We finally arrived at the western end
of the Seronera, and the Serengeti became a tapestry of wildlife spectacles, both large and small. On retrospect, it almost
seemed that we sat still and scenes moved past us: a riverine glade populated with a herd of zebra, mixed in with giraffes and
wildebeest; lions lounging in trees; a mother elephant standing directly over her baby, fitting as snugly as Russian nested dolls;
a spectacularly-colored lilac-breasted roller sitting on a tree limb trying to figure out how to swallow an enormous grass-hopper
it had firmly clamped in its beak; and finally, what turned out to be the ace up Waziri’s sleeve, the tail end of the great migration,
the largest movement of wildlife on earth as up to 2 million wildebeest and zebra, in pursuit of food and water, rotate between the
Serengeti and the adjoining Masai Mara reserve in Kenya.
On the return from the Seronera, the dark gray clouds to the west portended
heavy rains at the Grumeti Camp, and as we proceeded both the road and the surrounding plains evidenced signs of flooding. Three
kilometers from the camp, it is necessary to cross the Grumeti River. There is no bridge per se; instead the dirt road here
has been replaced by concrete and the vehicle crosses the river which normally streams gently over the concrete.
As we approached the
crossing, it was clear that things had changed dramatically from earlier in the day. The crossing then was easy and we had paused
to grudgingly admire the huge crocodile, toothy and glazed-eyed, that floated nearby in a pool on the downriver side. Now water
rushed over the concrete at an alarming height and rate, and we all knew what awaited us should the vehicle be swept into the river.
Waziri
left the vehicle to better assess the height of the flow, the ground clearance of the Land Cruiser and our chances of safely getting
to the other side. “Waziri,” I said, “I guess it’s important that the water doesn’t float the vehicle.” “I’m not as worried
about not floating, as not dying,” he replied. Who could argue with that kind of bottom-line thinking?
Having made his decision,
Waziri jumped on board and slowly inched the safari vehicle forward. The vehicle held firm and moved straight on, with no sideways
motion detectable. Sighs of relief were audible. This finale to the game drive, it seemed certain, would only embellish
future memories; after all, the appreciation of a thing is heightened by a touch of danger.