This is exactly how I felt when I checked into the Fairmont Mara Safari Club. Travel & Leisure magazine just printed a list of the Top 100 Hotel Destinations worldwide. This was #3. Don't ask me what #1 is because I don't know. But this is a doozy.
We're staying in huge, luxurious tents. Yeah, I know, I know. Those of you who know me are laughing yourselves silly because I'm am NOT a "tent" kind of gal. But this is different. Believe me, we lack for nothing & aren't roughing it. We're situated on the Mara River & hippos are constantly floating around right outside our door. When we got back from our game drive yesterday, there was a monkey sitting on our porch. When I tried to befriend it, it threw a nut at my leg & ran away. Damn demon monkey. As we drift off to sleep at night, we hear the hippos roaring & snorting, & we can hear monkeys running across the roof of our tent. I mean, people ...... CAN YOU FRICKING IMAGINE THIS?????? Matt & I can barely take in all the wonder. The new friends we met on our tour, & especially our Tour Director, are constantly making fun of me because I get teary-eyed everyday. I do not take this for granted. I realize how very lucky we are to tour a Masaai village, or watch a baby giraffe drink its mother's milk, or have the King of the Jungle pass right in front of our jeep, or ride over a herd of wildebeests in a hot air balloon, & yes, even witness a leopard kill a topi (a kind of antelope). When we get back to the hotel after a game drive & are given our hot towels soaked in eucalyptus, a few people approach me & jokingly use their towels to wipe the tears from my face. But I'm so very moved by what I'm seeing --- it touches my heart.
I just wanted to put my two cents worth in here. Matt is doing a fine job giving detailed descriptions of our day. Everyday is another joyful experience, & I can't tell you the pain I feel that it's about to come to an end. I knew this trip would be unforgettable, but it has surpassed every expectation I ever had. This place has changed me, & I already yearn for the day when I can return.
- Clara
I just want to do a quick piggy-back on Clara's post. This morning we were driving around and came across this cheetah. If you'll remember from about a week ago I posted a "picture" of a cheetah we took in Serengeti NP which was taken from over 125 yards away. In the Masai Mara we drove right up to where the cheetah was napping a took photos from only 10 feet away. Here are two of the great photos:
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