I will spend three days on safari in the Serengeti and a fourth day in the Ngorongoro Crater, which is also known for its abundance of animals.

The first night in a tent in the middle of the Serengeti is exciting.

Outside there is a breathtaking starry sky and my bladder is starting to rumble after the beer I had with dinner. On the other hand, outside the tent I can hear lions roaring and hyenas drooling. Problems like these are worth escaping from the daily grind.

At 5:30 a.m. we have a quick breakfast that our cook Saidi has prepared for us. Then we drive with our driver Gabriel into the slowly dawning day. A few old buffalo bulls have taken up position right next to our campsite.

Well, we didn’t notice each other on the way to the toilet. A hyena was also trotting alone through the steppe not far from our overnight camp.

We see a large number of topis and hartabeests. Then we spot a cheetah a few metres away, lying in wait, unimpressed by us, watching a group of impalas in the distance. We wait for a while, while the cat just lies there comfortably and does nothing.

Suddenly the cheetah starts running – in a completely different direction. On the other side, a Thomson gazelle stands as if frozen. The cheetah positions itself. And waits. And waits. And lies down, while the gazelle still doesn’t move. Then the gazelle turns around and disappears.

The cheetah seems to have missed his chance and trots after it, but then he loses the prey in the bush. We see him come out again and take up position in another bush.

A few Thomson gazelles are grazing within sight, but they notice that something is wrong and move away. After two hours with the cheetah, we decide to do the same.

I found the organization Ensemble Explores Adventures on Facebook, which organized the safaris and drivers for us.

With the help of our guide Leo, we were able to plan the tour the way we wanted and also keep it relatively inexpensive since we slept in our tents.

Our driver Gabriel has a good eye and can see a lion sleeping on a rock even in the distance. There are actually two males, with the other lying barely visible in a bush behind.

The lions seem to have already eaten and are resting. There is no sign of any motivation to hunt or interest in us.

We still see many animals that find green grass here in the north of the Serengeti due to the slowly beginning rainy season.

We head south and gradually see fewer animals in one spot.

We also see onyx antelopes, which can be seen individually from time to time. And of course we keep seeing giraffes and elephants. While we have been completely spared from mosquitoes up to now, we are suddenly plagued by tsetse flies.

The beasts look like the horsefly flies we know in Europe and transmit some of the nastiest tropical diseases. We smack them down in droves.

Shortly before reaching our new overnight camp in the center of the Serengeti, we also find a river in which dozens and dozens of hippos are lying and grunting.

The water must be very low. As soon as a hippo stands up, its belly even sticks out of the water. I can also see mothers with their babies.

It’s pretty loud. There’s grunting, pushing and loud threatening noises everywhere.

Sometimes a hippo turns around, which inevitably causes it to kick a comrade, who then complains, which quickly escalates into a fight between several hippos.

The low water is a dirty mess. Gabriel explains to us that the fresh water from the rain is urgently needed because the hippos are literally sitting in their own shit. They, as well as all other animals, need fresh drinking water.

Hippos are the most dangerous animals in Africa. The pachyderms are very aggressive and attack anyone nearby. Lions, crocodiles and elephants are harmless in comparison.

And when I thought that you only have to watch out for hippos along the river, I realized that hippos can also be seen marching through the grassland during the day.

We quickly put up the tents and disappear under the roof of a small hut, where we can eat dinner by the light of my headlamp. We are spared from the lightning, but not from the rain. It rains until late at night and water gets into my tent through one spot. Only when I have secured everything do I lie down.

However, I am soon awakened again. An animal roams through our camp, growling and slavering, knocking over a large box and rummaging through the contents. A hyena. Shortly afterwards I hear voices and see lights. After a while it is quiet. Tomorrow is the third day of my safari in the Serengeti.