Lunch spot
We stop for lunch at a Hippo Pool. It is a beautiful setting and there are only 2 other small groups there. It is a definite advantage of visiting in the low season! We don’t really see much hippo action. It is very hot and only eyes and ears protrude above the water. They are also a little distance away.
The bigger distraction is the confident and aggressive birds who regularly dive-bomb us in an attempt to separate us from our sandwiches. They don’t have much luck with our group – we’re hungry – but they have a lot of success with a Spanish group. Maybe they just have better sandwiches!
Back in the jeep, we are only on the road five minutes when we are faced with another golden moment. There are 2 female lions lying across the road. They have no interest in us and absolutely no intention of moving. By the time Safari manoeuvres the jeep we are less than 1 metre from one and less than 2 metres from her pal. I could literally wind down the window and pat one of them on the head. Obviously, I don’t!
King (Queen) of the road
They lie there, panting in the heat. They seem so sure of their superiority – they have nothing to be concerned about from jeeps and tourists. It’s very obvious who is in charge around this neck of the woods.
I have never seen a lion this close up and what strikes me most is the sheer size of their mouths, their teeth and their paws. Funny how my attention is immediately drawn to all the killing parts! We actually have to leave the road and drive on the plains to pass them, when we reluctantly move on.
A little later, a black rhino is spotted. Although it is further away, it can be clearly seen through binoculars. It too, is relaxing in the sunshine. As we leave Ngorongora and head for the Serengeti, we are delighted with how many animals we have seen and in particular, how many have been really close encounters. We have nailed 4 of the Big 5 and all 5 of the Ugly 5. A pretty spectacular result. All we need now is a leopard.
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