Capturing the Moment

  Shot of the day. Finding the cheetah was hard work today, but Jackson prevailed. We got an up close look at two cheetah. This one gave us a brief look at its incredibly sharp teeth during this yawn. Luckily I snapped the photo right as it happened and captured the moment.    It was a tough wake up for everyone this morning here in the Masai Mara. And by 'tough' I mean our butler woke us up with coffee and biscuits at the requested time. We may be camping in tents, but here at Kichwa Tembo Luxury Tented Camp, it feels like glamping to the extreme. After the early morning pick-me-up, the group met Jackson at the vehicle, ready for a big morning game drive. Our plan was to cover a lot of distance, maybe searching for cheetah, and seeing if we got lucky with any lions on they way. I would say lucky was an understatement. Sunrise view from our camp.    Our first big find was three young male lions, sleeping and basking in the early morning sunshine. Shortly after, ...

  A young Maasai girl, dressed in intricate beadwork.    I firmly believe that you can't come to Africa and not be totally blown away by the kindness of the people. Everyone we have met has been humble, willing to engage in conversation, and so hospitable. You will meet all kinds of local people working the different jobs on safari and in the lodges. But something that is a must-do when on safari, is to go to a local village, and get a better feel for what life is like. Right now we are in Amboseli National Park which is in the middle of Masai land. The Maasai people are part of the Nilotic ethnic group, believed to have migrated from the Nile Valley region in present-day Sudan and South Sudan between the 15th and 17th centuries. As they moved southward, the Maasai settled in what is now Kenya and northern Tanzania, displacing other groups such as the Kikuyu and farming communities, and establishing their territory on the vast savannahs. This migration allowed them to bec...