Peter picked us up at 0830 after a delightful buffet breakfast and one of our best sleeps in over a month. We headed out the gate and back into the grasslands. Our first leg stretching stop was at the "Equator".
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| From kenya 2011 |
This involved another demonstation of the Correolus Effect which I have seen several times in Ecuador, followed by an invitation to visit (surprise) the carving shop.
We headed on thru the grassland before turning onto a rough dirt road for several kilometers before incongruously going back onto a paved road to the ranger station where we bought park passes.
We then headed back onto the dirt road to the "Country Club" which is the base for "The Ark". The Country Club was a lovely stone building surrounded by stone bungalows. Baboons frolicked in the well manicured grounds.
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| From kenya 2011 |
We arrived at 1100 and were told lunch would be at 1245. We walked the grounds and took it all in. Other guests arrived while we waited.
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| From kenya 2011 |
We had sat for a long time and realized gradually that the rest of the day would involve sitting watching a waterhole at The Ark so we took advantage of the optional game drive for $40 each instead of the bus directly to the lodge.
After lunch our driver took us away in a large Toyota Landcruiser. We first visted the lodge's private game reserve and entered a large field filled with giraffes, zebras, warthogs, and antelopes. Because we were not in the park, we were able to actually walk up quite close to a group of giraffes.
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| From kenya 2011 |
We headed on out into the park. We saw lots of the usual animals, baboons, Cape Buffalo and antelopes. We suddenly stopped and our driver pointed to our right. In the bushes was a large grey shape. An elephant. As we snapped pictures, he gradually emerged from the bushes into view.
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| From kenya 2011 |
We must have spent half and hour observing him. Later we came across a family of elephants in the bushes. We could get a clear shot of one elephant only 5 metres from our vehicle. During the three hour drive we saw a family of Black and White Collobus monkeys frolicking in the trees.
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| From kenya 2011 |
We also saw from a distance a bush pig. These are very rare and were endangered largely due their penchant for challenging lions. Lions have now been removed from the park to allow their population to increase (perhaps along with their intelligence).
After a delay caused by a large tour bus stuck in front of us we arrived at The Ark.
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| From kenya 2011 |
The Ark sits in front of a watering hole and former salt lick. The salt lick is gone but the staff put out salt every day. Balconies overlook the area included an enclosed lounge and "the bunker" where you can admire the animals thru slits at ground level. The Ark was built in 1970 and looks so. According to the Lonely Planet the furniture is from Austin Powers. I disagree. You would not want to shag in the chairs in the viewing lounge.
Arriving in the lounger we proudly announced that we had seen two elephants. A dour Israeli man informed us he had already seen 12 at the water hole.
There were only buffalo and wart hogs at the water hole when we sat down, however in time a line of elephants emerged from the forest and ambled slowly towards the water hole.
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| From kenya 2011 |
During the evening there was a steady coming and going mostly of buffalo and elephants. A hyena wandered through at one point. The hotel has a buzzer system which alerts you in your room of any important sightings like rhinos, leopards or something killing something.
We slept soundly in the spartan rooms of The Ark. After breakfast we left in the bus back to the Country Club. Almost immediately our driver stopped. He pointed to a leopard at the side of the road. As we watched and scrambled for our cameras the leopard ambled slowly across the road. In the large front window of the bus, everybody could have had a memorable viewing and even some decent photos without leaving their seats. Not to happen. One man lept to his feet blocking everybody's view while he got his memorable leopard shot. He returned smugly to his seat oblivious to the ill will being directed towards him.
We waited for a while to see if the leopard would re-emerge before passing on. We later saw a family of bush pigs in the foliage and finally arrived back at the Country Club where we retrieved the rest of our luggage and Peter took us on our way.
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