Masai Mara

OK, so I'ma gonna try to summarize our 3 day safari right. about. now!

Masai Mara is frikkin' beautiful. I will say the landscape is even more beautiful than Serengeti with its rolling hills, green grasses, and trees. And a beautiful sunset. Since this was our second safari (yes, we are spoiled, rich Americans) we saw lots of the same animals we've seen in Tanzania. But we got to see some of them a bit closer and in larger numbers. Seems that at Masai Mara the guides are allowed to drive off the road to any of the Big Five so that their clients can get a closer look. Not so in Serengeti, where you just have to stay on the track.

During our visit at the Mara the lions were in great form, feasting on zebra and wildebeest. Our second day included scenes right out of Discovery Channel- wildebeest crossing rivers, jumping into unknown waters out of sheer instinct and with more than a hint of fear! They can't see too well and are pretty stupid. We've seen an entire herd head to a watering hole and then, hearing our truck, stop and stand there for a bit, then turn around! Some of the smarter ones follow the zebras.

We also got pretty close to lions a bunch of times (and cubs), so much so that when looking for leopards and think we've see something in the distance and then, after looking at it with binoculars, would say, "Oh, it's just another lion."!!!!! How many of you would think you'd ever say something like that???

Another cool thing was the giraffes. I just love watching them and we got to be in the middle of a herd of them for a minute. We also managed to piss-off a momma elephant which made us a bit relieved when our guide finally drove away and left her with her baby.

The campsite was pretty awesome, in fact, it was what we thought we'd have for our first safari. The site was run by the local Masaai tribe and included hot water. Funny how the camps in Kenya had the hottest water and the hotels could be summed up as "a cold shower on a cement floor." But, the Masaai would heat the water over a fire before it made it to you. I got to have the hottest shower, so hot that I'd turn on the water, get all wet, then turn it off!

Our last morning was spent visiting a Masaai village. It cost extra since it wasn't really part of the safari but way cheaper than what the guidebook said- only Ksh500 per person rather than $25 per person. The young warriors welcomed us with a dance and song, showing some of the skills they use to hunt lions. Blair and Froody were forced to join :-) and participate in the jumping contest at the end of the dance. The other Masaai were impressed with Froody's jumping skills, which, for the Masaai, are skills to pay da' billz. (How to get married when of age: 1- KILL A LION [how many of you would do that just to get married??] 2- Get 10 cows 3- WIN A JUMPING CONTEST [I kid you not]). We were then taken through the barrier and into the village where they showed us how they made fire, dried out cow skins to use as bedding, got to go inside a hut (mud, sticks, and thatch made by the woman!! as if child-bearing and rearing aren't enough), and had the women of the village sing for us and, yes, I and Marije had to join them. One of the men showed us the claw and tooth of the lion he killed before he got married. We were told that we could buy a claw or tooth, as each lion has lots of each and the guy only needs one of each for luck. We were really tempted but knew they'd most likely be confiscated when we tried to get them home. Of course, it all ended at the "shop" which was chock-full of beaded jewelry, crafts, carvings, spears, necklaces, all lovely stuff, but was good and only bought one pair of earrings. Pretty much everyone here (yes, men and women all over Kenya) wears a piece of beaded jewelry of some sort be it earrings, belts, keychains, necklaces, or bracelets. Lots of men wear bracelets.

Also saw:
*Baboons and babies

*Giraffes and babies

*Hippos...and baby