Jambo! We are sitting on the porch of our amazing safari lodge, Mweya, on our second full day of safari here in Queen Elizabeth National Park. We awoke to the most phenomenal thunderstorm slashing at our porch and sending sharp streaks of lightning bolts into the channel beyond our doors. Even as I write the thunder continues to roll, though the rain has subsided. Our morning safari was planned to depart at 7am but we are waiting now until the animals come back out of protection.
We have had some amazing siting. Last night we drove out to where we had seen the lions in the earlier morning game drive. Instead of being far away from the dirt path as they had been previously, they were much closer, though still lounging. As we sat there, the sun setting behind us across the plains and a cold beer in hand, the pride slowly leap frogged closer to our car. One would get up, move a few feet in our direction and then flop. Then another would get up, pass the first, and flop. Closer and closer the juvenile males and their mama flopped, sometimes in twos and sometimes pouncing on each other or rolling over like house lazy cats when they hit ground. But then one young male came sauntering right towards the vehicles to an anthill only fifteen feet from the closest car. It was as if he were claiming "King of the mountain" before us, putting on a show. Then the others came closer and eventually all eight that had been farther out were only 30feet from our car, sitting, rolling, pouncing on each other with playful growls and gnashed teeth. We stayed watching for over an hour in complete disbelief by their proximity not just to see but to HEAR! Like the gorillas we were lucky to see, this was sure to be one of the highlights of our trip for sure.
The previous night's safari was not long in duration but high in excitement. As we made our way back to the lodge at dusk we were told by a passing vehicle that there was an elephant in the path ahead. So we were on the lookout for this beastly animal when Benson stopped the van. "Do you see? On the ground." We scanned the ground, looking for an elephant. How can you miss it when it's several tons?! We couldn't see it! But then, within seconds, we DID see! Not an elephant but a beautiful leopard lying between two bushes in plain sight only 20ft from the car! Her white was so white and her tail had spots that increased in size as they neared the end. Again, we sat and watched for a while and then Benson shined his headlights on her to have her stand up. What a beauty! She came a mere 15ft from us, stopped and crouched behind a bush to stare at us. Slowly, after deciding not to attack the big vehicle, she slunk away, low to the ground. As we pulled away on cloud nine we were still exclaiming how COOL that was when, ahead! A lion! But as we got closer we saw, no! It was another leopard. But a male this time, so darker and larger! Two leopards close to the road for viewing is just remarkable, considering they are such reclusive, elusive, solitary creatures. We are SO lucky!
We've also had the enjoyment of seeing elephants, hippos, kob (an antelope), water bucks, buffaloes, mongeese, hyenas, alligators, Corbis monkeys, baboons, monitor lizards, warthogs, and countless birds (storks, fish eagles, king fishers, pelicans, and winged creatures with other amazing colors and sounds). As Benson said, as we "oohed" and "Ahhed" our way in the winding mountainside of Lake Buynyoni as we exclaimed, "this is SO beautiful", "each place is a new type of beauty which will cause you to forget the previous." As we sit here listening to the birds chattering, the lake and channel breeze, and see the winding dirt road snake away from the lodge to the plethora of amazing wilderness, we know he is right. This is new best thing.