Tag Archives: animals

A walk to the wild

Posted on December 11, 2015 by

We stayed with our friend, Jo, who lives a short distance from the National Zoo in Washington, DC. Since the zoo is free of charge (like all the other Smithsonian Institutions), we often took our daily walk there to see … Continue reading →

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Our rainy day activity

Posted on June 3, 2015 by

A forecast of rain on our last day in Bend, moved us to head for the High Desert Museum. We admit that, after years of living near the Smithsonian with its many museums in Washington, DC, we had doubts that … Continue reading →

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Choosing a camera for a BIG photo opportunity (like a safari)

Posted on July 26, 2014 by

Our group planned the safari two years in advance, so we had ample time to think about what camera we would take with us.  We planned to do a walking safari  (best to have a lightweight camera), but we would … Continue reading →

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Walking vs Driving?

Posted on July 24, 2014 by

We always prefer walking to driving – but how about on a safari?  A walking safari was an appealing option offered by Mark Thornton Safaris.  We emailed back and forth with Mark and decided our safari would be long enough … Continue reading →

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Photography from afar (with a compact camera)

Posted on July 22, 2014 by

Why did we think that we might not see many animals in Africa, and why did we worry we would be too far away to take photographs when we did see them? We truly wanted to see the environment we … Continue reading →

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Little findings

Posted on July 20, 2014 by

When we travel, we’re looking for the little things that tell us the story of the new place we’re in. If we told you we were in Africa for a safari, you might think we came to see the Big … Continue reading →

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Dropping into the crater

Posted on July 19, 2014 by

We were awakened at 5am, when Samuel brought us a tray with coffee and hot chocolate. We scrambled to get ready.   Thanks to good planning by Mark Thornton, we stayed at Lemala Tented Camp inside the Ngorongoro park, so it was … Continue reading →

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An Unexpected Invitation

Posted on July 17, 2014 by

We walked for several hours, transitioning from the hard mud-caked flats to grassy plains. A Barbaig tribesman appeared out of nowhere and approached Melly, our Maasai guide. Would our group like to visit his home inside the boma? (Note: A … Continue reading →

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Barren landscape encounter

Posted on July 15, 2014 by

We walked through grassy plains.  Wildebeest ignored us, but two warthogs approached and stared as we strolled by them.  (Which was the stranger animal worth watching?) In a short time the landscape turned from grassy to hard-caked barren mud as … Continue reading →

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An athletic contest in Maasai country

Posted on July 13, 2014 by

How did the contest begin?  We walked through the Maasai Steppe with our guides in the late afternoon.  Chagamba walked in front with a rifle and our Maasai guides walked in the rear with their spears.  Did someone ask just … Continue reading →

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