Happiness Settles in the Heart of the Maasai Mara (page 2 of 7)

Good evening Jacky,

Like Éric, your travel journal is well-written and well-illustrated. I’m really enjoying reading your posts—and admiring your partner’s photos too. You can reassure Titite/Yolande about the quality of her photos; I’m sure quite a few of us would’ve loved to have taken them (or at least witnessed the scenes with a good pair of binoculars). Michel is a very harsh but fair critic—well, most of the time anyway. Everyone makes mistakes. Proof? One day, he even told me I’d taken a good photo (a good one, yes, but by sheer luck).

Well done, and have a great evening—take care of yourselves!

BL

Good evening Eric,

That’s encouraging—we were wondering whether to continue our journey with VF, given how rare the interactions were. We’ll get back to it tomorrow. We never aimed to compete with Régis’s travel journal, filled with stunning photos, or Claire’s (often justified) controversies. We thought that even if it wasn’t a goldmine of information, this third account about the Masai Mara—a simple but uncommon experience—with some nice images (for a near-beginner) might help fill the long days of lockdown for wildlife lovers. But maybe there are readers who don’t join the discussion, since there are so many topics on the forum. I’m actually part of that group myself.

Best regards, Jacky + Yolande.

PS: I’ll answer your latest question, but I need to look up the exact meaning of the word "réceptif" in my dictionary! !

Good evening Bernard,

Thanks for the compliments, though according to Michel, the verdict was more like: souvenir photos. I think, just like for you, I might have gotten a positive review—it was probably a fluke for me too. I made a big mistake by leaving with a practically new camera I didn’t really know how to use. I often grumbled and made some major blunders. But all of that’s normal because I’m a "BLONDE"😛

Have a good evening, and see you tomorrow—I’m preparing the next part.

Yolande

Thanks Jacky and Yolande! 🙂

What a gorgeous travel journal and so many wonderful encounters!

Looking forward to the next part!

Good evening Pascale,

Thank you so much—we’re looking forward to tomorrow for the rest of it.

Good night, Yolande

...we were wondering whether to continue our journey with VF

Hello, Of course, I can’t wait to read the next part and dive into the heart of the Masai Mara 😉

Hello

we were wondering whether to continue

Of course, you must continue!

the posts were so rare.

It’s true that it can be discouraging when writing a travel journal to feel like you’re "writing into the void," but...

maybe there are readers who don’t join the discussion

It’s not "maybe"—it’s certain! (just look at the number of post views)... and besides, those who follow regularly (like me 😇) don’t always have something to add or ask.

Conclusion: see you soon...😉 Muriel

Don’t worry, I’m following along, at least me 😇

It’s hard to compare our two trips—they’re not the same approach, and the price difference is more than significant 😕

A soothing sleep and waking up to the call of the king of the bush, but especially to the unmistakable cry of the fish eagle, Titite’s favorite (for my part, it’s the bearded vulture, which, like me, isn’t much of a chatterbox). The sun rises behind the canopy, flooding the cloudy sky with its vibrant colors. The temperature isn’t too high, and the wind is blowing—it’s the new moon, which isn’t a good sign for what’s to come, or so I’m told! This morning, I’m invited to join a photo shoot where the subjects are supposed to be elephants and crocodiles. I’ll be in the back and on the wrong side—am I not just a contemplative soul? At the edge of the woods, we flush out some buffaloes and a family of warthogs trotting along with their tails in the air, disturbing some Egyptian geese that start a concert of loud honks from the high branches of the sausage trees. Who knew you could climb through branches with webbed feet! After five minutes of driving, we come across two crowned cranes in a courtship display and a majestic lion strutting around with three females near the pond called Nakuru. No flamingos on the shore, but Gambian geese, Egyptian geese, plovers, storks, egrets, and likely some hippos hidden in the middle under the carpet of water lettuce. The scene of the day awaits us nearby—neither reptiles nor pachyderms, but a pride of lions. The adults are devouring a wildebeest carcass while two playful cubs entertain us with their hilarious antics. We stay with them until past 9 a.m., Yolande capturing them from every angle, the photographer of the impossible limiting himself to shots of particular poses, while I’m simply content to watch them, sometimes with my binoculars for more detail. These moments are pure enchantment, enjoyed in peace and solitude, with not a tourist in sight.

Simba at sunrise. Crowned cranes’ courtship display.





A lovely little family.









Mom puts her little one back in line.

