We first spotlighted actonsteve’s Africa adventure here in December, but that was before his latest journal introduced what just may be the best part of his trip. The Great Wildebeest Migration – Masai Mara National Reserve is an exhilarating account of the natural event in which “two million animals sally forth and coat the terrain in a sea of black-coated animals” during “the greatest wildlife show on earth.”
The traveler’s tales of life and death on the Mara are visceral, and, alongside his more lighthearted observations about things like camping, make for an unforgettable IgoUgo journal. The collection of reviews closes with an anecdote that captures both actonsteve’s trademark humor and his new understanding of the Mara: “We also saw the baby giraffe—probably only about two weeks old—standing watching us with curiosity. It pressed my ‘ain’t it cute’ buttons and I found myself wishing it a long life. A nice idea...but in the Mara it just ain’t gonna happen...”
Meanwhile, NancyK P’s safari tale takes place in South Africa, just over the border from Botswana. Based at Tau, a wildlife reserve, she explored a “dusty landscape” rife with zebras, wildebeest (so many it almost became a case of “ho hum, more wildebeests”), and giraffes. She even spied a post-lunch lion with a blood-stained cheek and was “so lucky” as to spot a late-season black mamba. We, however, are far luckier: we have her experience to read, and the deadly snake on our computer screens only.
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