One of those moments occurred to me a few months ago. It was my fourth trip to Kenya and the first one to Tanzania. I was going for a Safari once more, but this time something was different, perhaps the date, perhaps my attitude or maybe all these things together at the same time. I admit I am not an easy fellow traveller; since I get into the car my only target is to enjoy the landscape together with all and each of the animals I have the opportunity to see. It upsets me to loose time in trivial conversations during those moments and I can´t stand meeting other cars that don´t respect the absolutely compulsory rules: keep silent and don´t disturb the animals in their daily routine, bearing always in mind that we are their guests, and we must behave ourselves as such.

In this frame of mind, this last Safari was already different because we were travelling alone Patxi and me, with the only company of our tourist guide and our driver, through the Parks of Tanzania. The trip had already started in a different way for Ray (our guide) and for our car driver “Swai” (his father) who by the way, is probably one of the most knowledgeable people in wildlife in Africa. We have always been confident during all our Safaris that we would find special and incredible moments, as it happened every single day without exception, but non of us were prepared, neither could imagine what we were going to experience one morning in the middle of our Safari in Tanzania.

First I must confess that although I love all animals I feel something very special for “dumas” (cheetahs) and both Ray and his father knew that, so every day we tried to discover some silhouettes on the grass to identify them. One morning we were about to leave our lodge and drive to the next one, and just before starting our new journey , my traveling companions decided to go for a last walk by the river which in those days and although it was rainy season, was practically dry. Finally, full of illusion and trust we set off. All of a sudden, few minutes after leaving, Ray told us to stop the car while he picked up his binoculars. We all looked at where he was pointing at but we weren ìt able to see anything. Suddenly his expression changed and told his father where we had to drive to. We asked him what he had seen, but he wouldn ìt tell us, but by watching his emotion my heart started to accelerate wondering if it would be a “duma”. When Swai drove slowly towards the designated point, gradually we sighted a duma mum with her two cubs by the river bank under the shadow of some bushes.

The image took my breath away and I wished they remained with us and let us observe them for a few moments. We approached them until we were few meters away. We could only hear the soft car’s engine. Finally, Swai stopped the car. I will never be able to forget what happened after that. They were lying down together and when the engine finally ceased they turn round looking at us without rising. Mum watched us carefully and we contemplated them holding our’s breaths. After a few seconds she turned her head, stopped watching us and simply relaxed. It seemed she accepted us and gave us permission to stay with them. The two cubs looked at us with curiosity , and suddenly, one of them rose and with decision moved towards the car. He stopped next to the driver´s door, and all of a sudden he walked towards the headlights and climbed to chew their cover. At the beginning it seemed he wanted to climb up the car and, when Swai warned us that if we sat down he might do that, the three of us sat down immediately without saying a word. We could only hear the “clicks” of our cameras taking pictures when our emotion allowed us, because we were mesmerized watching the scene. We saw his head over the hood, he was beautiful….his fantastic orange eyes, his black tears, his spots, his cub´s skin, his whiskers, his look…. Time passed without realising it. When he got tired of chewing the headlight he decided to lie down under the car on the shadow, then he started to play with a stone like if he were a cat (what he really is), and he attracted his brother´s attention who joined him in the game. While their mum looked at them and us completely calm, we were able to enjoy with their games, jumps, looks and their incredible company for almost an hour and a half, totally alone.

After that, and as it was getting hot, the mum decided it was time to change places. She stood up, looked at them and started to move away from us followed by her cubs.

We said good-by looking at them until we lost them in the undergrowth, tearful and with our most sincere thanks for allow us to share those moments with them, which I am sure they were consequence of our respect and affection for them.

Here, I show you some of those magical moments.

Enjoy them.

For instance, I always take advantage to inspect the daily life of the people we meet during those breaks, like when we stop to fill up the deposit and get some sweets for the children.

One day, I was watching the place while the others were busy. I turned round and all of a sudden I saw the most impressive image I´ve ever seen during my four safaris. I don´t think I could express with words what I felt. He didn´t walk, he slid as if he were floating, his body was a perfect straight line. I could only see his eyes because he was completely covered with a blanket and however I could feel his magnetism.

I was mesmerized. It was the most elegant and magnificent silhouette I´ve ever seen. He passed by where I was standing and continued his way. Only then, when he could´t see me I dared to take a picture of him.

Every time I look at it, I remember that moment and I can´t forget the thrill and, although he´ll never know it, I will always remember him.

While driving one of those days along the river bank in the Serengeti Park at sunset, we heard the insistent cries of a female Crowned Lapwing coming towards us from the ground. She was crying and moving from right to left very nervously. Alerted by her behavior we reduced the speed in order to find out why was she acting that way. Before reaching the place where she was, Swai (our expert driver) told us that perhaps her nest was very close and she was trying to protect it from the wheels of our 4×4.

We waited expectantly and scrutinized the place without managing to see anything but her nervous movements. Then, we approached her slowly and realized that gradually she was coming down. As her cries and her movements finally sopped, we were able to park carefully next to her. Suddenly we became speechless before what we found: two cute and tiny lapwing chicks almost invisible camouflaged in the sand, whose lives we had luckily saved. If you look carefully at the pictures below, you´ll be able to observe the birds next to other cars´tracks that had just passed by. If we had not paid attention to her behavior (something very probable as they are normally very noisy birds), we would have run over them without noticing them.

Luckily Nature again rewarded our attention exceedingly. Those moments that we shared touched by the lapwing family gave way a bit later to another incredible encounter that few people have been able to experience in their safaris and which I promise I will let you know in another moment.

