Thursday, October 9, 2014 - Serengeti - Day 15

We got to sleep late this morning – until 7 am.  We packed, dressed, had breakfast and met Godson at 8:30 to leave for the Migration Camp in the Northern Serengeti on the Grumeti River.  We walked around the resort and went to a beautiful lookout point.

The pool at the Serengeti Serena Lodge

Dik-diks running around the hotel property - we also saw cape buffalo

The view from the Serena Serengeti Resort look-out point

Beautiful vistas of the Serengeti Plains

Skulls and bones are laying around throughout the Serengeti

The large carved statutes in the restaurant at the Serengeti Serena Lodge

 

We saw a mother warthog with 3 little ones – so cute.  We saw topi, vultures, zebra, and lots of wildebeest.   

A huge warthog

More wildebeest grazing on the plains - always with zebra nearby

A huge baboon eating leaves off a tree

We went from very dry areas to very green areas.  The wildebeest are seeking out the green areas.  Then we went to a hippo pool where there were over 100 hippos.  They were mostly in the water but many were sunning.  They call a group of hippos a "raft" and they look like a raft when they are together in the water.

Hippo with his huge mouth open.  Hippos kill more humans than any other animal

A "raft" of hippo

A crocodile sunning at the hippo pool

Walking around on the beach - they make a funny noise

This hippo had been ostracized from the raft so was resting under the trees

Many times we had to ford small streams

Wildebeest in a line moving across the plains

The most amazing thing was witnessing a pair of lions mating.  Tim spotted them out under a tree resting.  We watched for about 20 minutes and then the lioness got up and Godson said – “Ok, they are going to get it on now”.  Sure enough, they walked about 20 feet from where they were resting and she went down on all fours and he mounted her.  It was over in about 5 seconds.  Once he was done, the lioness roared with delight and rolled onto her back with her feet in the air.  Godson told us that this is to get the sperm to go inside.

The lion and lioness resting under a tree . . .

When she was ready, she led the lion about 20 feet away and went down on all 4 legs.

The lion mounted her and it was consummated in about 3 seconds.

Once complete, she roared and rolled onto her back with her legs in the air.

Then they went back to rest again under their tree for shade

Facebook Entry:  Today was "Lion Mating Day"!  We watched a pair "getting it on".  It lasted about 3 seconds – I couldn't even get a picture it happened so fast!  The picture is the pair "after the deed".  The lioness roared with delight once it was done and then rolled onto her back and laid there for a while. It was amazing that we witnessed this.

The mother warthog with her baby warthogs

More cape buffalo - we didn't see that many of them

A green area - all with dirt roads throughout the Serengeti

Another herd of wildebeest

We arrived at Migration Camp about noon, checked in, sorted our laundry and then went to lunch.  Everything is included at this camp – meals, wine, drinks, laundry, etc.  We had a great lunch overlooking a small valley.  We could see wildebeest, zebra, and 2 hippos in the distance.  The camp overlooks the Grumeti River (not sure of the spelling).  There were some baboons playing outside our tent and they are known to open doors and come in!

The entry bridge to Migration Camp in the Serengeti

They blue and black flags are hung throughout the Serengeti to make the tse-tse flies sterile so they can't reproduce.

There is a huge bed in the middle of the room looking to the west over the river and valley.  Nice shower too with solar-heated water. 

Our bed at Serengeti Camp - always with designs made of leaves on the sheet

The tented room - toilet to the right - shower to the left

The lodge at Migration Camp in the Northern Serengeti

Out “tent” is incredible – self contained – canvas walls, mesh windows, and it flaps loudly when the wind blows.  They cautioned us not to leave the doors open at night and to make sure the doors are latched tightly as the baboon have been known to open the door and come in. 

 

Our test - canvas walls and roof on a wooden platform

Our view of the Serengeti from our bedroom

Hippos in the river just down from the main lodge - we could hear them all day and night

Beautiful lunch on the deck overlooking the Serengeti - Emanuel was our excellent server

We took a short nap and I woke up with feet problems again.  My legs are completely swollen and are sore and my toes and feet are achy.  I took some of my anti-inflammation medicine for gout and elevated my feet while working on the blog and sorted pictures – there are a LOT of pictures so far!

Tim left with the camera to meet Godson at 4:30 for an afternoon game drive while I rested my feet and listened to the many animals around camp.

They were on the way back and Tim saw movement in the distance - good spotting - a cheetah!

Godson drove closer and she was resting on the plain. They like open places

Beautiful animal - looks like a large cat!

Then she got curious with the vehicle - Godson and Tim weren't sure why!

She came right up to the van - all windows were open!  OMG!

Ends up she could hear hyrak that had gotten into the engine well of the vehicle and she was after them!

Looking up at Godson from right by the driver's door - with the window open!

Then she lost interest and went back to resting

Tim came back to the Migration Camp and we enjoyed a sundowner on the upper deck.  Beautiful sunset, fire, cooler weather and wine.

The sun sets over the Serengeti

The colors of sunset to the west - beautiful

Enjoying wine and snacks with our kerosene lamp watching sunset

Large fire for sundowner

 

We had a great dinner with Emanuel serving.  He is like our private butler.  Dinner was good out on the dining deck.  We enjoyed dinner and a bottle of wine and then started back.  We have to have an escort on the property at night with the guards since the wild animals are roaming around the property.

Started as a restful night - and then the hippos started howling and grunting off and on.  And during the night the hyrek started running back and forth across the tent roof.  Kept waking me up, but only on the first night.