Bush Plane to Bushtops!

Back blips for the next couple of days because we were out in the middle of the Masai Mara in Kenya with -- as you can imagine -- very thready internet!

We boarded a little Cessna bush plane in Nairobi and flew to a dirt landing strip where we were met by some impressive Masai warriors and our Land Cruiser vehicle which became our second home for two incredible days of game viewing. 

We stayed at a lovely tented camp called Bushtops, and you can see our very comfortable quarters in the collage above.  We felt very much like Ernest Hemingway and Karen Blixen there!  The sides of the tent roll up during the day so you have an unobstructed view of the landscape, which is completely reserved for wildlife with no fences.  We had a wonderful balcony/deck from which to see all sorts of animals roaming around -- curious giraffes often poked their heads up to stare at us!  At night the tent sides were rolled down and firmly zipped closed, because there are no barriers to stop wild animals from roaming -- it was quite exciting to lie in bed and hear hyenas barking and other somewhat scary noises in the night just outside!

We had an afternoon and evening game drive, and saw an incredible array of animals right from the start -- Vervet monkeys, giraffes, zebra, wildebeest, Impalas, Thompson's Gazelles, elephants, lions, and even the (rather gruesome) contents of a leopard's "larder" -- the remains of a recent kill stored up in the branches of a tree.  The evening ended with a blazing bonfire out in the bush, a very welcome gin and tonic, and the charming company of our guides and Masai trackers.  (See extras!)