Seychelles and Tanzania

Whitetailed Tropic bird chick (Phaethon Lepturus), cute but bites readily. Bird Island in the Seychelles.

A Fairy Tern (Gygis Alba) sitting on her egg without benefit of any nest. Bird Island in the Seychelles.

Olasiti Lodge, Arusha, Tanzania.

Life in the streets of Arusha, Tanzania.

A cute little Steenbok (Raphicerus Campestris). It stands about 27 inches tall and weighs 20 - 29 lbs. Tarangire National Park, Tanzania.

The first of a few roadside "delays" but this was the norm during the rainy season in Tanzania. On the road, (or in this case the ditch) near the Lake Burunge Tented Camp.

Even if you are not a bird lover, please take a good close look at this colorful wonder from Africa. This is a Lilac-Breasted Roller (Coracias Caudata). Tarangire National Park, Tanzania.

Leopard on the hunt in the tall grass of the Serengeti.

Less than 30 feet away. She looked right through us as if we did not exist, which beats being on the lunch menu. Josh our guide offered that if she was dropped down through one of the open sun roofs of our vehicle, that all seven of us would be dead in a matter of minutes.

Poor Cheetah being harassed by the hordes of flies near a herd of Common Wildebeests migrating through the area. Serengeti, Tanzania.

The open plains of the Serengeti during our chase of the migrating Wildebeest herds.

Spotted Hyena (Crocuta crocuta). Serengeti, Tanzania.

Cheetah cub with Thomson's gazelle fawn. Serengeti, Tanzania.

Mom and her cub would take turns at the dinner table.

Apparently it was now Mom's turn and there were no objections.

Lazy Lions in the Serengeti.

Impala fawn (Aepyceros melampus), Serengeti. Love those ears.

Group of Topi (Damaliscus lunatus), Serengeti.

Two younger male giraffes in a mock sparing match. Serengeti.

Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) expressing discontent in the hippo pond. One of the most dangerous animals in Africa. The large males can weigh up to 7000 lbs. Hippo top speed is 18 MPH and it can turn on a dime. The Golden Rule was never get between a hippo and the water as they are by nature quite cranky and intolerant. Source: Safari Companion, Richard D. Estes.

Preening Egyptian Geese (Alopochen aegyptiacus). Serengeti.

Cheetah Perch, Serengeti. I love this shot as the light is just falling softly across the head, neck and shoulders. Cheetahs routinely use such elevated perches to check out who is being invited to dinner.

A group of charming Acacia trees in the Serengeti, near to our camp.

Marabou Stork (Leptoptilos crumeniferus). Gets my vote every time for the ugliest creature in Africa. Up to five feet tall. It is quietly waiting for something to die or in this case  more likely waiting on table scraps from the cook's tent at our camp site. Serengeti.

Leaving our Serengeti camp for the last time and stuck again. This was about Plan D or E as I recall and it did not work either. We had to radio another tour group who collected large rocks from another part of the park. The rocks were delivered an hour or two later (no hurry when in Africa) and placed under the offending wheel for us to gain our traction and freedom.

My faithful and rather quiet traveling companion Arnold caught in the act as he continued his Beers of Africa Tour. Tloma Lodge, Tarangire National Park, Tanzania.

This is a short series of photographs depicting the "collection" of a young cow for the purpose of drawing some blood for a sick resident of this Maasai village. The animal is subdued and a noose is placed over the neck to get the neck artery to stand out. Then the Chief of the village fires a special blunted arrow into the artery and the blood rapidly flows into the gourd for tasty sampling by various warriors and our guides. The wound was carefully and quickly fixed with a mixture of grass and mud and the animal was cut loose no worse for wear. (Politically correct comments are not needed by the readers as the Maasai value their cattle more than their own lives).

The Chief readies his bow. Custom demands that only the Chief can fire the arrow for this event.

The tall Maasai warrior on the right side of this photograph single handedly  killed a lion that attacked one of his cattle a few years ago. This was done with a spear. The warrior still carries the wounds of the battle as the lion did not give its life freely.

Some of the ladies of the Maasai village, dressed in their finery.

The rim of the Ngorongoro crater, 12 miles wide.

The price for truck load of tourists to photograph this sight: Two bottles of water.

Rumor has it the owner walked them here from Egypt or the Sudan. Shot near to the Ngorongoro Crater.

And, one more time.

We are warmly welcomed to our tented camp site in the Serengeti, our home for the next four days.

Our home.

All the western comforts. It was tilted forward a bit which made things interesting at times. Yes, this was a flush toilet.

A Black Backed Jackal (Canis mesomelas) waiting for his morning coffee. Serengeti.

Baboon enjoying a grass snack. Serengeti.

Maasai grazing their cattle in Ngorongoro Crater. Tanzania.

Spotted Hyena Pillow. We also saw Zebra do this on one occasion. Serengeti.

Ostrich swallowing a ball of grass in the Ngorongoro Crater.

One of God's best works, a Grey Crowned Crane (Balearica regulorum gibbericeps) feeding in the grass of the Ngorongoro Crater. Simply magnificent.

Zebra foal feeding while mom stands guard. Ngorongoro Crater.

A loudly hissing dung beetle. Tloma Lodge, Arusha, Tanzania.

A boy and his moving bacon. On the road towards Arusha.

Edward Meadow of South Carolina playing catch with this delightful young lady. On the road to Arusha, Tanzania.

Typical traffic chaos of Arusha, Tanzania.

I need more luggage or less trinkets. This was the final haul.

My checked luggage arrived home eight days after I did. My eternal gratitude to my traveling companion, Sandy, a former travel agency owner, for her supreme efforts to find our bags lost somewhere on the African continent.

My thanks again to the fools at Kenya Airways for losing our luggage three times in one trip and twice within 12 hours.

Should you travel to Africa, avoid this airline at all costs.

The End