11:16, Thursday, 17 May, 2012

Monday night I awoke in the middle of the night at the Nairobi cottage, and I think that is when it hit me (of all the strange times) that I would be gone for an entire year.  I began to feel very lonely then, but it only lasted for a moment.  Pretty quick something made a vocalization like a very hearty laugh – I would think a hyrax, but they tend to sound like they’re being murdered, not laughing.  A fruit bat chime followed, I cracked a smile, and all was right with the world again.

All remained right with the world the following day.  As I rode along with Kay out of Nairobi, keeping close track of directions since I am a horrible navigator and will soon be doing all of the driving myself, I could hardly keep the smile off of my face.  So Africa, so beautiful in every way, and so different from everything I’d ever known.

As always, words are woefully inadequate to describe my feelings toward the Mara.  The transition of the people out the window to Maasai alerted me that we were getting closer, as well as the fact that every few meters I was bouncing nearly high enough to hit my head on the car ceiling.  The Mamas bombarded us at the park gates with their jewelry and crazily persistent manner, shoving necklaces in our face, “This one, this one.”  It’s always stressful, but is another of the many signs that I have returned, which can only equate to happiness.  My favorite kind of road block met us shortly after entering the park – the type that is big and gray with a trunk and tusks.  Warthogs, tommies, grants, giraffes, lilac-breasted rollers – all of my old friends were there to greet us.  How I missed them!

As soon as we arrived at camp, I had a very happy reunion with the staff – Old Joseph, Jackson, and Benson (Young Joseph was on leave).  It was so good to se them, and they all remembered me!  I also met Michelle (good name, hey Mom?), the British RA.  She is perfectly wonderful, so sweet and helpful with a good sense of humor, and I would pay money to have her voice.  I just love her accent and funny British expressions.  And to think she told me she really likes my accent.  What an idea!

Camp is so green and full of flowers from all the rain.  As I walked back to the tent that had been made up for me, I realized the grass is much taller than before.  I am in Eli’s old tent, with a big old fallen tree right in front that makes a nice place to sit.  My sheets are 101 Dalmations again, a delight, and I have a desk within my tent.  However, the screen was filled with holes that I was quick to point out, because although I absolutely love the thought of seeing a nyoka kubwa (big snake) in camp, I have decided I do not want one in my tent! 

My training began right away when I went out to the newest den with Benson and Michelle.  It was absolutely excellent to be reunited with hyena cubs!  So much love.  I learned to identify some of the new ones, including Minotaur and Satire (mythical creatures lineage), Humphries (college lineage), All Star (shoe brand lineage), and Burger and Chips.  Something extraordinary happened with Burger and Chips!  “Burger” and “Chips” are cub names, because the mother is uncertain; Eli, Michelle, and Benson witnessed, for the first time ever in the over 20 years of the hyena project, two different mothers nursing the same cubs!!!  And they are unrelated!  I also saw Goby from last summer, and how strange to see her as a subadult instead of a little cub!  It’s funny, because although you know that the animals out here don’t stop living their lives while you are away, it is absolutely shocking to see how the little ones have grown!  Goby became involved in a hilarious pile of cubs attempting to roll in something smelly on the ground.  There were probably about six or seven at once, tumbling and rolling on top of one another almost more than in whatever they were attempting to rub all over themselves.

Loki was there with her big ears, beaten out by her sister Helios for the dominate position.  Dionysus and Juno were also beaten out, and very sadly, Dion is taken for dead because her cubs have starved and she hasn’t been seen in ages.

On the way back we saw a white-tailed mongoose already, and two subadult lions.  I just know they must be some of the cubs from last summer.  One was male and one female; I wish it would have been light enough for me to get a picture and see who they were.  Again, so weird how they have grown!

I nearly took a swim in the dark on my first trip to the choo.  Standing water from all the rain gave me a start and soaked through my shoes – the remnants of what was apparently dubbed “Lake Choo” during the big rains.  The bats were back at dinner (there is a baby!!!), and I saw a bushbaby at the kitchen tent!  Kay cooked us pork, but not even the smell of meat drew the genets in, and I had to wait until the following night to see Kelsey.  I am still waiting to see what Eli calls “extra babies” of both the genet and bushbabies, apparently smaller than ever before.

