There is something about safari life that makes you forget all your sorrows and feel as if you had drunk half a bottle of champagne – bubbling over with heartfelt gratitude for being alive – Karen Blixen, author of Out of Africa.

Little did we know that the first day on The Mara only gave us a taste of what was to come.  Day two, we were off and going at 7:00 am on our game drive.  Where the day before was an overcast and cool, today was picture perfect.  The sun was shining and the clouds billowed in the background.  God could not have painted a more perfect picture when we encountered a giraffe grazing along the side of the road this morning.

In the park, time flies as you search for animals along the trails, looking behind every bush and tree along the way, hoping you spot that elusive lion or cheetah.  What are in abundance are zebra, impala and eland.  Everywhere you turn, these animals are grazing.  One would think this would be a virtual smorgasbord for a big cat.  But none were to be found. 

Finally, late morning, our perseverance paid off, and we spotted our first lion.  The location was like we were on the set of The Lion King in this oasis in The Mara.  Lying there on a rock in the shade, a lioness rested as though she didn’t have a care in the world, preening like an ordinary house cat.

After a picnic lunch near the border with Tanzania, we were off for the second half of the drive.  The day continued to provide us with multiple opportunities to see hippos, hyenas, elephants and several species of birds along the way.  But our biggest prize came as the day began to wane when we came upon a leopard, resting near a creek, under an acacia tree.  It took me a while before I was able to find the well camouflaged cat, but when I did, it was a site to see.  

What a day it was in this beautiful part of Kenya.  Tomorrow will be our last day in The Mara.  I cannot wait to see what she reveals to us then. 

For more pictures, check out the latest in the Africa 2022 Gallery