It might sound exaggerated, but every time we have taken time enough to enjoy what we see with respect and admiration, we have received a subsequent prize. Always!

If you pay attention to the road, you´ll have a lot of opportunities to observe the children who are looking after the cattle in the villages between the Parks. They will all look at you while you pass by. If you say hello to them they will answer you and besides the youngest they will hold out their hands asking for something, (tourist for them are a synonym of all the things they lack of). Then, you will only need to stop the car, offer them in swahili the sweets “Pipi” and suddenly you´ll see a lot of kids coming from everywhere to get them, and the smiles they will offer you when you hand them the sweets (please never throw the sweets from the car), will be the most precious smiles you have ever seen. Then, following your guide´s instructions, in order not to offend them you´ll be able to get some pictures that will remind you that those moments were real.

I´ve kept those moments deeply in my heart since my first Safari and it always move me when I think about them. Sometimes you can´t see in a Safari all the animals you wish to see (that is part of the adventure in a Safari), but if you want you´ll always be able to live these magic moments.

Wish you enjoy them as I do!

That day, we had left the lapwind´s family by the river bank and we were driving back to the lodge at the end of the day. The light wasn´t good that afternoon and we were eager to enjoy the sunset when, suddenly, something crossed right in front of our car. It happened very quickly, but we had enough time to cry: “a Caracal”. We looked in the direction where it had disappeared behind the undergrowth, without believing what we had seen, hesitating about the credibility of the encounter and decided to move slowly towards the same place. There we found him, hidden behind some bushes, in a small hole, lying down trying not to be discovered. It was the first time in my life that I saw one caracal so closely, and all of us remained observing him realizing how incredible that moment was. Even for Ray, our guide, it was something completely extraordinary.

He let us enjoy with his company during a couple of minutes and then, he disappeared behind the undergrowth in the same way he had appeared, leaving us absolutely moved. I remember commenting how fortunately we were to have been at the right place at the right moment. Few seconds before or after I´m sure we would have miss it, and all of us looked at each other smiling knowing that Luck need to be searched and win, and that day we definitely deserved it.

These two pictures below, though they are not very good because they are poor lighted, they are enough to appreciate and remember the moment.

We had occasionally seen few groups on the vast savannah, in the middle of the Park, however, one morning, when we were driving northbound towards our lodge, something happened again that astonished us.

We were driving through a bend, when all of a sudden, we found ourselves in the middle of a Wildebest´s herd which was crossing and occupying the whole road. There were thousands of them, walking in groups guiding at one another. In a few seconds our car was completely surrounded!. We could only hear their calls and their hooves on the ground. The scene was amazing, wherever you looked at, you could only see piles and piles of them; adults, a few months old babies walking next to their mums, and curious youngsters running from side to side.

At first they avoided approaching our car, but when they noticed we were silent and calm (it was impossible not to be quiet before such a wonderful scene) they stopped closely staring at us for a few seconds before continuing on their way. They were coming from all directions, the mountain slopes full of moving black spots.

I have watched a lot of National Geographic Documentaries about Migration, but being in the middle of one, it is an experience very difficult to explain. In those moments you are only able to feel the strength of Nature in all of its splendour and to be thankful for such an opportunity.

I had the opportunity to see them in previous safaris, but either they were too far away or they were walking hidden on the savannah, what it did not allow me to appreciate them properly. This time, however, both in Tanzania and in Kenya I saw them closely, and I can assure you that I wasn´t able to take my eyes off them. In all the occasions, and there were several despite the difficulty, we found some leopards resting on the branches in the shadow, as it was getting hot.

As usual, it was Ray, our guide, who managed to find the first one in the distance, when we were driving through the Serengeti. All of us we were looking through the windows hoping to meet one, when Ray ordered to stop the car while pointing at an acacia in the distance. We all looked at there without seeing anything, but he insisted, so Swai drove us towards the tree. As we were getting close we continued asking ourselves what he had seen, until he pointed at a branch where we found a hidden Leopard.

When we finally arrived to the acacia we couldn´t believe how Ray had been able to discover the Leopard from so far away! Certainly his dedication and profound knowledge helped him.

We admired the animal for a few minutes and then we continued our Safari letting him rest. While we were moving away touched by such a fantastic moment, we couldn´t have imagined that we were about to meet another Leopard only a few minutes later. In this case, he was a real acrobat. He pretended he hadn´t seen us as he felt safe on his branch. You could not avoid noticing his strength and elegance just lying there. It was impossible not to get touched before his beauty and majesty, forgetting about the rest, and appreciating the immense luck we were having of experiencing that moment.

As a picture is worth a thousand words, I hope you will enjoy this one, and I wish you have at least an opportunity during your life to contemplate such a beauty.

We were in Tarangire (Tanzania), a fantastic destination if you want to enjoy hundreds of birds and the biggest and most beautiful Baobabs I´ve ever seen, without forgetting the rest of the animals.

We were walking through the Park, when we met a small Elephant family by the road. There were some mums with their young ones. Their skin was red as they had been sand bathing and they were resting calmly next to a Baobab, except one of the mums who was left behind with her two babies. The older baby was so tired that he lied down next to her mum´s legs while the younger one, kept playing pushing his brother with its trunk. He tried several times, but as he saw he wasn´t getting any attention he finally decided to accompany his brother leaning his head over his brother´s back. Their mother remained still and patiently next them all the time, while the babies were taking a happy nap, feeling completely safe with her.

It was a real pleasure to look at them because of the peace they transmitted and that´s why it was very difficult for us to say good-bye. We remained for a few more minutes, and we started to move away slowly, taking care not to interrupt them in their peaceful break.

Be quiet or you will wake them up!!!