Reflections on a Fantastic Journey

From the first sunrise to the last sunset this was an incredible journey.  I planned this trip with a lot of research and chose Paul Renner, www.rennersafaris.com and have only accolades for Paul. He was an excellent host teacher and hopefully a lifelong friend. I learned so much from him as well as my other travel companions.

Carolyn and Bobby Whiteside from Austin TX, she is a professional photographer now and a retired teacher, she taught me so much every day and they are a great couple. He is a retired aquatic biologist and very knowledgable. If you are following this blog you can check out her work at www.impressionspics.com.

Bob and Sarah Ross, a professional photographer from San Juan Capistrano CA also great travel companions and a really good photographer who also taught me the finer techniques of photography. They were also great travel companions and fun to be with.

Jim and Darby Davis from Seattle treated me like a son. Darby grew up in Baltimore and Jim a retired helicopter pilot had traveled with Paul before and really loved Africa. They are coming back with their kids and grandkids in 2012 with Paul for another safari , I guess its in their blood!

Our other travel companions, Rowena Hacker, Anne Baumbach, Tom Graf, and Richard and Judy Walker were also fine travel companions each added their own perspective and enjoyment to the trip.

A few parting thoughts on my part.  In 14 days for 12 hours a day I photographed wildlife,  birds and people in East Africa.(over 5000 pictures)  . The countries I visited Kenya and Tanzania were spectacular to photograph wildlife. The tents and hotels were each very unique and courteous to foreigners. 

I have attached a few of my favorite perspectives from Africa, I hope you that followed along with me enjoyed it as well. All of my photographs are available to print just tell me what you liked. Hakuna matata. Thanks for traveling along with me and witnessing the great migration.

Out of Africa

On our last day on Safari we descended once again into the crater and although the fast action of yesterdays kill was not there we still encountered new and exciting wildlife. We came across an Eland, Male Kori buzzard in full plummage showing off for the females trying to attract one.   Flamingos by the thousand were on the lake, I  practiced my bird watching a shooting flying birds quite successfully today, another black shouldered kite, sacred ibis, flying crested cranes, a spoonbilled stork and red wing widowbird. Also saw a hippo,2 white rhinos, african white pelicans, black headed heron, an old elephant , several more lions and a horned chameleon.

After lunch we visited a Masai village, they live simply herding cattle, sheep and goats, eat only meat and drink milk and cows blood.  They are very decorated in their dress, live many people to a small hut and are very well educated learning from the age of three.  It was a truly rewarding experience. I found a  patient that need some ear work, and I even taught them how to throw spears but they were better!

Tomorrow I will begin my two day journey home. I will post one last blog tomorrow from Kenya with my reflections of the trip and a few of my favorite pictures.

Crater Creatures and a View to a Kill

We checked into the Serena Ngorongoro Hotel last PM and after dinner and a good nights sleep set out for the crater a 6 AM.  We were in the lead car and I spotted two cheetah in the dark! The cats in this light was really special.

We followed the cheetah down the crater for 2 hours tracking them sometimes stopping to photograph them in various position and then they seemed to stop by a herd of zebra and wildebeast.

The excitement came when one of the cheetah about 200 yds from us took off after a baby wildebeast and had no problem catching it. The cheetah began to enjoy the fruits of their labor and a buffalo chased them away leaving their hard work for the hyenas.

Now a bit disappointed we watched some zebra fights and wildebeast fights.

We stopped for lunch and found some cute vervet monkeys, a black kite hawk.sacred ibis, and some sleeping lions right on a crossroads in the crater.

Lastly before ascending out of the crater we came across another young male lion and a huge 50 yr old bull elephant.

Tomorrow we will make one more trip into the crater in the AM and visit a Masai village in the afternoon.