Safari Expanded

Let me just warn you from now, this is a very, very long post......

So peeps, here is the blow by blow (for as much of this I can handle) of my Safari into the Masai Mara. Let’s just start off by saying it was great. I went for 3 days and 2 nights. We departed Nairobi in a brown land cruiser. There were 6 of us, 3 Aussies (myself, Stewart, Catherine), 2 Canadians (Penny and Sarah) and one Belgian (Lizbeth) plus a driver (Humphrey) and cook (Bernard). The drive to the mara was slated to take us 7 hours, that folks was not about to happen as out cruiser was having some difficulty getting up the hills. There was no acceleration on the hills so the trip took much longer. It wasn’t long before we were all chatting and finding out where each other was from, what we were doing in Nairobi etc. on the way to the mara we passed through the spectacular rift valley and the view was breathtaking as you can see. We stopped for lunch about 5 hrs or so into the trip and dined on cheese, salami and veggie sandwiches. At least that was the combo that I made. While we were packing up, I spotted some mushrooms growing in the damp soil around an abandoned car, so you know I had to take a pic of that. I wish I had taken more. I think it came out quite well. So now we were on our way again. At this time we were in the ‘suburbs’ or the Mara. Here we saw wildebeests that didn’t go on the migration back to the Serengeti and who ran to the burbs to escape the lions in the park as well as zebras (who are always in the company of the wildebeests because they can’t eat the tall grasses of the savannahs, so they let the beasts eat it down then they can feast), impala and giraffes.

When we got into the Masai Mara national reserve we went on a mini game drive and started out seeing an elephant and lots and lots of buffalo. Then, we saw the most amazing thing….. Lions. I mean they were just sitting there in the brush and of course all the other vehicles were around, then they drove off and the lions were beside out car. It was amazing. Then they were on the move, on the hunt for buffalo. It was the most awesome thing, seeing the lionesses doing their thing. They had a rough time with these buffalo as they were not afraid and chased the lionesses in return. It was crazy. There was this man though in another vehicle who was an idiot, he was sitting on the window, half his body is outside. Humphrey said to us that that is something that should never be done, as the lions are hungry and can easily take him from the car and if that happened, no one would be able to intervene, we would all have to sit and watch as they tore him limb from limb. Thank god that didn’t happen. So our first day out was amazing. We then went on to camp, which was just outside the reserve. Here we had our pick of log cabins or tents as it was low season and there was no one else at camp but us. We chose cabins which had a single bed and bunk beds. We met our Masai security guards and ate food. We planned out next day where we were to leave at 6:30 am for a morning drive, back for lunch and a visit to the Masai village and then out again for an afternoon game drive. By this time bed was calling me, so I went to sleep.

The next morning I was up before dawn at 5 am or so. I decided that I would take a shower then, hoping that the boiler had been going for enough time to heat the water. Catherine and I went on our way, oh I had forgotten to take a flashlight so we got the guard Moses to take us to the showers. The water was not warm, but it was not freezing either, so I had a very tepid shower, that couldn’t even be described as a shower as the water was just a dribble. While I was showering, using Moses’ flashlight as light, he was telling Catherine that a lion was near our camp last night. It was amazing. It was coughing up a hairball. Lol… can u believe that. Well neways, showers over we went back and got dressed and prepared to leave. On this morning the sunrise was simply amazing and since I am usually never up that early to see it, it was a treat for me. The orange and pinks were spectacular as u saw in my previous post. This morning the first thing was saw were lionesses on the hunt again, this time they were a different pride. Soon we found the King lying around keeping an eye on the cubs who were a little ways off playing while the moms found them breakfast. Two lionesses were left with the kids. Then a little ways off we found another King chowing down on his breakfast of Impala (see video previously posted). That was so crazy as u could hear the bones crunching away. It was so cool.

A little more driving and then we saw cheetahs. There were three brothers, who had just had breakfast, so they were just kind of lying around being bums. It was cool. Over the next hill was a lone female cheetah who was watching the brothers (seen in the earlier post). We were told that she will eventually be the destruction of the brotherly relationship as they will fight to determine which one of them will be her mate. But for the moment she was content to simply watch them. After the cheetahs we went to the river to watch the hippos. U could hear them as u approached. Hippos are cool creatures, Very playful. They spend all day in water since their skin is very sensitive and gets burned easily. They only come out when it is dark, at night. But till then, they stay in the river, playing with each other (see video). They created this symphony of breath sounds as they each came up for air at different times. It was so cool. I just watched them for ages. That was the only place that we were allowed to get out the car and go to the rivers edge. After that we went in search of a leopard or black rhino but alas no such luck. There are only 46 black rhinos in the park and the park is over 1500 square km, plus they are shy creatures and hide, so they are very difficult to spot. Leopards are the same in that they hide and are very difficult to spot in the trees. We did see elephants, olive baboons, dick dicks, hyenas, foxes, ostriches, tokies and more lions though (I have pics of all of those too, of course).

