We leave the Wild Source Research Camp at 7 A.M. and head for the local Ndutu air strip. Our one hour flight to Tarime near Lake Victoria is on time. Bill has arranged for us to be transferred from Tarime to the Kenya border crossing at Migori via local SUVs. Our drivers convey us first to Tanzanian Immigration where we process out of Tanzania. We pile back in the vehicles and drive a short distance to the Kenyan side where we buy our entry visas.

The subsequent drive to the airstrip outside Migori is further than I would have guessed . The road, especially the last stretch to the airport, is very rough. When we arrive, our plane is waiting. However, only six of us can go on that aircraft. The runway is too short for the aircraft to get sufficient speed to lift all nine of us. Bill, Jeanne and Jory board another aircraft that arrives while we are boarding the first plane.

We arrive in the Maasai Mara and are met by Ping and Daniel, our Maasai guides. Ping waits for Bill and the Kestens while we start in the general direction of the Mara Plains camp with Daniel. As we leave the airstrip, we hear the second plane arrive. In rapid succession, we see our first Mara hippo, Topi, Bohor Reedbuck and pair of lions. The Bohor Reedbuck is a first for us.      

We are within the Olare Motorogi Conservancy of the Maasai Mara. The Conservancy is an area of 30,000 acres which is a haven for lion & cheetah. The last census reported fifty one lions living here. There are only five camps in the entire Conservancy . All are small. Our Mara Plains camp has only eight tents.

It is nearly 3 P.M. when we reach the Mara Plains camp to drop our belongings in the tent and have a quick lunch. We had heard rumors of the lavishness of the camp's tents but nothing could have prepared us for what we find. Our tent is two rooms covering 1,000 square feet. The flush commode has its own room. Otherwise, the shower – tub – vanity – bedroom and sitting area is one huge room. We have a panoramic view of the Mara outside our elevated veranda. I am amazed. This is the largest tent outside Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus I have ever seen.

It is 4:30 by the time we embark on our first Mara game drive. A grey headed kingfisher and a Bee Eater welcome us. Nine minutes later we are taking pictures of a brother and sister cheetah lounging in the bush. It is obvious the pair is hungry. The male gets up and moves off into the bush. Seconds later the female is on her feet and racing after her brother . Ping and Daniel have us in pursuit in a matter of seconds but even that is not fast enough.

We reach the female and she has an Impala fawn in her mouth. We learn the male cheetah also has a baby Impala. We watch as the female eats her catch. She wastes no time as lions and hyena are both in the area. It begins to rain. We stay with the cheetahs.

Later, we spy an Impala ram with large lyre-shaped horns posed on a hilltop looking back at us in the fading light. Near dark we see two sleeping male lions that our known to Guide Daniel. The first is Romeo II. The second is Mohawk. They are resting apart but near one another. We expect them to hunt but they do not. As light fades, a hippo emerges from the nearby river but neither Romeo nor Mohawk show any interest. Finally, we head back to camp.