More Mara

It is possible to work and play too hard and on Day 1 of my excursion into the Mara, I slept through the 6:30am and the 10:30am drives to try to restore my zapped energy and sense of well being. The Camp Director wanted to call a doctor but I persuaded him that I wasn't a public health threat to his other guests and staff if I could just sleep....most expensive naps of my life, for sure.

When I emerged close to noon, I discovered that the camp was set adjacent to a marsh which, of course, serves as a watering hole to the wildlife. Breakfast is served in between the morning drives at 9:00am next to the marsh with a sublime wildlife theater as ambience. This was the view from my tent when I emerged on Day 1:

Yep. Elephant, zebra, giraffe across the marsh and warthogs scampering in front of my tent on the way to lunch. The camp is not protected by any fences. Each of the 17 tents has a porter that brings tea or coffee in the morning at the hour requested the previous night and lights the two kerosene lamps in the tent as it is still dark when one has to get up to make the 6:30 game drive. At any time that it's dark, one has to point a flashlight outward from the tent to summon a security guard to be escorted to the main office or the bar or dining tents. Amazingly, I had BlackBerry service in my tent but no electricity! There are other Governor camps in the Mara with bathtubs (I had a large shower with a waterfall nozzle) and electricity but none have the adjacency to the marsh and the spontaneous wildlife spectacle.


So I had a porter, a rifle-toting security guard, and a waiter assigned to me throughout my stay. I also had a game driver, Fred, a former school teacher that shared a profound knowledge and passion for the Masai Mara and its indigenous wildlife with those lucky enough to be in his care. These are some snaps from my first drive with Fred which include more zebra (the one on the right is pregnant), topi, a leopard (in the tree), cheetahs on a termite mound, napping lions, and a Chardonnay "sundowner" with some other guests.

Dusk back at the camp over the marsh at the end of Day 1 (as I was escorted to my tent to change for drinks before dinner). Had to get to sleep early as I booked a balloon safari departing at 5:45am the next morning.