Wild Callings

We’re just back from our first trips to Qatar and Kenya, presenting new experiences and adventures for me and Chuck Bergman. Gratitude isn’t a big enough word to capture our feelings. Travel always expands our minds and opens our hearts.

Susan and Chuck at the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar

Some reflections:  

--It's a tremendous privilege to spend time among such wholehearted, gracious people and out in the wild among rare and beautiful animals.

Female giraffes with young ones in Mara Triangle, Kenya

--In both Qatar and Kenya, people welcomed us with genuine warmth, friendliness, and true care. It was inspiring to begin to learn about their cultures and ways of living.

Shoppers at Souq Waqif, traditional market in Doha, Qatar; Alfred, Massai naturalist at Angama Mara; Violet, Massai tent steward at Angama Mara

--In Kenya, we visited places where people dedicate their lives to caring for endangered animals and protecting wild places. Tragically, there and in other countries, rangers who protect wild animals are sometimes killed by poachers.

Angama Mara guide Robert and photographer Jay, one foot in Kenya and the other in Tanzania.

Follow them on Instagram for fantastic photos of wildlife in the Mara: @roby__wild and @supeyo.wild

--Our nine days at Angama Safaris in Kenya’s Mara Triangle touched me so deeply that I had tears rolling down my cheeks as we said farewell. I dream that we can return someday. If you want to go on safari, go to Angama!

Lioness with her male cub, Mara Triangle; Elephant mother with her young one, Mara Triangle

Always, especially when world events feel challenging, I will remember that love, shared humanity, and wild places have the power to connect us, to heal, to lift us up. 

Sunrise over the Mara Triangle

 Copyright Susan Mann LLC and Charles Bergman.