Serengeti....the endless plains...the dream continues

---

The dream trip continues...Early wake up, and on the road with Tobias to Serengeti. It's not a road, but a track
for nearly 200km. The drive is beautiful as you are actually on a small safari between the two reserves, without
ever leaving sights of animals. Tobias explained to me that if had come in March, the all place was green with
millions of animals for the great migration. We passed also by many Masai villages in Ngorongoro.

Serengeti stand for the endless plains in Swahili. The place is also way warmer than Ngorongoro. During the last two
days and a half, we saw most of the animals that were there...cheetahs, elephants, lions, lions cubs, buffalos,
girafes...a lot of them, all sorts of gazelles, antilopes and impalas, as well as zebras by thousands...and more hippos
as well as crocodiles. But even better, I had my first sighting of a leopard. Tobias explained to me that normally you
do see one every three to four days...so yes, I was happy. The big cat was lounging in a tree, 90 meters from the
track.

One of the rule of the parks, is that cars have to remain on tracks at all time. This means that some sightings can
be from quite far away. But thanks to Chanh, Eric, Hugues and Jiajia, I was equiped with my last year birthday
present...very useful googles! Thanks a lot guys!

Every day an early wake up, and my last safari day even earlier...as I was going to realise one more of my dreams,
ballooning over the Serengeti. Wake up at 4am,little drive, and in the air by 6.30 am with 10 other lucky fews. They
have only 3 balloons everyday here, this means a maximum of 36 people everyday.

The experience was a smooth and serene one...well, except a quite rough landing. From that high, I mean between just
above the tress to 300 meters, you have a completely different view. Not the greatest to spot lions....we didn't see
any, but great with the total view...and following girafes.

After that, great breakfast in the middle of the animals, before heading for the Grumeti air strip for my flight
to Arusha, and my first view of an active volcano from the sky...impressive...even without any fumes!

This is the end of four great days of safari, thanks a lot Tobias. Next great safari is in the planing...in few
months, with Ma'ri...in a very romantic place...Okavango, here I come! Next entry for this trip...coming very very
soon! You may already guess where I'm writting this from!

---

Comments

[JW]

in the pool
Je t'ai cherché in the pool ! T'ai pas vu ? Jean-Werner

[Huy]

balloon
Did you spot any leopards from the balloon? =) The hippo pools stink. I saw one hippo pool where the hippos and crocodiles share the water. The crocodile was feeding on a hippo carcass, and it was one of the worst odors I've experienced.