[This is post #14 of 21 posts about our 2024 trip to Africa. To go to the first post in the series CLICK HERE. At the end of the last post there is also a Directory with links of all 21 posts.]
It had been an incredible morning seeing the entire spectrum of big cats, but it was now time for lunch.
The Serengeti Sametu Camp was very nice and had apparently just been significantly upgraded. It even had a pool, which we did not use. Unfortunately I forgot to take any pictures of our room, but below is the view from our table at lunch looking almost due north.
 |
| View from our table at lunch--all open savannah beyond the fence at the edge of the patio |
In the aerial photo below, the eating area is the more southern of the two buildings that open onto the patio in the back.
 |
| Aerial view of central public area of Serengeti Sametu Camp |
Below is a picture taken a few steps out from our table looking northwest, roughly parallel to the edge of the patio. The circular area in the center between the two buildings is a set of metal wildebeest and buffalo sculptures.
 |
| Buffalo and wildebeest sculptures |
The rooms spread out quite a distance from the central reception and dining area. Our room/cabin was about 0.2 miles down the roadway.
 |
| Our room was where the cyan track turns in and ends to the southeast. |
Like at all of the camps, we were required to have an escort to our room after dark. However, what was different here was that all of the escorts took us back and forth to our room in a van. We did not walk. At first I thought it was due to the distances. However, after later comments about lions and buffalo wandering around close by, I thought it might also be for safety reasons.
Wildlife at our room. When we arrived back at our room after lunch, the little antelope shown below was standing next to our front porch. She was very skittish and ran around to the back. Sneaking onto our patio and shooting through a privacy fence with my phone, below is the only picture I was able to get.
iNaturalist thinks it is a Steenbok. Fully grown, they are only 16-24 inches high at the shoulder. When I finally got this shot, she was drinking water that was leaking out of our solar water heater.
 |
| Steenbok getting a drink from the water leaking from our solar water heater |
Once finally back in the room we had some downtime. We worked to make sure everything was ready for an early check out in the morning, then just chilled out.
Off to check on the leopard. Fazal met us and we were back on the road again by about 4:15. We first wanted to check on the leopard that we had seen treed by the lion immediately before lunch.
The leopard was still in the tree, but was up and looking around. The lion was nowhere in sight.
 |
| Leopard in the tree |
We were lucky we had gotten there in time. It was only a matter of minutes before he started to descend.
 |
| Leopard climbing down |
There were not a large number of vehicles around, but there were several.
I am not sure what happened next. It might have been an engine backfire. Whatever it was, something spooked him. He jumped back up into the tree.
 |
| Back into the tree |
Then he climbed back up onto his high branch.
 |
| Returning to his high branch |
Back to the lions. The leopard did not look like he was interested in coming back down anytime soon, so we decided to make a run back out to the marsh and check on the lions.
Like every other drive, we always see many things. Although I have mentioned very few, there have been many more birds than we had anticipated. That includes both small ones
 |
| Grey-backed Fiscal |
and large ones.
 |
| White-bellied Bustard |
We also got our first really good look at a hyena.
 |
| Spotted Hyena |
Back at the marsh. We finally made it back to the marsh and the lions.
The lionesses were mostly looking after the cubs.
The cubs seemed more chilled out than this morning.
The males were still sleeping, although maybe beginning to think about getting up.
 |
| Yawn |
None of the lions looked like they were going to do anything exciting anytime soon. Besides, it was already quite late and time to head back so we would be off the road by dark--or at least very soon thereafter.
Bush Dinner. As we approached camp, Fazal casually mentioned we should plan on wearing something warm to dinner because we would be eating outside. Sure enough...surprise! We were being treated to a bush dinner. As the name implies, a bush dinner is a special dinner away from the dining area out in the bush.
They took us to a location well behind the camp out among some trees and brush. They had a table set up and a fire going.
The location was of course outside of any fence or protected area. The person tending the fire was one of the local tribesmen. In his left hand he had an incredibly bright flashlight that he used periodically to survey the surrounding area. In his right hand he had one of the largest machetes I had ever seen. His job was to protect us from any animals that might choose to wander in.
 |
| Our guard by the fire |
 |
| Brush in the background illuminated by the guard's flashlight |
 |
Special serenade. As part of the tradition to end a special dinner, all of the waiters came down from the dining room and serenaded us.
I don't know if we "slept like buffalo", but we were indeed tired after another incredible day. This had been our last full day in Serengeti National Park. We needed to sleep quickly because the plan for the next day was a long drive eventually ending at Ngorongoro Crater, including a stop at Olduvai Gorge. All of that and more is the subject of the next post.
No comments:
Post a Comment