Marvelous Maasai Mara
Trip Start
Jan 20, 2006
1
17
Trip End
Mar 24, 2006
Nairobi,
Kenya
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
We woke before sunrise, scoffed breakfast and boarded our truck for the days game drive. With 30 people on the truck I was a bit dubious as to whether we would see much.
Entering through Ololaimutiek gate, it wasnt long before we saw our first, and possibly best, find.....a cheetah and her two cubs hunting wildebeest in the cool, early morning sun. Thy didnt catch their breakfast, but the cheetah mum strolled nonchalently past our truck before heading off for another try with her cubs.
Baby Zebra - Maasai Mara
Later we met a group of 14 maasai giraffe, darker in colour than other giraffes from Africa. Some gazed in our direction, while others cantered lazily across the plains.
Our next big find was a lioness lying the shade with her two cubs. We couldn,t really see the cubs, but the lioness was keeping a keen eye on us. Its difficult to know who is watching who on safari?!
There were masses of herbivores on the plains > zebra, wildebeest, buffalo, Thompsons gazelle, topi, impala and even elephants, but they were very far away in the distance.
After lunch, we stopped by the Mara River in the south of the reserve and watched two groups of sleepy hippos lazing by the waters edge.
To finish off an amazing day, we spotted another two lionesses and then a male lion lying in the shade. We managed to get so close you could see his cuddly little nose twitching. I wanted to get out and give him a pat, but perhaps not a great idea!
Buffalo plus friends
On the way home, we visited a Maasai village where we were shown a dance by the women of the village, went inside a Maasai house and saw the corral for holding their cattle and sheep. Tony showed us inside his house, which had a main room for cooking over a fire, a large double bed for him and his wife, lined with cowhide, and a small room for his young daughter. It was very dark, hot and musty, but tidy and obviously Tony was proud of his home. The corrals keep the animals safe from lions and leopards, but are also used for male circumcision ceremonies....urgh! One of the Maasai also showed us how to make a fire from two sticks and some hay....never know when it might come in handy?!
The Maasai men came to our camp that evening and performed a traditional dance with lots of pogoing up and down and singing. The chiefs son, Alex, wore a lions mane headress, a symbol of his status in the village. After circumcision, the young boys are sent out into the bush for several years and the boy that successfully manages to kill a lion is rewarded with the lions mane and tail.
It was an interesting afternoon, but felt a little put on for the tourists. The Maasai benefit directly from the small fee we paid to enter the village, however, and were happy for us to take photos. They also had a market area where we were able to bargain for crafts.
All in all a fantastic day!!
