Tag: safari

PhotoPOSTcard: Hippo Love

It was really hard to find hippo love on our African safari. We saw many, many hippos on our various game drives in Africa, but I quickly discovered that it is very difficult to get a good picture of a hippo. Most of the time they are under water or just barely sticking out their snout, eyes or ears, so that it’s hard to tell what that blob is in the water off in the distance. Unlike many of the other animals, they just seemed to refuse to provide a good pose for the camera. They were either underwater or a group of big lumps lying on a sandbank. Of the many hippo photos I took, this one, taken at Lake Naivasha in Kenya, actually shows them in an unusually active moment while in the water.

Thanks for visiting.

Rose

PhotoPOSTcard: Keeping an Eye on His Harem

It’s the end of the day and a herd of impalas is grazing in a field on the edge of the woods in Lake Nakuru National Park in Kenya.  The single male – you can identify him by his large curved horns – is keeping a close watch on his harem as well as looking out for predators or other, potentially threatening, males. It’s gotta be a tough job keeping that many females in line.

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Rose

PhotoPOSTcard: A Spotted Hyena Spotting

We spotted our first spotted hyena at dusk in Lake Nakuru National Park, Kenya as we were heading back to our lodge. This little guy/gal was moving quickly, presumably, looking for dinner, and totally oblivious to our presence or our desire for good photos in the low light. I have to say that I found them to be a much cuter animal than I expected.

Thanks for visiting.

Rose

PhotoPOSTcard: A Visit to the Ololaimutia School

Our Africa tour company (Africa Adventure Company) recommended that we bring some basic school supplies to give to one of the local schools. When we first arrived at the Ololaimutia Primary School near the Masai Mara Reserve, the boys that met us were a little reserved in their greeting. But they quickly lost their shyness once I started handing out some of the pens I had brought. It was amazing – and humbling – how eagerly they accepted such a small and trivial item as a pen, mumbling a quick thank you as they quickly grabbed hold of it. I never expected that the few dollars I spent on packets of pens at Costco would have such a large impact.

Thanks for visiting

Rose

PhotoPOSTcard: A Traditional Maasai Dance

Our tour in Kenya’s Masai Mara Reserve included a visit to a typical Maasai village. Since the Maasai live in the areas around some of the most visited parks and reserves in Kenya and Tanzania, they are one of the best known tribes in East Africa. Our visit started with a traditional Maasai dance demonstration by the young men of the village. During one portion of the dance, one or two men would move forward and jump straight up in the air as high as they could, while the rest of the men continued their chanting. We later learned that the purpose of this jumping dance was to demonstrate their ability as a warrior and attract a bride. As the adult men danced and jumped, one of the village’s small boys joined the demonstration, attempting to mimic the movements of his older role models.

Thanks for visiting

Rose

 

This is Africa: On Safari in the Masai Mara Reserve – An Experience of Many Firsts

Our first trip to Africa started with a safari in the Masai Mara Reserve in Kenya. The game drives in this vast landscape provided the first views of many of the classic African animals we were hoping to see, along with many other memorable experiences. Continue reading “This is Africa: On Safari in the Masai Mara Reserve – An Experience of Many Firsts”