We return to camp where Mikaël welcomes us with coffee and dry cakes: he needed a bit of quiet after his successive adventures with the tents. We have free time until picnic hour and take the opportunity to spend time with the herbivores, who are, after all, the most important characters in these endless lands: impressive herds of buffaloes and elands, thousands of wildebeests, zebras, and gazelles, hundreds of hartebeests, topi, and sometimes giraffes—all these species with their new generation. I repeat myself, but how else can I put it? Our driver, used to the way travel agencies operate, doesn’t seem captivated by all these grass-eaters and is on the lookout for the big scoop he spots in the distance—a cluster of 4x4s where a hundred pairs of eyes glued to viewfinders are watching Madame Duma the cheetah and her cub. We take advantage of the moment for a shot or two as they get up and move away toward a small hill where they become tiny. We retreat like some of the spectators, while others approach by driving into the grassland, with no rangers in sight.

Duma hides from me. But I want to see. Of course, there’s the grass! Let’s go; there are too many people.

End of the morning—more to come this afternoon.

What a wonderful encounter with all these wild animals! The little lion cubs and the cheetah cub were just splendid :)

Good evening Eric,

That’s encouraging—we were wondering whether to continue our trip with VF, given how rare the posts were. We’ll get back to it tomorrow. [•••]

Would’ve been a real shame! There’s always a silent majority, but a quality one that’s paying attention, right? Adorable cheetah cub, adorable lion cubs!

PS: I’ll answer your last question, but I need to look up the exact meaning of the word "réceptif" in my dictionary!

Hi Jacky and Yolande,

My go-to, the *T.L.F.*, gives this definition:

D. Relating to reception capacity (particularly in the hospitality industry). While France’s receptive capacity is still the largest in Europe, its lead is shrinking (*JOCARD, Tour. et action État*, 1966, p. 193).

And we wrote in the safari terms (the "we" isn’t royal—it’s just that this page on safari-tanzanie was a collaboration):

Réceptif: A local safari agency working with a tour operator not directly established in the country.

Have a great day and keep up the travel journal (Corsican *œuf* style)

BL

PS: Your cranes aren’t grey crowned cranes but royal cranes. Their English name, "Grey Crowned Crane," is misleading. Crowned cranes have black necks, not grey. And their cheek patch is clearly white on top and red on the bottom, as my better half wrote on oiseaux.net.

Hello to both of you! Of course, we must keep going! I’m also one of those people who read without often chiming in—but I really appreciate it. Huge kudos for those photos, they’re amazing. The baby lions and cheetahs totally melt my heart! By the way, what kind of camera gear did you use? Looking forward to the next installment! Chritine

Hi Bernard,

Still as quick to reply even when it’s not needed—like the teacher’s pet😉. A prompt response, sure, but an effective one that leaves nothing else to add.

PS. Whether it’s a crane or a hoist, whether it’s crowned or blue-blooded, it’s really pretty, and that’s what counts😛.

Stay safe

At noon, we follow the steep banks of the Mara amid sparse vegetation where giraffes and impalas graze. Around a bend, we come across our friends who’ve set up the table in an idyllic spot. We quickly gobble down our snack since the sky looks threatening. Heavy gray clouds, pushed by a strong, chilly wind, unleash a sudden downpour on us. We barely have time to pack up and take shelter behind the windows. The Land Rover’s battery didn’t like this temperature drop, and we have to push it to get it to start—luckily, it doesn’t put up too much of a fight, because on the soggy ground, things would’ve gotten tricky. Our first sighting is a lying ostrich with its wings spread out: it watches us nervously, stands up revealing four gorgeous eggs, but stays on guard. We don’t bother it any longer and head back to the river in an area called Paradise Plain. As the name suggests, this vast, nearly flat expanse is an incredible gathering of topis, hartebeests, gazelles, and especially wildebeests and zebras. The phenomenon is even more impressive on the more rugged right bank, where the great migration is preparing—there must be tens of thousands of them. The “Cheetah Forever” Association is observing a large male; he’s very far away and hard to spot when he’s not moving. Out of respect for the specialists, we don’t linger in the area—though not everyone shows the same consideration. Further on, we stumble upon a lion couple on their honeymoon, while a second male watches, perhaps with envy, his brother’s activities. Then a herd of elephants appears—females, some with long tusks, young males, and calves, 21 in total. The matriarch has spotted the felines, especially the one who isn’t frolicking, and she breaks away from the group, heads toward the brother, and chases him off quickly. He ends up slipping behind us, and the giants regroup in the shade of a large fig tree. We call Michel to tell him about the incredible show nature is putting on for us in such a stunning setting! The track leads to a promontory overlooking the wide riverbed, and we position ourselves there, convinced that the giants will cross the obstacle riddled with dangers right at our feet—we spot several crocodiles, some nearly four meters long. They’d happily sink their teeth into a good chunk of meat, or even a tender elephant calf, since that’s the only thing on the menu this afternoon. But they’re no match for the vigilance of the mothers or aunts, who keep their young close, chasing off any intruders that get too near, just as they did earlier with the lions. The reptiles don’t insist—it’ll be for later. We know these creatures are very patient. After a good gulp of water, they climb the embankment and disappear into the vegetation. We return to our first loves—or at least those of the king and queen of the area. They’re still at it, but the witness brother has disappeared to rejoin the other family members relaxing in the distance.

