Last night the hotel naturalist Hagai approached our group on the bar for a 6am nature walk across the plain. My group was not terribly excited, but of course I was. I was just worried my broken foot would flare up. To cement his offer, he sang us a Swahili song and played guitar. What a cool moment. Again, our group was nonplussed, and refused his offer of a second song!
I woke at 4am to (mis-) handle my technology and make sure I had triple checked my packing so I'd be ready to check our at 730a and have brekkie before out 8am start.
I was freaking out in the dark that I could not find my flashlight to walk safely to the main lodge through the bush but remembered I had lent it to the guard who escorts people to their rooms- without a light! No problem, he was still working.
I caught up on my writing in the 45 min I waited for my nature guide. The other group had switched its walk to the evening and he didn't think I'd come. But the hotel phoned him and he woke and got dressed I guess.
Hagai is the sort of man who likes to spout information but does not listen to what others say. There's the blah blah bird, and so on, scripted, like my pretty docent at Karen Blixen.
We were accompanied by one if the only men in the park with a gun, a park ranger in a dark green military outfit with an ak-47. the three of us mismatched oddballs took off down the steep butte onto the open plains, spotting Cape buffalo, giraffes, elephants, impala, gazelles, and hoards of bird species. Anyone who goes to the Serengeti should make the effort to do one of these walks because there are no other opportunities to be out in the true natural environment, just controlled rest stops, because guides cannot protect guests.
There were two exceptional aspects of the hike. From the jeep there is no way to experience a wide variety of native plants, smelling and tasting them and inspecting their complex leaves and fruits. One also does not have the tranquil peaceful atmosphere in which to hear the intricate callsi noob of the native birds. The few birds who frequent rest stops are probably akin to the typek humans you'd find in rest stops.
I saw about six types of acacias. Giraffe friends only eat one type, but you'd never know from the road. Most plants have a strong essential oil aroma when crushed, and the Masai make tea out of maybe ten I sampled. One herb is especially prized by Indians for its strong savoury flavour and aroma. Unfortunately we were so rushed by our late start and my difficulty understanding hagai that I have no record of these plants and birds except from memory.
At brekkie the host found tics on my back and picked them off. Mick double checked me before we drove off for ngorogoro.
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