We headed back to camp for brunch and then went to one of the Masai villages where we got to see the Masai warriors dance as well as got a welcome from the women. We were taught about the Masai culture, showed how they light a fire using two types of wood and got a view into a hut. It was very cool. They kept saying that it was an easy life, and I was like, yea right, if that is all you have known, but to someone like me, I couldn’t do it at all. An no I didn’t go there and fall in love with a warrior, that life is not for me, I love my conveniences too much. At the warrior dance, they said that the one that jumps the highest gets many girlfriends…lol… and it was all about the killing of a male lion. The first to spear the lion is the winner. (On an aside, our guide, Buddy has killed 2 lions, has 2 wives, 4 children, owns 60 cows and over 100 goats… he is a very rich. It was very interesting he was only 27 or 28) so I learned that the men are circumcised at 15, and the girls, that after that the men become warriors. They are permitted to marry between 20 and 26 or so but their first wife is the choice of their parents and then any wife after that is their choice. They have to have enough cows though to support two wives and their children. The houses are built by the women using sticks and cow dung. It is actually divided into rooms with walls and everything but the houses was very small. It made me wonder how these tall men seriously handled it, cause they would have to crouch all the time. Anyway everything was in these houses, it was very interesting. After all of this they had set up a market for us to buy their wares. They wouldn’t let us leave without us getting something, and bargaining was apart of that. So I had to master the art of walking away if I didn’t get the price I wanted until they came down. I only bought a bracelet anyway mainly cause I knew that I was gonna come back to Nairobi and go to the Masai market where I got a Kenyan to go with me to talk them down to the price I wanted. And everything was cheaper, waaaay cheaper.

Our afternoon game drive was pretty cool. We saw giraffes including babies, elephants, cheetahs again and an amazing sunset. We also saw a snake by the side of the road which had just eaten something, so it was rather slow. I have no idea what snake it was but it was cool to see. Oh I forgot to say that throughout the whole experience we saw some amazing birds with colours so bright and beautiful. I didn’t know their names but that was cool. Some I did know like one of the eagles, vultures and I saw and learned about the secretary bird (I think it’s the larges flying bird). Dinner was great and I had decided to take a shower a bit earlier while there was still light, and the water was hot….yeah…. I was glad about that. The next morning, Sunday morning, we packed up and departed with a visitor, Mr. Olive Baboon, seeing us off. We did a mini game drive on our way out of the park and saw what we perceived to be the usual by now. U know, lions, cheetahs, impalas, tokies and such. Neways we were on our way by 9:30 am and at our pit stop at the gate, the Masai women were sooooo pushy trying to well us stuff, u had to sometimes get down right rude and even that didn’t work. We saw the same things going as we saw coming, which was cool to see again.

The trip back was very, very dusty. When I got back I felt like my skin and pores were all clogged with dirt, oil and vehicle exhaust. It was nasty. I got back and had to have a good scrub. But I came back with amazing pictures and having had an amazing time. The Mara is beautiful, the landscape is simply amazing and it extends all the way to the mountains of Tanzania. There were places that as far as the eye could see there was just yellow green grass. Then there would be a lone tree. It was almost as if someone plucked out all the other trees and just left that one. Just amazing. I would love to do a photo shoot out there or in someplace with the same vista minus the wild animals…lol.

So that was my Safari. I know this was a long post but I did say that I would expound on what happened….lol. it was a good trip, the perfect length of time. But guys, when we come back here, we are gonna have to do a more luxury one at maybe the Savoy or Serena. The ultimate one would be the Governor’s, where our accommodations are in the middle of the Mara. They have to have guards around because at any time the animals can just roam into camp. Yea I know that’s like the most expensive one but the others are like that too, but not as expensive. So start saving. I’ll do the same. It’s a deal… cool…. The best time frame I think a 3 day 2 night one, cause then its still exciting and hasn’t become boring. Ok I’m gone…. chat to you later.