It was pitch black when my alarm went off this morning and 4:45am actually did not look that bad with the excitement of going to Serengeti. My bag was packed and by the lorry by 5:50, I sent a few hurried emails telling people where I was going and for how long, gulped breakfast, and helping load all the stuff by 7am and the group rolled out soon after. I had very good cruiser mates so the drive while long was entertaining. We traveled back to Ngorongoro Conservation Area and paid the transit fee so we could drive through to get to Serengeti. Our lunch break was at Oldupai Gorge known to some as the cradle of humanity due to the many very old fossils of hominids found there. Going through the museum and hearing a short talk was a great was to spend lunch and get a small break from bumpy dusty traveling. We were now traveling through dry, flat grassland. Herds of Maasai livestock were dotted here and there and they herders always waved to us. The only real difference came when we passed under a wooden sign that stated that we were entering the Serengeti National Park. I must admit that my first sight of the Serengeti was not awe inspiring. The grass was brown and the ground dusty and exactly the same as what we had been passing for the past few hours. The redeeming factor was the herds of gazelles. I have been iffy on correctly identifying the difference between Thomson’s and Grant’s Gazelles but not after this trip. On both sides of the road, huge scattered herds of gazelles were grazing peacefully as we roared past to the main park gate. This gave me ample practice in differentiating between the gazelles since I could compare them side-by-side. This also meant I was hanging out the window and got lots of wonderful wind in my face. I’m sure I looked like a dog taking a car ride but it was great so I didn’t care. Our first Serengeti hyena was also spotted on this stretch. Getting to the main gate we used the bathroom and climbed up to the view point where the grassland stretched in every direction for further than I could see. Back in the cruisers with permits etc we pop the tops and game drive into the park. The grassland continues and yielded surprises like more hyenas, napping lions, and many termite mounds we always mistook for sleeping mammals. Further into the park we saw these huge rock outcroppings called kopis that rise out of the grassland to imitate pride rock for Disney’s The Lion King. Each one was carefully searched but we saw no lions on them although apparently these are favorite hang-outs of them. We also came upon a stream in the middle of this grassland surrounded by lush green grass, tall reeds, and many many elephants. My car hung around a pool and watched a family of related female elephants drink and squirt each other with water. They also had a really tiny baby which had a blast splashing at the muddy edge. We eventually entered the bushland where we saw huge herds (300 or more) of zebra and wildebeest showing the coming of the big migration within the next week to ten days. Our camp was in the middle of this bush paradise with a large flat sandy area to pitch tents, flush toilets, some running water sinks, and a cement and wire enclosed area to cook and store food in. Everyone sprang into action and tents were put up, the food unloaded, and a fire pit built within a few hours. I choose a tent as far from the campfire as possible and the spot furthest from the door. I did this so we (my tent group…some did not like the “remoteness” of my choice) could hear more night sounds away from everyone else and because I go to bed earlier than others in my group and could sleep with my head away from the light and activity of my tent mates. After setting up my tent, I pitched a few staff tents, and watched a beautiful impala doe run all the way around camp. The zebra and wildebeest herds completely surrounded our camp and their chewing, grunting, and braying (I don’t know how else to describe a zebra’s call) made for a noisy setting. We ate dinner on the ground by the fire and I was again amazed by the clarity and brightness of the African sky and stars. Walking to the bathroom escorted by our Askari Bura (the bathroom is too far from the fire for us to go by ourselves….we might get eaten by a hyena or trampled by a buffalo) we heard hyena calling and could even see their eyes in Bura’s flashlight. I crawled into my sleeping bag early and lay down to listen to the African night around me.
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