I had a tomato and cheese quiche, along with mashed potatoes and cauliflower, for dinner. 

Back in my room at 9:00, took ANOTHER cold water shower (no electricity ot heat water). In bed at 9:45, read until 10:30, and alarm set for 6:00 AM.

Photo: My room at Mountain Village Lodge - Arusha, Tanzania

Tuesday ~ October 20
Once again - up at 6:00 and went to the Lodge for breakfast. The bags were put out, to be packed into the van for the next leg of our Safari. We drove to the Tanzania/Kenya border, had the passports stamped for exit from Tanzania, and then for entry into Kenya. Drove on a smooth asphalt road to (continued on next page)
 

We left the hotel at 2:00 and drove to the small Wilson) airport. We boarded an eighteen passenger "Twin Otter" turbo-prop airplane. The flight of about 150 miles was from nairobi over the Rift valley (with its many escarpments), to a dirt landing strip in the Muarai Mara (Northern Serengeti Plains). We were picked up by a Land Rover, through the plains and bush country for about five miles. On the way we saw five lions feeding on a zebra. Arrive at the tent camp about 5:00. We watched seven Maasai warriors do a tribal dance and sing. After their show, we had dinner in the (continued) 

PHOTO: Two mother lions with six cubs.
 

Wednesday ~ October 21
Up at 6:00, with coffee delivered to the tent. Out on a game drive at 6:30. We saw a freshly killed zebra and the lion. We later saw two mother lions, with six cubs. The cubs were playing all together, three very young, the other three a little older.

Came back to the camp for breakfast at 8:45. After breakfast, I walked along the river bank, across from the tent camp.

I had lunch with the group, then went to the swimming pool, and soaked my feet in the cold water. I had not brought my swimming trunks to the tent camp, since we could only have a small carry-on bag on the airplane.

At 3:00 the whole group, except Meriam and Lynne, drove to a Maasai village. We went into the village of 15 huts, made of cow dung. I went into 2 of the huts, very dark, with no windows, just a few round holes, 3 to 4 inches in diameter, on the side walls for ventilation. They had an open (continued) 

We left the village and went on a game drive. We saw the same lions, but still had seen no cheetahs. We arrived back at camp at 6:00. At 7:30 we heard a lecture on Maasai culture by an educated Maasai, then dinner. I had Impala (venison), which was very tender, and not gamy. Went back to the tent, took a shower and into bed at 10:14. Left a wake up call for 4:55 AM.

My laundry had been done during the day, so had clean clothes to keep going.

Thursday ~ October 22
Up at 4:55, dressed and everything packed, then to the Lodge for coffee. We left the Lodge at 5:45 and drove to the site of a balloon launch. We were up above the plains before sun-up to view the animals from above. We saw the usual game animals, nothing new. We were up for about two hours, with seven people in the basket, and traveled about 10 miles.

When we landed, the ground crew had brought food and a gas grill to serve us a champagne breakfast. A tribe of Maasai walked up to the landing site with much trade goods to sell us. I bought a Maasai arrow, and carved wooden salad (continued) . . .