2014 Aug 1 - Day 10-Hot Air Balloon Ride and Game Drive

Today, we met in the reception area at 5:00am to catch our ride to the hot air balloon port. It was the first hot air balloon ride for either of us, so it was another adventure! Our pilot's name was Peter. He was from Australia. When we got into the balloon basket, which held 16 people plus the pilot, it was on its side, so we had to slide in and lie on our backs so that when the basket went upright, we would be standing up. Fun!

After the balloon ride, we had a champagne breakfast out on the Mara. The entire experience was fantastic. After breakfast, our drivers picked us up and we went on an all-day game drive and ate a box lunch in the bush.

On the game drive, we were VERY lucky to see the migrating wildebeest (correct spelling) crossing the Mara River. They gather on a cliff on the north side of the river until there are so many that the ones next to the edge are forced to jump. It was a spectacular site. Our guide said that he has come there with groups during the migration and gone away disappointed because the wildebeest didn't cross the river that day. It all depends on the number of animals that crowd into the area at any given time.

I'll let the pictures tell the story.