Serengeti Sunrise

We were up at 5:30am every day ... to see what we could see ... which was an amazing amount ;-)

Our routine was to take in as much as possible between sunrise and 1 pm every day, then head back to camp. Perhaps a short snooze after lunch and then we were out again from 4 pm to 6 pm ... but we were a bit later back than that on a couple of occasions. 

The first time we had managed to get two punctures in one day, the second puncture just before we were about to head back to camp. Michael, our guide, had a couple of challenges changing the wheel, but we enjoyed it immensely as we were in a great spot to take in the fading light with a grand view over the Masai Mara. More on that later.

The second time was a little more planned. We had organised to have our sundowners atop a crest as we watched the sun set over the Masai Mara and Isuria Escarpment.

The mornings were fairly cool and the sun was very welcome when it started to warm up. By 8 am we were ready for breakfast and we typically set this up under a thorn tree a little away from the Mara River, but in sight of the big herds of wildebeest on the other side. If they started crossing we were ready to jump into the Landcruiser and get into position closer to the river to start taking photos.

By midday it was often about 30+ degrees Centigrade (86 degrees Fahrenheit) and we were glad of some shade. Towards the end of our stay the wildlife was thinning out as the herds moved further south but we always saw zebra, giraffe, impala and often hyena and baboons early in the day. We frequently saw buffalo as there were several pairs who lived near the camp, but they were the one animal Michael steered clear of.

The smell of a still-smouldering campfire at dawn.

I love sitting in the hour before dawn, somewhere far off in the bush, around a still-smouldering campfire, sipping a mug of hot tea while I warm my hands and watch the sunrise.

Add a wide horizon, the sounds of the birds getting busy before the sun shows itself, and the promise of another day ... free to wander randomly across the landscape drinking it all in. So many things seems to make more sense out here and, whilst the rawness of this life seems confronting to some, the birds, the beasts and the little beasties, aka bugs, mostly excel at surviving. The supreme skills of the kingfishers, the power and team work of hyenas, and the lone female cheetah hunting for herself and three cubs.

These are things to contemplate around an old camp fire when life is getting busy for another day of doing whatever it is that you do best. And now it's time to go and see for myself.

Sunrise spotlight on the Serengeti plains

I loved the colours just after sunrise in the Serengeti. After regular showers the grass was quite green, but still hadn't grown very long after the burn-offs and there was little or no dust. Wonderful time of year to visit.

Judging by the shape of this tree it would seem that giraffe have been browsing here for many years.

#landscapephotography #whitefellawalkabout #tanzania #serengeti #wildlifephotography #giraffe #savannah