Sunday: To Serengeti Medium Camp

Getting back into the truck was exciting after a day-and-a-half off, and getting back into the Serengeti felt extremely good. Back to the breathtaking landscapes, the grassland micro climates, the birds and the animals. Eagle eye Cryspian thrilled me this afternoon when we were racing through the Western Corridor of the Serengeti (racing because there are no visible animals). He suddenly stopped and backed us up, and there, moving incredibly slowly, was a bright lime green chameleon crossing the street. He or she was so incredibly gorgeous. The photo does not do justice to the brightness of the colour and remember, this was on the road in Tanzania.


Lunch was at the information centre where, besides the usual zillion hyraxes, there we're also a a zillion dwarf mongeese. Another nominee for the cutest life on earth! They thrive on the stuff that BAD visitors give them, so they are not afraid of people. In fact, Mr. Cutie dwarf mongoose sits up and begs like a dog. I wanted to bring him home!


And on the way to Serengeti Medium Camp, we saw TWO!!! leopards, and this time, quite close. It just never stops here! And — attention Steve Schilling — Cryspain scored even more points by noticing something on a tree we were passing: one of the indigo beauties I keep raving about, AND a love bird. As soon as I saw that bird, I teared up. And I am again, because how can you not think of Martha Sr. when you see a love bird?! Thinking of her, makes you wish those days could have lasted forever.

We got to the camp around 3:00. It is yet another form of fabulous! From their information sheets in the tent: "Serengeti Kati Kati Camp is a semi-permanent camp. It represents the Africa of days gone by.... The layout of the camp resembles an old explorer station where the origins of safaris began.... Be aware that were in a wild area. The camp is open and wild animals can be in the proximity (from me: there is elephant evidence mere meters from me!). The camp is safe, but bear in mind that it's not advisable to walk outside the camp boundary. Do not come out of your tent at night. If your need assistance, just blow the whistle that is provided in your tent." (I can't find mine.) When you want a shower, you go the the reception and the porters fill up a large canvas bag with hot water and it has a control that allows you to have a short shower al fresco.





The restaurant.


I have no idea what birds I have seen, but I have seen beauties! But I do know that I have seen a large white raptor that looked like an eagle that had brown and black wings and bent its head backwards and down to hoot like a foghorn, a ground hornbill, a crested pullover and hoopoes (that look like woodpeckers) and huge—I mean HUGE—storks called Marabu Storks.

Sitting around the campfire before dinner, I met Tim, his wife Terry, his sister Terry and their friend, Pam. It was fun to be social with fluent English speakers (they are all committed Democrats from Chicago). We ate dinner together and then marveled at the night sky out here where there is no ambient light.