Another travel day, sigh. We met again at 6:30 for breakfast, and then again at 7:00 at the truck to drive to the airport. When we got to the truck, we found that Bruce and Dee had lost their passports and money. Bruce was just coming to the truck to check his backpack, with very little hope of finding anything. But, sure enough, they were there, right in front! Such a relief for all of us.
On the road there was lots to see.
The road serves many purposes
Farmland
Brick houses arising alongside the straw and grass structures
A local school
So off we went for first the Tanzania – Kenya border, and then the airport. The border was not really a problem, we visited first the Tanzanian agents in one building, and then crossed the border and visited the Kenyan agents in their building. Once we did that, we got back into the truck, and headed for the airplane. 
We got off the main road about an hour later, and drove a little way on a secondary dirt road, and pulled under a tree where a woman and her two daughters had set up a souvenir stand. This was the airport. About 20 minutes later, sure enough, a single engine plane drops down out of the sky and meets the runway (which was perpendicular to us), runs to where the tarmac stops, turns around and makes a turn towards us. After saying goodby to Everest, who had unloaded our bags, and hello to the pilot and copilot, we stood around and waited. Everything got on board, but there were three more passengers to meet us. At least an hour later, the first one arrived, and perhaps another half an hour elapsed before the other two got there. We were told that there was a big political rally in town, and our three compatriots had been slowed down for having to make their way through the crowds. By the time they arrived, two more planes had arrived (a twin-engine plane from Kenya Air, and another Safariair single engine job. 
Approaching the cliff that marks the edge of the Masai Mara
With all aboard, we took off. We flew for about 20 minutes to the first of two Masai Mara airports. About 15 minutes into our flight, we flew over the edge (literally!) where the plain we were on dropped down to the Masai Mara plain, about 1000 feet down. The cliff seemed to carry on in both directions forever. It felt like the whole of the Masai Mara had been scooped out flat with a giant bulldozer.
Approaching the cliff that marks the edge of the Masai Mara
The vegetation immediately went from relative green to almost completely brown, except along the winding waterways.
The plane landed at the first airport, unloaded two of our extra passengers, and then we were on our way again, Up over the next ridge, about 5 minutes flying time, and we set down at the second of the two airports, our destination (almost). Our new driver greeted us, and we set off on another 30 minute drive to the Fig Tree Lodge. We arrived at about 2:00 and immediately had lunch, which was very nicely done. We were all ready for it! Now I’m sitting here on the porch of our tent-cabin, while the domesticated eland is munching at the greenery around.
Gretchen petting the hotel’s pet eland
She is certainly calm enough. 
Gretchen got pictures, and then got right up and petted her. Bruce and Dee came out to see her, but now I am left to watch and wonder about her. Just the other side of the path she is on is the bank of the river that runs through the camp. It is down about 10 feet from the level we are on, but it does have water in it, despite the obviously dry conditions all around.
Two cubs playing while mom eats
This afternoon, we went on our first drive through the Masai Mara. 
We were very lucky, seeing a mother Cheetah and two young cubs finishing off a kill (Thompson’s gazelle, we think.)
They were near a tree, and the youngsters were splitting their time between eating and playing with each other. They were clearly full of food, as their approach to the kill was fairly nonchalant. We spent a long time there watching. 
Finally the mother got up and wandered about 25 feet away from the kill and lay down. The cubs joined her, and they licked each other’s faces necks and fronts. Philip says this is common procedure to get the blood off of each other. The youngsters didn’t stay with mother all the time though, they wandered back to the tree, playing with each other. A van pulled a bit too close, so one of the cubs came to challenge the interloper. The van didn’t move, and eventually the cub lost interest. It was a fun watch! In driving around, we also saw another leopard (our fifth),
Vulture, White-backed
Vulture, Lappet-faced
Hornbill, Ground
and quite a few birds. We saw several vultures of various kinds, especially after we left the cheetah kill. A hyena was asleep near the road as well. We saw a hippo pod in a pond, where they were bunched up together.
The most fun sight, however, was a giraffe getting a drink from a creek. Giraffes have to get into an awkward position to drink, and it is at this point that they are the most vulnerable to attack. As a result, they are very wary as they drink. This I already knew. What I didn’t know was that they come up quickly with their mouths open, spraying water as they rise.
We came back and had a nice dinner, got to our tents, and had a good night’s sleep.
Bearded Wonders 