Kenya 2023: Chapter 29 – Morning Drinks

After almost an hour, David indicated that it was time for us to take our landing positions: seated, firmly grabbing the basket. He had faced it up so if the basket laid over, we would be on our backs. We were still moving fast and low over the land, trying to stay above the termite mounds. 

Bump. Bump. Bump. Drag. The basket tilted us backwards, but never fully tipped back. We slowed, the basket righted itself. We had touched down.

James retrieved us around 7:45 and escorted us to a temporary camp in the middle of the Mara. We were greeted with champagne and welcomed to the “Survivors’ Club”. Tables were decadently laid out with silverware and cloth napkins. Two large lorries were parked up and formed the backdrop for the buffet line which was complete with sausage, bacon, muffins, omelets, potatoes, pineapples, and coffee.

We sat with the NYC women and a mother with a 6-year old from Virginia. Conversation turned to what we had seen or encountered on safari. We recounted the tale of getting the truck stuck. 

Around 8:15, Lenny pulled into the camp. Breakfast for the guides was served on the other side of the lorries.

Greg remarked “Oh, there’s the man that tried to kill me twice”. The Virginia woman nearly spit out her coffee.

At 8:45, we wrapped up our repast and reloaded our gear and cameras. We headed into the fray once again. 

We weren’t on the road long before we came upon three lionesses drinking from a puddle in the road. We shot some great pictures before we drove alongside them as they wandered off to find shade. We went looking for some cheetahs, but only found some giraffes, a shrike, some superb starlings, a hartebeest, and topis. We were off to a good morning.