Tour Day 7 - The Maasai Mara

 

[Friday, August 4, 2023]

This morning started out like many of the others. We awoke at shortly after 5:15 AM so that we could both shower and pack our newly cleaned laundry into our suitcases along with our recent purchases. Why is it that clothing seems to get larger as you travel? Hamisi had pre-arranged for the front desk to have someone come and get our luggage and hold it for us there while we ate breakfast. We were just finishing up when we noticed them, so Laureen wheeled out our suitcases while I made a quick pitstop. They still just waited for us to get there before they headed to the front desk. Given that we are in the Maasai Mara, and there are wild animals here, we get an escort as we walk from place to place. This has been in the briefing we get as we check into the hotels each day. We are warned not to walk alone after 7:00 PM and before 6:00 AM. 

 

Breakfast was the usual buffet style with on-demand omelettes and an assortment of local fresh fruits. The food has been incredible thus far with us having the ability to try all kinds of the local cuisine. With breakfast complete, we each identified our bag and then each piece of luggage is taken by an individual from the hotel to the vehicle. Next is watching them attempt to piece them into the back so that they all fit. It's a suitcase version of Tetris every morning.

 

Our first stop was less than 5 minutes from the hotel; and what an interesting stop it was. We were taken to a Maasai village where we were able to interact with traditional Maasai people. We were met by whom we believe to be a representative of the elders of the village. His name was Simon, and he was the one that talked and described all the different things we were going to see that day. This village was a total of 76 people, and they all were dressed in their traditional clothing. We were each given a sort of “carved club” (each of the Maasai participants had one) and then treated to a traditional welcome dance. We were offered the ability to purchase the carved club, so Laureen and I bought one. The photo below is the Maasai man who carved the club. Simon had indicated we could pay this same man for the club – noting that he was the tallest. I went over and compared heights with him, and I was actually taller. Unfortunately, they did not pay me. 

The young boys would jump (and they had quite the standing vertical) almost as though they were on springs. The higher they jump, the more attractive they are to the females of the tribe. The Maasai can have multiple wives. This seemed like it was determined by whether or not the male could afford the dowery to the parents of the girl. If you can afford it, you could have more than one wife. In Canada, the law protects those that could not protect themselves in this regard. ;-)

 

We were also invited into one of the traditional homes of the Maasai which was an intricate weaving of branches of local trees covered in a dried mud. We were told that it was the women who build the houses in this culture. Inside was like two rooms. The entrance with a storage area, and then the main room which was divided into three sections: the sitting area and then flanking both side of the sitting area were rooms. One for the kids, and the other for the parents. There was a fire in the middle of the sitting area and the hut itself was quite smoky as a result. Only a couple of us were able to be inside due to the smoke. 

Next, they did a demonstration of how they could start a fire without a match. Two Maasai boys would kneel across from each other as to be able to take turns with the process. They would use a piece of cedar and a thin stick of a harder wood. Putting the stick between their hands they would move their hands back-and-forth as to create friction on the piece of cedar. When the first got a little tired, he would trade off with the other. In no time smoke appeared and an ember was created out of the cedar. They took the ember and placed it inside some very dry dung and then they would gently blow on it until a flame appeared. I had heard of doing this before, but never actually seen it in practice. They were very proud of this accomplishment – and not having to buy a book of matches.

 

 

Later, we took a tour around a little market they had set up for us, so that we could purchase some items from them. Some of the items we had seen in other shops in other places, but some of the things looked like they were one-of-a-kind items that they themselves had created. Simon, walked around with us and hung on to the items that we chose so we could negotiate the price later. We chose a few things and went through the negotiation process, finally settling on a dollar amount that was likely too high but knowing that it went directly to this Maasai tribe made it a little easier to pay.

 

I should also mention that our original tour had us going to a children’s orphanage to spend some time with the kids and see how the place was run. Just prior to our tour, this itinerary item was removed as they had received several complaints about the endeavour. Laureen had brought some pencils and small Canada items that we were going to give out at the orphanage, that we now gave out to the children here at the Maasai village. Later they came up to me and wanted to wave and say hi. Man, these little ones are happy and CUTE as a button. 

