on to the lake. kenya. part 4.

i've got to admit that after three days in a land rover, i was done with bumpy car rides.

because the mara is bumpy, rocky and really rough on the ride.

with only one ride left, our fabulous guide, samson, drove us, make that raced* us back to the airstrip to catch our flight.

samson. no delilah to speak of, but we really enjoyed him as a guide.

*this is what happens when the guide receives a phone call that says the plane has already landed and is waiting for you!

we flew all around the mara, stopping three more times to pick up others all over the area, before flying back to nairobi.

this certainly provided more dirt airstrip landings than any one person needs in a lifetime.

from here we headed to lake naivasha and our cute, dog-filled airbnb.

the bathroom was separate from the bedroom.
only worrisome when you're warned that sometimes animals just come on by for a visit...

caitlin was in her happy place.
there were at least six dogs total just running about. 

in naivasha, we stayed on a sanctuary farm. this place is home to many of the same animals we had seen on safari, minus some of the most dangerous.

so we went horseback riding around the farm, passing zebras and antelope and giraffes.

it's a childhood throwback for me.
i rode horses for eight years growing up. did you know?

it was caitlin's first time.

we took a boat ride and saw bloats of hippos.

(did you know that a group of hippos is called a bloat? #funfactsfromcarrie)

this guy (and many others) fishing off a pile of driftwood.

as seen from afar.

hippo life. scenic views.

cue hitchcock.

notice how so much of the trees are white.

yep, that's bird shit. everywhere.

on our second day, we went to hell's gate national park. we hired a guide who biked with us through the park and then took us on a hike through the canyon.

we had no idea just how difficult physically this day would be.

the roads in the park are not paved. and not flat. and not shady.

and, well, sometimes there were animals in the way.

the "hike" turned into a huge, deep canyon that required sliding down sides of rocks, using ropes to climb up, and walking on tiny ledges.

basically, it was terrifying.

definitely put my foot in the water at one point.

the emergency exit seemed a bit ironic.
because getting up that slope seemed impossible, especially in an emergency.

and if i had known what was coming, i might have said 'no way'.

up the side of the cliff.
notice the guide is carrying my bag. 

back in the early 2000s even lara croft spent time in this canyon. so if it's good enough for tomb raider...

we did survive, thankfully, and then had to ride our way back through the hot and dusty park.

some very 'gram'mable shots did occur.

i've never wanted a shower more than after this day.

we were warned beforehand.

 after a very exhausting day, this was so necessary!

views from the porch.

we always love a good time lapse!

safari life. kenya. part 3.

while glamping in the mara, we spent our early mornings and evenings riding around in land rovers trying to spot the amazing wildlife of this region.

truthfully, we didn't have any idea what the big 5 were in kenya or what animals we might see.

we did end up spotting lions, elephants, and the buffalo off that list, but the leopard and rhino proved more elusive.

i especially enjoyed watching the hippos because it was fun to try and count how many were actually hiding under the water.

we saw this mama lion napping while four cubs played nearby. two belong to her and two to another mama.

we saw this sextet every day we went out on safari. the size of their group and the gash on mom's nose made them easier to identify.

these cubs clearly enjoyed playing and rough housing with each other!

and mama let us get pretty close.

you can see their series of antics below.

we quickly spotted three elephants our first morning out, but it took almost two full days before we came across another herd. 

here is the same set of lions from our first day. but just look at that belly!

nap time. bloodied paws and faces and full stomachs.

we also came across another female lion having her fill.

and this little scavenger was cautiously trying to determine if it was safe to grab this leg that had been left behind.

apparently, the king had already had his share. in person, i thought the male lions looked a lot less regal and powerful than they are generally portrayed.

this hyena is hoping for a turn.

on to some much less gruesome parts of the circle of life---- babies!

adorable little vervet monkeys.

this little guy stood so still for awhile. then i realized it was because he was peeing.  : P

the water buck and it's adorable heart-shaped nose!

thanks google for this amazing animation of my photos!

our guide found these cubs hidden in the bushes before they came out from their hiding place. the camouflage is real legit.

more cute little monkeys sitting in a tree! (can you find them?)

the dik dik.

this ostrich provided quite a bit of entertainment, as he ran around like crazy, flapping his wings and dancing about. the guide said he must have been bit by something.

another baby.

that wingspan tho.

we finally found more elephants.

again, the babies!

me and cait. after our breakfast out in the savanna.