Kenya Tanzania 2019

18.11.2019 Kichwa Tembo/ Mara

We took off in a Dehavilland otter twin engine turboprop 18 seater for Kichwa Tembo from Wilson around 1100 am with a bunch of excited English tourists. The flight was fairly uneventful . The landscape below was uniformly flat and the small plane buffeted by winds , climbed swiftly up , although the plane did not fly at a great height . Soon the Great Plains hove into view . After an hours flight , we landed on dirt strip on a plateau at a dirt strip meant for Kichwa Tembo and Bateleur camps run by andBeyond . The landing was a juddering hard landing on the strip for that STOL ( Shirt Take Off and Landing ) aircraft .

We realized that we had landed amongst the wildlife , as we had a welcoming committee of Zebras and Thomson’s gazelle and on the descent I spotted a magnificent African Bull elephant taking shelter beneath a tree.

We were picked up by Akatch , our guide for the next couple of days .

As we drove in our Safari vehicle to the camp we saw a strange sight of a medium sized propeller plane , which looked as if it was lying abandoned next to the airstrip . We were told that it was flight , which had hit couple of Wildebeeste , during landing and had got grounded because of that ! The plane was hit on the left wing and had to be abandoned, but nobody got even a scratch! The plane was lying abandoned since July and nobody had got around to salvaging it . Really a strange sight to see !

The landscape of wide open spaces was just wonderful . Our spirits lifted at seeing the shimmering green plains dotted with acacia , mahogany and Orange croton trees . On one side were high escarpments. In the ridge , the camps Kichwa Tembo and Batteleur occupied a green belt .

After seeing the Tommies

( Thomson’s Gazelles ) and the Plain Zebras , as we started getting into the camp past a Hyena den , we saw a brown hyrax scuttling along the road and then myriad birds . The ubiquitous Sooty Chats and the rufous headed larks. Lilac breasted rollers, all kinds of small birds , warblers whose names we did not know , welcomed us . We were to become familiar with them soon enough .

At the arrival of the camp there was a warm welcome , part singing and dancing to Hakuna Matata ( No worries ) . Along witha selection of the camp team the camp manager Juliana , a young lady of South African origin , was at hand to welcome us . The main buildings , constructed in wood , had the andBeyond trademark sophistication . We checked in and were told that we had a little time to rest , have lunch , relax in our luxury tents and then go for our Safari at 1600 with Akatch .

We sat at the bar and had a welcome drink and then were escorted to our rooms

Outside in the grassy lawns Poomba’s or warthogs gamboled with their little babies , rooting around and doing whatever warthogs do . We were told to keep a safe distance from them and mainly to ignore them . The camp itself was fenced .

The swimming pool , set at the end of wide lawns had a wide open vista overlooking the shimmering plains .

Our lovely tent , with a little garden all to ourselves overlooking a high embankment set over a little stream and surrounded by trees with vines , full of birds . We went back to the main camp for lunch .

Lunch was just wonderful but simple .. salads Grilled burgers and dessert . The kitchen gardens , which are lush and full of fresh herbs and vegetables , was situated right next door to the main deck . Sitting in the open deck , we enjoyed the mild weather, along with a cold Tusker Lager . A nice meal it was too , well looked after by Edward our steward .

We went back to our room rested a bit and then went in our afternoons game drive. We met our co passenger Kay a New Yorker, a tiny lady , fairly young , who was travelling because she was refurbishing her home in Greenwich village ! She was traveling alone.

The first thing that we accosted was a Water monitor lizard basking on a culvert , along with a baby , who would not move even with the approach of our vehicle , till we got right next to it . Then a Hipqpo walking looking for water ! We had not expected to see Hippos so close . But they forage upto even a distance of 10 kilometers from their home base of the Mara river . Then came all the antelopes and zebras , Impalas and Thompson’s gazelles and Grant’s gazelles , and Eland which is the largest antelope in Africa , with a huge dewlaps and the ubiquitous Topi’s , a medium sized antelope with curved horns and a blue patch on their legs , looking for all the world as if they were wearing blue guns .Then a troop of grey baboons in the distance .

By this time we had driven past the airfield. In the distance , the clouds had started to roll in . We were told that a pride of lions in the distance had killed a baby Poomba and had made a quick meal of it .

We arrived to site a pride of five lions – one lioness and four younger lions lying in wait for some more warthogs . As the other vehicles crowded a particular lioness , the mother and a young lion , rains arrived with loud thunder . It became more cold and we were handed ponchos to keep away the rain . We wandered around in the rain , looking at various herbivores. soon the rain relented and stopped altogether , leaving us with a wonderful smell of wet earth .

We encountered more wandering hippos and then more herbivores including the elegant Masai Giraffes .

After watching the lions a bit more , along the stream, we left them to their devices and started back as it had become quite dark . On the way back we saw a big pride ,of Hyenas maybe 12-15 of

Then near our camp. In the gathering dusk , they were playing in front of their den . The Hyenas have an undeserved reputation , for they are very social creatures , look after their young very well and are formidable as a pack hunting together .

Back in the camp after another warm welcome ,we had a drink at the bar and were entertained by a group of Masai warriors doing the traditional jumping dance .

We fell into a conversation with Juilana .

Juliana , seemed fairly young for somebody to be shouldering the responsibility of a camp

Manager but she seemed to do it ably .

She told us of all the good work happening with an NGO called the Africa foundation with neighboring villages , educating young children and providing employment to the young Masai . AndBeyond contributed to this foundation and they also supported mobile clinics .

She told us that she was earlier posted to Okavango and and at Xaranna , where we had such a memorable visit , so many years back in Botswana . Unfortunately because of the drought like situation there this time , all the pools and streams had dried up! That wa a just unimaginable for us .The hippo pool and the jetty area were all dried and that there had been fires around the camps . But wild life sighting was excellent because all animals had gathered around the drying few pools ! Just amazing to hear this , given our experience of the lush water fed Delta.

While we were chatting a group of local Masais turned up and started to entertains us with their traditional song and dance . Dressed In their traditional red and black robes , awith spears ( Assegais ) , even in that tame setting , we could sense their fierce warrior pride and their pride in their culture .

One of the dances , consisted of a jumping competition accompanied by ululations , handclaps and shouts . The competition was to see who could leap higher . They involved guests and the staff and it was a lot of fun .

Soon we repaired to the dinner table with a glass of drink in our hands .

Dinner started with a bell pepper and basil soup followed by salads and then grilled steaks and fish . It was excellent .

We had earlier met the guides for our Ballooning expedition set for the morrow . For some time , given the inclement weather , they tried to dissuade us and suggested the next day but we were firm !

We went to back to our tent escorted by a security guard with a gun.