 

NOTE: It was interesting to see the shoes that the Maasai boys wore which were made from old car tires. Maybe that’s how they run so fast – radial shoes. 😊

 

 

We said goodbye to the Maasai village and began our morning game drive.

 

 

We stopped at a dazzle of zebras which now have become commonplace for us; but it was what came next that was amazing – a small pride of lions feasting on a kill (and a hoard of vehicles surrounding it). It is fascinating to me how the lions just act as if those trucks are not there.

I also took a few more landscape photos. I just can’t believe that I’m actually here, breathing the Maasai Mara air.

 

After a short drive we can across a group of hippo’s that were sleeping in the river. Not far down stream was a Nile Crocodile. Wow – those things just look mean.

 

On our drive to our new hotel for lunch (the one we were supposed to have two nights at – but they were overbooked so we stayed at the one last night instead) and a short break before heading out on a second game drive for the day, we ran across a small group of hyenas and then a small herd of elephants.

 

We arrived at this new hotel and found it to be very nice. We attended to lunch first as our rooms were not quite ready and then were escorted to our accommodation for tonight where we unpacked and just rested before our 4:00 PM game drive (our second of the day).

 

The second game drive was just as eventful as the first. Spotted our first cheetah that was close enough to take photos of. We had seen one earlier that was a very long ways away and we could only see its back as it lay in the tall grass. This was much closer. Hamisi indicated that they had likely just finished eating and were now all tired and full. Yup, looks just like me after a big Christmas dinner. We also came across what we think was the dinner location for the cheetah’s where a series of vultures had gathered, waiting for their turn at the carcass. A small jackal was working on it as the vultures waited patiently. 

 

We also stopped at a large heard of wildebeest that would be part of the great migration from the south to the north. There are so many of these things roaming around, that you start to not even notice them.

 

Lastly, as another great surprise, we came across a single lioness just wandering through the Maasai. She was just casually walking around and gave us plenty of opportunity to take photos of her. At one point, we were the only vehicle near her.

 

A short ride back to the hotel and some time to clean-up before dinner. Tonight would be our last night with Hamisi as he would be taking us to the Tanzania border where he would had us off to another guide. Just before we headed into dinner, we ran into Hamisi, and we were able to hand him our tip for his time with us. He was a fantastic guide. Laureen had attached a Canadian flag keychain to the envelope which he said would be used for his small car at home.  He gave us both a hug and thanked us. We had a fantastic dinner together where he asked us what we liked best about the trip.  It was hard to come up with one item, but I noted that it was the first time we saw an animal in the wild (which was a giraffe). It was at that moment that this all became real to me. Laureen said she most enjoyed the people interactions (the farm and the Maasai village). Hamisi had a gift for us as a thank you and as an extension of their culture where they always send-off visitors with food.  This was not food but rather we each got a different type of hat. What a fantastic reminder of our time with him.

 

Tomorrow is an early start as we need to leave at 7:00 AM so we can get to the border at a decent hour. 

 

G’night all.

 

Curt & Laureen

Tour Day 6 - Maasai Mara National Reserve

 

[Thursday, August 3, 2023]

    

The first story of the day happens a little earlier than normal. After getting up to use the restroom at 3:30 AM, Laureen decided to peak out the window and see if she could see any hippos on the grounds. You may recall from our previous blog that after dark, all patrons at the hotel were warned that you should not go out at night alone and you should have an escort back to your room after dinner as the hippos like to come on shore at night and graze on the lawn. When she opened the curtain, there on the lawn just in front of our cabin was a rather large hippo.
 

And just before she got up, there was another “sighting”. As she put her feet on the floor, out of the corner of her eye she noted something on the floor. At first, she wasn’t sure what it was, but it was large and round and close to the bed. She realized that it was the blanket that had been folded up at the foot of the bed and had now fallen to the floor. Yesterday, Hamisi had told us a little about the snakes that they have in Kenya, including the Anaconda. So, for a split second, Laureen thought we had an Anaconda visiting us in the room. Thankfully, this was not the case.
 
Today was another 8:00 AM rendezvous at the front desk area and once again we all piled into the vehicle and headed off to our next destination: Maasai Mara. The drive, like all the others, was a series of small towns, countryside and large trucks. It was clear that we were entering a different climate area as the countryside was dry and sparse. 
 
