Maasai Mara, Kenya

I count more than 26 elephants on the plain far below our cabin on an escarpment overlooking the great Rift Valley. They have abundant water, are well-fed and have lots of babies. Watching them lumber peacefully along in harmony with the universe soothes the soul.

Bush planes service the Maasai Mara reserve from Kenya’s capital of Nairobi.

(That’s famed paleontologist and anthropologist Louise Leakey debarking the plane.)

With plenty of rainfall, the Mara is fresh and green… a happy place for its residents.

Zebra
Curious hartebeest… husband and wives.
Impala males practicing dominance.
Lots of giraffe

Oops – did I mention elephant?

This little fella had been rolling in mud…. Some of it dried between his toes so he has an itchy foot!

Time for lunch in the bush…..

Incredible birds…

Impressive gray-crowned cranes
Hammerkop….. his head is not shaped that way….the crest in back is an arrangement of feathers.
This guy is one of many birds who unfortunately get lumped into the category of LBJ….. Little Brown Jobs. He is nonetheless singing with gusto.

Big cats, of course….

Sleepy lion
Lazy cheetah

No visit to this part of Africa is complete without a Maasai performance…..

We showed our support for the conservation efforts here with a purchase or two….

A criminally short stay in this breath-taking place, filled with fascinating animals and kind people.

We will have to return to safari before all is said and done, but in the meantime, we head to a completely different part of Africa…… Cairo.

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