Oct 19, 2010
Tuesday

My National Geographic Day That I Had Been Waiting For!!!


I was woken up by John with my morning,’ hello,” a tray of coffee and biscuits. Joined the others guests for breakfast. Then Chris, his fiancée Rebecca, who are from Van Coover, Canada, and me were off for our game drive.


They are planning to get married in Zanzibar on the beach in 4 days. Her wedding dress is in a zip lock bag from The Banana Republic and they told their parents, sorry they can not join them!


We drove around for a while then stopped for 2 hours just watching the wildebeests at the edge of the Mara River. They would walk to the right in a pack of 2000 then join another herd of 1000 and a few would get so close to the water. We just knew it was any second one would jump and start the migration…but no, they would turn and walk away. It was a waiting game. Several other jeeps sat and hid in the brush as well. Emanuel served coffee and tea at the 21/2 hour mark. We drove about ½ mile around to the other side as the wildebeest had changed their position. We began to share pictures and Chris was showing me his video of their trip to Thailand when all of a sudden Emanuel hears on the radio they have started crossing and we are on the wrong side. He floors it!!! The race is on. We see dust clouds in the distance and we know for sure this is IT!!!! All the jeeps are now racing across the bush at 40-50mph. It is thrilling to say the least. As we get to a small off shoot of the river crossing we see one jeep get stuck in the sand. The people jump out and start running. Another jeep that made it across stop to let them in. Our driver Emanuel is amazing and gets up over as if we had wings. We definitely caught air flying over this challenging rock filled stream. What a great commercial for Toyota land cruisers!


We made it. It is safe to get out and we are in awe. Our fingers barely leaving the shutter release, the videos are being shot and just watching thousands of wildebeests and zebras hurl themselves into the river was just a moment in time I will never forget. The animals running and diving in the river not caring who they crush. One wildebeest was eaten by a crocodile in a nano second but it appeared all the rest made it across. We all stood there for 20 minutes or more. It was extraordinary. This is what I wanted to see on this trip and I am so grateful I had the chance. It is luck for sure!


As we all returned to our jeeps the excitement was yet not over. The jeep that was stuck in the sand back in the stream was an event in itself. To watch 2 other jeeps pull it out was great. These drivers are amazing. The terrain is rocky, wet, we had gotten a flat tire one day and to see their skill with these vehicles is quite impressive.


We went back for lunch and then for the afternoon game drive.


Dinner was yet another gourmet feast and we learned the couple from South Africa were on their honeymoon. They were in their 40’s and it was the second for both. They had done their first Iron Man this past April. Very impressive. They has gone to 5 of the world cup games and told of their experience.


It was a fun last night in the bush for me.