Entries about wildebesst

Although I slept well, I wake up feeling crap this morning, and struggle to walk from the room to the restaurant even at a snail's pace, having to stop several times to catch my breath. Thankfully Malisa very kindly brings the car half way down the slope enabling me to miss out on climbing most of the steep hill.

This morning starts with one of the strangest – and most spectacular – sunrises I have ever seen.

Across a gully we see a large pride of eleven lions. I do miss Ndutu and being able to drive off-road. Here at Serengeti that is a definite no-no, so we remain at some distance from the cats

While the adults mostly just lie around enjoying the early morning sunshine, some of the cubs captivate us with their play fighting and usual energetic antics.

Making the most of the morning sunshine, this rare mongoose is in a difficult spot for photographing; but it is a thrilling sighting for us: only once before and only for a brief blink-and-you'd-miss-it moment have we seen one of these.

We haven't travelled far before we spot three more lions.

They are heading directly for the big cats.

We had been planning to go for breakfast, but decide to hang around to see what pans out between the wildebeest and the lions.

So we wait. And wait. And wait. It all peters out and we head for the picnic site. That's the nature of safari – occasionally you are rewarded with something exciting, but mostly you spend a lot of time waiting for nothing.

On our way we spot a couple of topi. They are so remarkably near that Malisa comments he has never seen any so close to the car before.

They are presumably engrossed in the job in hand – fighting for a female.

Although it seems all rather half-hearted to me – they clash, then stare each other out and them look all chilled out as if they are best of mates.

The truce doesn't last long, however, and hostilities soon recommence.

Topi fighting is scary stuff, especially if you are a topi. The guy on the left is so petrified he shits himself.

Mind you, I would be frightened if I had a huge horned antelope coming towards me like this.

The fighting gazelles are right by the car, and we can hear the loud clashing of the horns.

By now they are so close I can't get them both in the picture, even at the widest setting on my lens.

An uneasy ceasefire is declared for a spot of breakfast.

Ding! Ding! Time for Round Three.

Will this end only on the death of one of them as often happens?

Thankfully not; one of the would-be suitors capitulates and runs off to lick his wounds, leaving the victor standing proud.

Just like we did last year, we stop at the Visitors Centre to have our breakfast. Not only do they have a number of shaded picnic tables, there are also nice, modern toilet facilities.

The breakfast supplied by Kubu Kubu is excellent: omelette, potatoes, sausage and bacon; plus several pastries, bread and cakes. We are certainly not going hungry on this trip. The only thing that rather amuses me, is seeing half a tomato in the fruit salad. It reminds me of the saying: "Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad."

The other good thing about the Visitor's Centre is all the local residents – a large number of Tree and Rock Hyraxes.

Another great morning game viewing with much more to come in the next instalment of my blog. Thank you Calabash Adventures for arranging it all.