With only three days to spare in the park we made the most of our time. Upon clearing customs we jumped in a jeep and headed to the park.

Our road went through the mountains of Kenya from Nairobi, stretching over an arterial that served as the transportation lifeline from the port of Mombasa to Kenya, Uganda, and other countries in the region.

Along with some gift shops dressed in zebra print, we also got our first introduction to the Masai women, very keen to sell us trinkets and assure us that all is well (Hakuna Matata).

The first thing you realize is the heat isn't really a trouble. It's arid certainly, but with 26 C and a constant breeze the excursion was balmy at worst. The dust was something we noticed the most, and just how much clarifying shampoo I needed to get it out of my hair.

Mara means plains in Swahili. These rolling plains of the Masai people were teeming with life. Less than fifteen minutes and we were already with groups of animals. We were lucky enough to see two of the big five: the buffalo and the elephant.

For an animal so large and populous, we never again saw buffalo on the whole trip except in the state that you'll see on Day 2 and 3. Stay tuned.

A several hour plus stops for passion fruit, gas and cash meant arriving at dusk. Just in time to catch some stunning photos of the plains soaked in golden light.

While I usually struggle to get a move on for my commute to work every morning, it's animal show time for their bonanzas and games. We were quick to spot some just as we left our lodge.

For those lions who weren't able to catch as much during the night, early morning hours serve as opportune windows for hunting. Cooler temperatures mean hunting is easier on their heat regulation mechanisms. We were lucky to catch this in action.

The rangers normally don't let people get more than a few metres close to animals, but some are zealous enough to let you drive by so long as you put a charitable donation into the hats hanging out their window as you pass their jeeps.

Along the way we were lucky to see a medley of different animals of all sorts, with very beautiful flora that a boy from Canada rarely gets to see.

If the big five are the butterflies of Africa the ugly five (yes that's what it's called) are the moths. This day we got to see three of them going about their day. The Marabou Stork however had a little lunch date with us. It danced for us after we fed it our chicken bones.

We spotted a group congregated in the distance not moving at all. Our driver quickly change courses from elephants straight into the fields they squatted in.

To our surprise it was the same lions from earlier in the morning. A private solo tour had followed them to their next game and watched their next hunt live.

What followed next was one of the rawest moments I've ever seen. Two young boy lions had expended nearly every ounce of energy in their body to catch a female buffalo. These pictures capture their never satiating desire for stockpiling on food.

Buffalo hide is incredibly tough. It's easiest to start from the backside and then make its way through the inside.

The sheer exhaustion showing on these lions faces were explained from the size of the buffalo. Our driver said lions choose the type of animals they specialize in hunting - lions who hunt buffalos live the shortest on average.

We finished our day by heading to the Masai village where we met the locals. These people while very keen to show us their rich culture essentially were con artists trying to earn USD with "lion tooth" necklaces and "handmade" copper bracelets. I won't go into details but they said brave tales of hunting lions at a young age. We later learned from the driver that they would be killed as poachers and most of what they say is fugazi. We also found those exact jewelry pieces at a truck stop later on.

Nonetheless they showed their warm hospitality and performed for us and that's worth including here.

Our driver's hope was to get a sunrise which blanketed the plains with a hot orange hue but due to forces beyond control it was a hazy morning.

Even at the crack of dawn, the plains are ubiqutous with animal activity. It's hard to imagine that over 70% of the wildlife in Kenya is gone. To think that much of the country once had so much non-human life nurtured by this land, even more than what I saw here, is incomprehensible.

We didn't horse around for much. The moment the sun had risen we scurried over to Lake Navaisha.. a large lake in the mountains of Kenya now a sanctuary for unique birds and other wildlife.

On a pit stop I saw a very unique yellow bird whose nesting patterns are like nothing I've ever seen. Had to share it here.

Once we arrived at the lake, we immediately caught glimpse of the plethora of bird species here. The rich lake is teeming with fish and other aquatic prey for these creatures to feed on.

On a pit stop I saw a very unique yellow bird whose nesting patterns are like nothing I've ever seen. Had to share it here.

Our boat operator purchased some fish to try and woo an eagle to dive for us. Trying to capture that was a lot of fun.