late afternoon game ride

5/1/07 -- late afternoon

We met up with Alex about 3:30 and off we went in yet another direction! This time to the hippo river. On the way we saw Ostriches (another die happy moment for me), more Grant's gazelles, Crowned Plover, large herds of Thompson's gazelles, a solitary hyena and a pair of mongoose (mongeese?). The Lilac-breasted Roller is one of the most beautifully colored birds we saw, with a patch of lilac, obviously, but also with turquoise blue wings that flash when it flies - stunning.

We also saw a mom warthog with a baby, running along with their little skinny tails in the air. This of course inspired a song from Kerry -- "I'm a little warthog, short and stout, here is my tail and here is my snout!" which became the theme song of the day...

The hippos were just hanging out in the river -- they seemed to be snoozing...they would float up and down in the water, and we never saw much more than their backs and noses. They are mostly nocturnal. The hippo river was one of the few places in the park that tourists are allowed to get out of the vehicles - so of course we took a picture. I nearly fell out of the vehicle when we got out at the lodge, my foot slipped on the step and I ended up with one foot in the van and the other about 3 feet down on the ground. Good thing I have long legs.

Dinner is late -- after everyone returns from their excursions. Tonight Tom awed us all with his dessert -- a big bowl of caramelized bananas in a thick syrup with a big chunk of bread pudding on top. The man can eat.

Norm and Gloria saw a huge owl in the tree at night.

Full moon tonight over the Mara. Wow! What a place.