Too Much Fancy Food at the Boma + Bellowing Lions + Noisy Warthogs = ZERO Sleep

Too Much Fancy Food at the Boma + Bellowing Lions + Noisy Warthogs = ZERO Sleep

I got ready for the morning and for our departure from King's Pool way before anyone was awake....except for the lions and the warthogs! Breakfast was superb as usual around the fire. They make the best porridge ( not oatmeal! ) with honey drizzled across the top. The chef and kitchen staff know that we want crispy bacon and we are all delighted with the sizzling plates of it. Off we went with Lemme, our now beloved guide along the river. The vehicle was usually 1/2 in water and 1/2 on dry land. We came across a solo lioness. She doesn't belong to a pride.... We were wondering if the male lions in the area sensed that there was a female and were calling/ screaming/yelling to her ALL NIGHT LONG! We followed her for a while. She found a resting place atop a mound....but she didn't rest! She looked very alert....like she was waiting or expecting something. Minutes later, we heard the male lion (the same lion that was under the tree near the leopard) roaring. The roars steadily got louder. The robust, beautiful lion made his appearance. We were very excited and expected an exciting meeting! Nah..... He saw her and walked right on by. He stopped and plopped down for a snooze a couple of hundred yards away. She then came to him. They sort of walked around each other and both decided to take a nap! Oh well!!! To add to the excitement of the morning, Caroline spotted a honey badger! I think all the males in our vehicle crossed their legs quickly and looked very relieved when it scampered away. On our way to the airstrip, we stopped at a hidden hide that KP has at a watering hole. It allows you to be at eye level with whatever animal is drinking water. We were all down in the hide enjoying coffee and cookies watching a baboon when Caroline and I zipped up those stairs when we both saw very large spiders on the move. Ugh! Caroline and I took this opportunity to "check the tire". (When nature calls, the procedure is to tell your guide/driver that you need to check the tire. He then finds a safe place to stop and the person in need jumps out and literally goes behind the Land Rover to use the bathroom! Seriously! One of the major inconveniences is that no toilet paper can be left! Must take it with you!) I went first and Caroline was on the lookout. When it was Caroline's turn, I was on the lookout. I couldn't believe my eyes when a vehicle came into view. It was quite a sight to see Caroline hopping around to get out of their view! Ha! It was so sad to leave King's Pool, Lemme, and all of the other wonderful new friends we made! When, we landed at Mombo and I saw Sefo (our much loved guide from our last trip) as the plane landed, I was shedding happy tears!! As soon as we got to the lodge, the first people we saw eating lunch were Paula and Jimmy. FUN! FUN! FUN! We were all excited to see them! After catching up with them, eating lunch, and settling into our new tents, we were off with Sefo on a game drive! We saw a huge herd of Cape buffalo, kudu, zebras, giraffes, and so forth. But then we came upon the Western pride ( I think it was the Western pride! Ha!) devouring a hippo! Wow!!! One of the more famous lionesses at Mombo is in this pride....
She is a dark maned female! This was fascinating to watch...yet the smell was memorable! YUCK! Dinner was very special....Sefo's beautiful wife Shady had flown into camp to spend time with Sefo and to meet us. I have "known" Shady on Face Book for a while. I LOVED meeting her in person and finding out that they are expecting a baby in February! Because I hadn't slept the night before, I was the first to leave dinner. As Barry and I walked into our tent, I was stopped dead in my tracks by a spider that was larger than Barry's hand! I honestly would rather see a black mamba in my tent than a spider! UGH!!! And did I mention that it was inside the mosquito netting around our bed! Double Ugh!! Barry used at least a half a can of the bug killer spray called DOOM! Did not have any effect on the monster! He finally had to use a shoe and a towel. I had to take an Ambien to go to sleep!
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