We started out at the big hippo pool which was the hippo mud pool. They were just wallowing in it with very little action. We pulled the plug and started the long trek to the Mara River and our luxury mobile tented camp. We stopped in a small village for water and sodas and hit the Serengeti entry gate at 1:00. Our camp was way off the beaten path!  The road winds through a beautiful landscape of rock kopis, valleys and plains. There are nine tents and we owned this place! Mine was #9, way in the back and close to the woodlands. The saying “It’s all fun and games until you’re eaten by a lion” kept going through my mind. The camp had super nice tents, great food and attentive staff.

We headed out at 4:00 with the plan to scout the river. I would have to enter the afternoon game drive as one of the most memorable of my life. The Mara River turned out to be two minutes from camp! Not only that, but there were about 15,000 wildebeest on the other side waiting for us to get into position so they could cross. We waited no more than five minutes for the first wildebeest to start the action! I couldn’t believe it.  They were spilling down three cliff faces to the single entry point before they crossed.

They gathered together in the water before exiting, making exquisite patterns. I shot as much variety as I could think of, but I believe there was quite a bit of panic involved in the whole process! I have no idea how long it lasted, but everyone was in heaven.

On the way home we only had three cheetahs and wildebeest running on a ridge against the setting sun!

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