We usually travel for a couple of hours and our driver stops for a bio-break for the group. We are now used to the washroom through the curio shop approach where a large collection of carvings, paintings and other artifacts await your perusal as you make your way to empty your now full bladder. The washrooms are like you might expect in a third world country. There was one specific men’s urinal area which was a square room with half walls and the top half of the wall was open to the outside. So one could carry on a conversation with someone else who was outside of the building while you were taking care of business. On this occasion there was a man with a mop and a bucket with cleaning solution, and after each lady used the stall, he would mop and do a quick clean. That was definitely worth a tip.
 
As we walked back through the curio shop, I was looking at some of the carvings and was adopted by one of the “sales” people. I eventually chose a wood carving with the big five animals that was made from rosewood. We ‘negotiated’ until we were both unhappy with the price, which means it was probably a reasonable deal. I also had him throw in a small giraffe mask for free (you know I clearly paid for it in the original purchase). We also liked a few of the canvas paintings, which would be easier to take home as they remove it from the frame and roll up the canvas. There is some beautiful stuff here – but I think we will pass on the painting for now.
 
Then we hit the park gate where there was a plethora of Land Cruisers all looking to get their park passes. While our driver went to get ours, he warned us that there is a crush of Maasai women who will come to try and sell you something. Sure enough, the throng showed up as we parked and tried all kinds of ways of getting our attention to make a purchase. Nobody did. Hamisi came back with the pass, and we made our way in the Maasai Mara National Park. The road was rough and long. I’m pretty sure that there will be 6 inches of free space in my luggage when we arrive at our lodging for the night. 
 
We arrived at the Mara Leisure Camp hotel, checked in and then went for lunch as some people had checked out late, and our rooms were not quite ready. They were not “rooms” per se, but rather more of a tent structure over a concrete base. It has that very Africa-rustic look and feel.
 

With about an hour before our 4:00 PM game drive, we gathered our laundry and placed it in the basket to have them cleaned, dried and brought back to our room by about 9:00 PM. Someone was supposed to come back and pick this up, but they did not – so I delivered the basket to the front desk. I also ordered a hand towel, as we only had shower towels in the room.
 
On my return, I sat down on the front porch of the accommodation and could hear what sounded like baboons fighting from the other side of our room. Sure enough, shortly thereafter, a group of thrashing baboons came streaming by our area. It scared me, and I jumped up and ran into the room, closing the door behind me. I think Laureen is still laughing about this as I am writing. Not sure I wanted to be in the middle of a group of brawling baboons. Something BOTH of us will not forget soon.
 
Back to the vehicle for 4:00 PM and we headed out into the park. In no time we realized that this was going to be different than anything else we had seen thus far. This park is just over 1500 square Kilometres in size and is seemingly full of wildlife. We have now seen our share of Zebra’s, so no big deal as we approached grouping after grouping. There were also warthogs, Thompson gazelles, and wildebeests. But the piece-de-resistance was when we came upon a lioness who was looking at a group of Zebras. Imagine seeing her go after one! But then, a male lion showed up as well and the place became a madhouse of Land Cruisers moving about attempting to get into a good position to take some photos. Laureen even captured him “calling out” to the female. This was amazing. 

We spent quite a bit of time here, such that we needed to start to head back to the hotel as the park requires you to be out by 6:30 PM. On our way, we ran into number four of the big five, a small grouping of elephants munching on some trees. There was also a couple of Maasai giraffes which is the third and final type of giraffe in Kenya.

Once back at the hotel we all went to our rooms for a short break before dinner at restaurant. Hamisi had noted that they paired him with another driver who he was afraid would snore all night (the guy was a pretty big fellow), so I offered him a set of earplugs which he accepted. We need our driver to have a good rest! He also relayed a story of when he was here in the Maasai and some people where by the river during the day looking at hippos. He snuck up behind them and made a hippo sound and they all got scared and ran away. He was laughing so hard, he almost couldn't tell the story. When he was done, the whole table was laughing.
 
Off to another lodging place tomorrow and more time in the Maasai Mara National Park. Let’s hope we can see a leopard and be able to cross all the big five off the list.
 
G’night all.
 
Curt & Laureen