Our picnic area.

A few neighbors.









I love taking portraits of bush dwellers.

A suitor... A second one...

Careful, it's hot!

Crossing the Mara

Around 6:30 PM, we’re back in our Eden above the Mara, where hippos and crocodiles share the dark pool: a concert of grunts is on the evening’s program, along with a bottle of champagne we brought in our bags—it’s almost chilled. Our Kenyan friends decline the invitation, not even wanting to wet their lips, so we’ll drink it among the three of us. It’s well known that this drink doesn’t like being shaken, especially once the cork has popped. Dinner is, once again, delicious—much better than the menus served in many local establishments, and even elsewhere on the continent. What’s missing is a good glass of wine, or the opposite—a glass of *good* wine, but maybe that would be asking too much! Before going to bed, just behind us, Yolande startles an elephant that no one had noticed in the dim light and tangled vegetation. She, who has an irrational fear of these creatures after a charge in Meru Park in 1980 followed by other mishaps in Namibia, gets away with just a controlled fright: she’s improving!



An elephant will pass right at the edge.

Good evening Christine, Thank you so much for your kind words. I had just replaced my Canon 5D Mark II, which was showing major signs of weakness, with a Canon 5D Mark IV—wow, it’s a beast when you master it perfectly, which wasn’t the case for me. It was equipped with a 70-200, and I’d been lent a Canon 7D that I didn’t know at all—I’d fitted it with a 400. At first, I kept mixing up how to handle the two cameras. One had a touchscreen LCD with a handy Q button for quick settings adjustments, and the other didn’t. It was a mistake because I hadn’t really had time to study the Mark IV manual. The night photos were taken with a little Canon PowerShot, and Jacky used it a couple of times too. Happy reading and have a great evening, Yolande

Good evening Bernard,

Suspended from crane duty... and a round of drinks at home tonight for mixing up the "Royale" with the "Couronnée". I thought these two species were one and the same because of how similar they look. Yolande was right after all, but I didn’t want to listen! Thanks for the clarification—it’s true, it comes from a bird expert, or more precisely, a *female* bird expert, it seems?

My bible—or rather, my bedside dictionary—is the *CNRTL*, and I hadn’t read the definition all the way through.

Best regards, Jacky.

Good evening Yolande and Jacky, What a pleasure to follow your travel journal—it’s a dream come true in these times when escape plans are so scarce 🙁. Thanks for sharing; I know how much work goes into it. Those lion cubs and cheetah kittens are absolutely adorable, of course, but I also love that "bouquet" of giraffes.... I totally get Yolande’s caution around elephants—I love watching them, but I also have memories of moments of sheer terror.

Good evening Sylvie,

Thank you so much, and we’re thrilled to share our experience with you! I only recently discovered your travel journal and haven’t finished it yet—it’s really fascinating. We also visited the Aberdares, Meru, and Samburu back in 1980. It was magical but also very dangerous. We were on the track leading to the Adamson sanctuary, having read all their books, when we came across two armed individuals on foot emerging from the bush. They looked more threatening than reassuring, so we turned around a little further on and sped off without looking back.

Shortly after we returned, we learned that a couple had been murdered in their car in roughly the same area. The elephants were extremely aggressive because of heavy poaching, and we experienced a few charges, which is why I’m wary of these giants—but I still respect and love them. Samburu was definitely our favorite reserve at the time. There weren’t many people around, and very few lodges. The Masai Mara also enchanted us with an incredible number of mammals. The plain was black as far as the eye could see—something we didn’t see again in 2018. We were traveling for a month, not in a 4x4 but in an old, temperamental Subaru sedan. Wonderful memories that I’m reliving through your journal. Thank you for sharing! Have a great evening, Yolande

Good evening Jacky and Yolande,

Oh, that wonderful African atmosphere—kudos to the photographer! At night during the stop, did you sleep in a tent set up on the roof? If courage is your guide, you might also want to check out my travel journal from our trip to Kenya last September, titled "From Olpejetat to Tsavo West," a fifteen-day trek through the wildlife parks in the east of the country:

https://voyageforum.com/v.f?post=9855279;search_string=Ol%20Pejeta

Or this one titled "The Great Migration," the story of our trip to Tanzania two years earlier—time flies, but the memories stay!

https://voyageforum.com/v.f?post=7814533;search_string=kenya-grande%20migration

Thanks Eric!

We’re happy to dive into your travel stories. Yes, we slept in a tent on the roof for total immersion—under the tree canopy, which really thrilled us. Every now and then, the woodland residents would pay us a visit. Listening to the rustling, growls, hyena laughter, and roars all around us was like a lullaby concert… Lol Good night, Yolande