Wondering where the lions are
At 16:00, having settled into our new camp, we headed out to explore the Mara.
George spotted a pair of lions, far from any of the trails.
I asked if we could go off-trail for a closer look, but George said no: that would be a breach of park regulations, punishable by a fine of ten thousand shillings. We were disappointed - the more so after George announced his find over the radio, and six vehicles arrived in response, and each of those six vehicles went off-trail so its occupants could take better pictures than the one above. Still, I respected George's professionalism.
Our disappointment was short-lived. Half an hour later, the Mystery Machine's radio crackled to life, and we were off to a spot where we saw a half-dozen safari vehicles and one truck containing two park rangers. Someone had spotted an entire pride of lions resting just a few feet off the trail, and the rangers were managing the viewing process, allowing the vehicles to approach one at a time, so that the lions would not be disturbed.
When our turn came, I was ready.
“Sun’s up, mmm hmm, looks okay
The world survives into another day
And I’m thinking about eternity
Some kind of ecstasy got a hold on me
I had another dream about lions at the door
They weren’t half as frightening as they were before
But I’m thinking about eternity
Some kind of ecstasy got a hold on me...”