it off the list.
Until then I have to be like the Simbas, patiently waiting, carefully observing, remaining out of sight yet keeping the goal in sight and swooping down on the target in a quick action.
As we were returning from the Hippo pools we decided that we would give it another 30 minutes and then leave the park. I realised I was kind of dozing off in the odd combination of bright sunlight and cool wind, because I was shaken by the excited voice of my guide, "Look there is the gecko you missed the last time". Some gecko, it was a Monitor Lizard full six feet in length, head to tail, with Matrix-green slimy skin. I quickly managed to get a couple of snaps, before it disappeared under the little bridge. I must have gone back to dozing because then I was startled by, "There he is, at last! I am amazed how fast you can go to sleep." We were looking at the back of a Lion about 80 feet away. On the other side we could see a couple of Safari vans silently parked in anticipation of the Simba to do something spectacular.
Calvin had an idea that we should go around the lion and come face to face with him. So, we started the engines and followed a circuitous route down the hill turning left and coming halfway up the hill on a track parallel to our current one. The route was longer than I had imagined because out of the blue we were beside a pond with a hippo in dark pink and grey hide munching away the tall green grass. He looked up at us when we stopped and made a waving gesture with his head. I kept shooting away on my digicam. In a few seconds another Safari van that pulled up beside us. Hippos are shy, I thought, as I saw the giant pink and grey beast turn around swiftly and in a running-rolling motion ease itself into the pond. We backed our car and resumed the little trip up the hill back to the Simba.
Within a few minutes, we were back in sight of the Safari vans parked by the Lion's spot. Somehow thinking that we had to tread slowly lest we disturb the Lion, we parked the car and turned off the engine. Looking out for the Lion walk his way downhill, we realised he was not alone. I saw the Lioness first, crouched in the grass looking intently ahead into the distance. We were just about 40 feet away from the Lioness. Then the Lion emerged behind her in a majestic gait down the hill.
I kept switching between video and still modes on my camera and remembered that this was the stuff that National Geographic shows are made of, isn't it? I could feel the tension in the air, as we realised that the majestic couple was indeed checking out the dazzle of zebras about 300 feet away. "Animals can sense danger, you know. The zebras are not behaving normally as they do," Calvin kept talking. I thought, nothing was normal about this scene, as far as I was concerned. I could hear every little tweet that any bird was making. If I tried harder, I could probably hear the sounds of the zebras. I am certain this natural drama plays out thousands of times around the world every day. But when have I been a witness to it in real life? I was really lucky that this was happening in the little time window that I was in the park.
Hunting is a patient game. We had played it all morning to sight the Simba couple. Now, we were watching these two lay out the ground for their hunt. It was already about 15 minutes since we landed at the scene and the Lion and the Lioness had hardly moved 10 feet. At this rate, the hunt would take some time to end in a kill. Calvin reminded me that we would not have time to go to the Giraffe Park since we had spent more than planned time here. He knew about my meeting and my flight and he knew the sluggish traffic on Nairobi roads. He had been my driver for the last three days. So, I had to agree with him and reluctantly decided to end the observation of the lions.
On my way out, I was so excited, I made a long distance call to let my wife know what I had just left behind. She could not believe it. She immediately decided that I could watch a full hunt when we went to Masai Mara together. So, there it was, a plan to Masai Mara was made. I am definitely looking forward to a longer Safari that would come about in the next 18 months. The Mara's been on our list long enough. We better figure out how to check it off the list.
Until then I have to be like the Simbas, patiently waiting, carefully observing, remaining out of sight yet keeping the goal in sight and swooping down on the target in a quick action.
2 comments:
One of your best blogs yet! I could feel your excitement and passion come through. Let me know when you're planning your trip. After a buildup like this, I'll probably be interested too!
Thanks Senthil! I was pretty excited. Of course, we can plan this together. It will be more than twice the fun.
Cheers
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