Tuesday 14 February
The overnight was much quieter. I only heard the nearly constant laughing of the hyenas nearby and once I heard lions a good distance away. We’d planned with Simon to leave again at 6 am and try for Giza first. This was my last game drive to try to see her in daylight.
Over coffee the German girls let it slip that they weren’t really jazzed about seeing the black leopard again and wanted to try for lions. No one let Simon know this though and he really wanted to get me that daylight shot so we spent the first hour and a half looking for her.
It didn’t take long at all. A little after 6 he saw a shadow on the rocky riverbed that turned out to be her. She was sitting there cleaning and flicking her ear with her back foot, like any preening princess would. The question was, which way would she go? Cross back over to the (inaccessible to us) other side of the river or head towards us? And the bigger question for me, the inexperience darkness photographer, is would she wait until closer to sunrise? I was really hoping for golden hour, with that perfect golden light.
Simon made an educated guess, and came very close to where she’d eventually cross over. We did have to double-back a bit so we’d see her coming right at us. I was just firing off shots with abandon, maybe a little too carelessly as some of them are a bit overexposed (here come some Photoshop lessons when I get home) but she looked right at me several times. I won’t deny it was a bit like when Morrissey looks right at my camera. I felt like I was the only one in her world. She’s a rock star indeed. I’ve lost count and will have to confirm when I review all the photos but I think I took 4 or 5 sets of photos from different locations. I think if I had to be picky, I’d have loved that golden hour experience, but I’m beyond thrilled that I saw her on 3 of 4 game drives, really up close and hunting at that!
At some point two other vehicles joined our parade following Giza and I think she grew weary of it. In the end she retreated to the other side for some privacy.
Simon then tried to deliver on the lions again. I sort of felt like it was a bit of a lost cause with only an hour or so until (I thought) we’d have to be back at camp to eat and pack before heading out to the airstrip. He gave it his best effort, cruising through thick bush, following fresh lion tracks and using his historical experience to track them. To no avail. I let him know at some point that I’d have to pack and eat before we left for the airstrip, which I think clued him in that time was a’wasting and we needed to get back. In the end, I had 20 minutes to pack and eat. I did it, but it was a bit close.
We had a good chat on the way to the Sosian airstrip. He’s a great guy with really good experience and admittedly an immense passion for his job. I told him how lucky he was to love what he does like that and he said he is equally blessed by having a boss he admires and who takes care of them all. I was sad to leave him at the airstrip, and I truly feel like I have a friend in Laikipia now.
Arriving at the airstrip, I was met with the vision of the smallest plane I’d ever seen, a 2-seater Cessna, literally me next to the pilot, that’s it! It was amazingly smooth, probably the smoothest flight I’ve ever had, big or small. I would definitely do it again, although if it were windy or crazy turbulent I’d probably rethink that!
I was met by Sarara’s guide Daniel. He began to explain the Samburu culture to me, since this is my first exposure to the area and the tribe. They are very strict culturally to the extent that they can only marry within the tribe. He also asked that I not photograph any Samburu people because they believe that photographs take away a person’s soul. Something to think about in this selfie-obsessed world!
Sarara is set up much like Emakoko, with separate thatched cottages set into the hillside. I’m in #6, which is about 2 flights of sandy stairs up. It’s all screened in, with a door to an outdoor shower area. Thankfully there is also an indoor toilet so that I don’t have to think twice about using it in the middle of the night.
The camp manager greeted me and introduced me to all of the staff. It is not lost on me that his name is Robert. I’ve felt Dad along on this journey and little hints like that only reinforce the feeling. I teared up and quickly had to recover so they don’t think I’m certifiable.
Gearing up for lunch now…
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