2017/09 Part 5 Masai Mara - Sat pm Lodge gardens |
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Nzuki dropped us off and after a late lunch we explored the lodge and its gardens. The plants were tropical, from around the world. It would have been more interesting if they had all been African, but Sandie was enjoying the flowers anyway. I’ve merged some of our pictures into this montage.
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Masai Mara lodge Saturday pm (2.00) |
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There was wildlife in the gardens too, like this common bulbul and the 
hyrax. The hyrax looks like a cute rat, but it’s not even a rodent; its closest relative is thought to be the elephant. Hyraxes were responsible for those weird growling noises we’d heard the previous night.
The lodge had some Masai dancers in that evening for entertainment. Masai dancing involves jumping high (as in the blur in the middle of the picture.) I think it would have been a better show if staged in a more natural environment than the inside of the lodge. We didn’t stay long anyway as Sandie was feeling unwell and needed to be close to a toilet.
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Masai Mara Masai Dancers (15.20) |
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Sunday September 24th
We had a rare lie-in as our plane didn’t leave until mid-morning and the airstrip is close by. However, Sandie still had her problem and wasn’t looking forward to two hour-long flights in 
planes without a toilet. The good news was that she’d taken the antibiotic we’d brought with us and that seemed to be helping. 
I took a walk around and found this very gaudy agama lizard and a few mongooses; they seemed to be in a feud with the hyraxes.
This was our last view of the Masai Mara from the lodge’s terrace. It had been a great couple of days.
The lodge was going to drive us to the airstrip and from there we’d fly back to Nairobi and then north to Samburu, the last park on our trip. The staff told us where to wait and said someone would collect us. We waited and waited. Finally, on hearing a plane coming in, I went to the desk to inquire again and got the same story. “So what plane did I just hear?” “Oh, quick, time to go!” The planes will wait up to an hour or so for late passengers but you don’t like to keep people waiting.
Our Safarilink Cessna was still there. We were, of course, the last ones on, but Sandie was feeling a bit better by now and we were soon on our way to Samburu, to be described in Part 6.