I still need to get used to the fruit bats again, because they woke me up well before my alarm went off at 5:15.  While Kay, Eli, and Michelle commenced on a darting expedition, I rode with Benson and continued to learn.  He is an excellent professor, and taught me many of the landmarks, including “Stupid Tree,” “Sleeping Creek Crossing, ”  “Den One Creek,” “Baboon Golden Sac,” “Lone Tree” (my personal favorite), and many others.  I discovered my new favorite cub, Rebman (explorers’ lineage), who lay below my window looking up at me for almost the whole time we were at the den.  I can also reliably pick out Xena now, and Benson was impressed that I remembered Centaur from last summer (although he shouldn’t have been, because she is quite easy to identify).

Many hartebeest were out, so gorgeous, and I had a fleeting whimsy that I would like to ride one.  And a bit of hilarity: a couple of giraffes started as we drove near.  One had some sort of oxpecker on its back.  Instead of flying away when the giraffe started running as one would expect, it held tight to its mount, pointedly squawking and seemingly angry so that I had no choice but to laugh aloud.

I got some practice tracking, although not for long since the system was running short on battery.  We drove to Talek, where I met two of the guys who work at the mechanic’s name Amau and George.  I was further reunited with Mama Kristie at the little place we get food, and met her adorable baby son.  Dogs and goats were everywhere as usual, even a little puppy, who unfortunately was afraid of my advances.

On the way back to camp we saw Twister!!!!  By golly, she’s big.  She was with Adonis in some tall grass.

It rained last night, so we didn’t go out on obs.  I rode with Eli the long way to Talek, which is less muddy, and received a good stick-shift driving refresher lesson.  I am already much more literate when it comes to cars than I was before I came, although I did get us momentarily stuck in some black cotton mud...if only I didn’t get so nervous when cars are coming the other way!  I try to concentrate so hard on staying to the left, and just go wherever that takes me, which is indeed treacherous in terms of mud.  The guinea fowl also make me nervous, because those colorful balloons on legs are not fond of getting out of the way. 

We picked up Young Joseph in Talek; it was wonderful to see him!  I love Joseph.  He updated us on his daughter Gloria of three years and one-year-old son Elijah on the way back to camp.  Then, out of nowhere, we happened upon a caracal!!!  How fortunate!  Eli has not seen one in his whole year here.  It’s funny how you can be here so long and not once see such things, and then at some spectacularly timed moment, there comes a caracal or an aardvark or some other wizardly rare creature.

Kelsey was in attendance at dinner!  My heart burst when I saw her, and she took some biscuit and chicken from my hand without hesitation.  We threw her chicken bones all night – I nearly whacked Eli in the face with a huge one on accident before it walloped loudly against the tent tarp to land on the kitchen floor.  Kay laughed and said I probably won’t have a career in baseball.

We saw jackal tracks on the way back to our tents.  Apparently lion tracks have been over by the shower, and elephants have made a recent visit, which is gloriously encouraging since one of the things I will surely miss most about Serena is waking up to elephant rumbles and lion roars right next to my tent.  It’s just so superbly wild.

My tent is lonely at night without Lia.  I miss her very much, but I have one of the sparkly-eyed spiders to keep me company at least.  I attempted to shoo it out of the tent, and then realized that I would actually really enjoy its presence, and told it I would be happy to have it stay. 

Well, that was an utterly miserable fail at keeping things short.  I absolutely must get better at this, especially since there are so many other ways I ought to be spending my time, for example reviewing hyena behaviors and reading over clan lists.  I will make a point not to go over 25 minutes at night from now on I think, and whatever is not written is going to have to remain in my memory alone, especially since Kay seems eager for me to switch to the official blog (which I somehow have to obtain a password too – I will have to check with her on that).  Speaking of Kay, I cannot imagine a more hospitable person.  She is always worried over my having enough to eat and getting enough sleep and happiness in general.  Everyone here has been so ridiculously helpful it’s insane.