Elephants & Hippos

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The huge lion that had been outside Emakoko nightly to keep us company (and awake) bid us farewell early yesterday morning. We left the lodge for the airport at 6am. Laying in the road at the lodge entrance was the lion. He very slowly and confidently moved so the lodge vehicle could pass and wandered down to the lodge to drink from the river. He was HUGE and impressive. I was happy he decided we weren't worth eating 😊.
We flew to Meru National Park on Kenya Airways on a plane that touches down at several small landing strips around the country. The same plane picks us up tomorrow morning to jump over the mountains and leave us at Samburu Reserve.
We were met by our guide, Sammy, from Elsa's Kopje. The landscape and atmosphere are so different in the Meru and I wasn't sure I wanted to stay at first. It is dry and desolate. But, after the first few hours I found it very peaceful. The camp is unique and gorgeous. Each of the cabins is built into the kopje, a rock structure. The rooms are designed around the landscape with the natural rock creating pieces of the interior structure. www.elsaskopje.com.

Yesterday we saw lions eating their kill. When the guide pulled up he was barely steps away from the lions! I moved because we don't have structure around us in the open air vehicle and he said, while watching me, not the lions, "Don't be worried. If I am not you shouldn't be.". He has a door with a window protecting him on three sides. Why would he be scared? But he was right. They watched us but didn't make any moves to add us to the menu. There were three additional female lions and two cubs. (Pictures are attached. They were eating a buffalo but enough of it is gone it just looks like meat.)

Yesterday we also got to see hippos. The most dangerous animal in the bush. At the close of the game drive we parked for a "sunsetter" the traditional way to toast the sunset in Africa.

Today was an elephant day! Again, he said to me, "Don't move if they come close. They won't hurt you.". Thankfully we got close enough to really see them but not so close it was intimidating. The elephants each had their own unique size and look. It was neat to see so many. Plus I had already decided I would crawl into the front seat if they were too near.

Lots of other animals, too! Including a snake. I read they have snakes here but that visitors never see them because they are very timid. I was the lucky one 😊.

We also got to have breakfast in the bush today! The camp set up a dining table and mini-kitchen about 20 kilometers away from the camp. It was such a fun surprise!

This afternoon Dad will go out again to try and catch a male lion. I am going to hike one of the taller kopje's with a different guide.

It's slow in Kenya. They are saying that each place we go. Between Ebola and terrorists, tourism is getting hit. Last night there were four ladies celebrating their mom's birthday in the camp with us. They left this morning and a couple from Newport Beach arrived. We had one night at The Emakoko when we were the only guests. This camp has 52 employees; The Emakoko has around 40. As you might guess, we are really well taken care of.

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Comments

[Dave and Mary]

wow
Great photos, have fun.

[Dave and Mary]

wow
Great photos, have fun.