Serengeti/Natron Trip Part 2

We got up at 430am, dressed hurriedly and met our driver. Raced along under a huge starry sky through the pre-dawn Serengeti. Saw hyena and hippo going home from their respective foraging/grazing. We got to the launch site to find 2 large balloons on their sides in the process of being inflated. No strong wind, it was perfect flying conditions. Franatee started freaking a bit at a huge rent in the side of our balloon..phew, it is meant to be there to let excess hot air out.

We were told we would have to get into the basket (16 to a basket) sideways to stop the possibility of the basket being dragged around as the balloon was lifted upright. Or something. So amidst the din of fans blowing air into the balloon and huge gouts of flaming gas, we were motioned into our positions. Slowly, the basket was pulled upright and-almost without feeling it-we were airborne as the sun rose behind us.

(view from the basket)

While technically at the mercy of the wind, we felt no turbulence as we smoothly gained distance and altitude. It was like no other flying experience I have had.


(zebra below as we drift over)

(a giraffe as seen from the air)
For an hour we drifted over hippo heading back to rivers, spooked herds of zebra, running gazelle and birds sitting in trees. It was all pretty amazing. And over far too soon. We came to a smooth landing in an open clearing and shot back champagne to celebrate (told you it was foppish). A nice champagne breakfast in the heart of the Serengeti. It was a little weird getting waited on by Tanzanians in faux turbaned servant outfits, but I had a good yak to a couple of Aussie lawyers over my bacon and tomatoes. And received a certificate for my flight, probably my most demonstrable achievement in the last 7 months...awkward

Safari time
After the balloon, we met our driver again and after a short break watching mongeese cavort at a visitor centre, we were off game spotting. Saw tons of zebra. Our driver was great for getting us in the right spot to see the rarities. We sat for 30 minutes as a leopard finished eating a kill under a nearby tree before it hoisted itself up on a branch.


Was stoked to be able to photograph a leopard again (after someone lost our leopard photos from South Africa 2 years ago…awkward). We watched a large herd of elephant-including a jaunty baby-pass behind our vehicle.

The highlight of the day for me-though perhaps not the wife-was watching a cheetah slowly stalk up to a starting position by a herd of Thomson’s Gazelle. 8 vehicles (heh, spectator blood sport) waited silently for 45 minutes until after a short jog, the cheetah shot off at maximum speed after a gazelle.

We soon lost it in a swirl of dust and panicked antelope. We found it again some distance away, through the binos, suffocating its victim before eating quickly. While no hyena were around, vultures were soon landing and waiting impatiently until their numbers were enough to scare the cheetah away from its food. (Francoise still wishes she had taken an air horn to warn the hapless gazelle.)

Makes you think about how in the animal kingdom you are either fast or you are hungry/dinner.

I must say, I’ve done my share of game parks in Africa but I’ve never seen tourists in such numbers and with such fevered panic as they were in the Serengeti, aggressively vying for the best photo opportunities. Guess I’ve been spoilt and can relax and realize it is all a bit of a gamble as to what you will see.

We passed by a pool packed to the gills with hippo…big dirty things scrapping in a slurry of poop with mouths full of tusks…a solitary croc basking behind them.


We then saw two cheetahs and a cub hoeing into another dead gazelle. We headed back to Ikoma Tented Lodge again for a shower and a bit of a rest. I sat outside the tent watching a huge thundercloud move slowly across the horizon. I like how Africa makes me feel small.

The wife and I were exhausted but still had a night drive to do. Franatee fell asleep on the drive, despite her insisting we needed to do the activity. At least we saw quite a few rabbits, we don’t get those back home. Hate night drives.
(to be continued)