Searching for the Migration

At the very top of my bucket list was to see the animal migration in the Serengeti or the Masai Mara.  I was very excited to visit Kenya and the experience was a phenomenal one.

Because of the seasonal nature of the migration there is no guarantee that your travel plans will coincide perfectly with the spectacle.  At the time I think I was the victim of too many hours watching the BBC Wildlife channel.  I absolutely expected to encounter a gigantic herd of Wildebeest hurtling across the endless plains, with lions to the left, hyenas to the right and the occasional crocodile thrown into the mix. Instead, we met up with the leading herds - wildebeest and zebra, grazing as they mooched rather than thundered across the grassy plains.  We did see them crossing a stream that was more like a puddle than the mighty Masai river - and they made a real production out of it - bucking and leaping and snorting, for no apparent reason.

We had driven most of the day, with a packed lunch, in order to find the herds.  Afterwards, driving back to the camp, with animals dotting the plains as far as the eye could see, was a surreal and amazing experience - but - instead of  the animals providing the spectacle, it was something (at that time) a lot less expected - it was the magnitude of the sky that was the stand-out factor.  We were a speck on the universe and the canopy of blue above stretched forever.  It was the first time I understood the concept of a Big Sky.  I was glad to have seen the migration, but it was far from the only reason to visit this incredible destination and I look forward, ever so much, to my next visit!

Until next time