Today we had the opportunity to go out to the private reserve of the Masai Mara for a safari. In just a hop, skip, and 45-minute plane ride later we were in a whole new world.
Upon landing, we immediately hopped into our Land Rovers to set out in search of animals. Because it is summertime here in Kenya, many animals only stay “out” in the sun for a few hours each morning before heading towards shaded areas. So, it was important for us to get out there quickly in search of lions, cheetahs, hippos, zebras, and the rest of the animal kingdom.
The highlight of the day was when we came upon a cheetah and her three cubs, they were absolutely beautiful! The guide said that it is extremely rare to see cheetahs, especially with their young. A cheetah can reach a speed of 120 Km (which is roughly 80 mph) in a very short distance.
Our guides also spotted a pride of lions walking through the brush. The female lions and their cubs slowly and gracefully made their way towards the shade of the trees next to our trucks. What may have been most amazing was how close we were to the lions, but yet how safe and comfortable we felt. Because we were on protected land, the animals have had no reason not to trust the daily groups of humans out on safari. They understood that we were not there to harm them.
We then traveled to the Masai Tribe. The women of the tribe greeted us with welcoming chants and the men of the tribe performed a traditional competition of “jumping” for us. They lined up and chant while taking turns to see who can jump the highest.
Two of the Masai elders (one was 30 and the other was 24) taught us about daily life and the customs of the village. We learned that the women of the tribe build their own huts for their
children and for their husband. The 10 ft. square huts are made of wood, mud, and cow dung. Inside the homes, they have an area for the kitchen/dining, a space for the children to sleep, a space for the parents to sleep, and an area for the calf or young sheep. As there is no electricity in the Masai Village, the huts’ only source of light inside is through the entryway or by small fire inside. They explained that the smoke from the fire serves a useful purpose during the summers of keeping the flies and mosquitoes out of the huts. After learning about life in the Masai village we were able to buy handmade jewelry and crafts to take home.
We ended our day by seeing a group of elephants and a
school of hippos. There were two baby elephants that were estimated at just two weeks old. They had just come away from the water where they had wet their backs to stay cool and keep the ticks off of their bodies. The hippos spend their days in the water where they can do anything from sleeping to giving birth. Then, at night, they roam around and eat on land. If our guide had not pointed out the hippos to us, we would not have seen
them because they were submerged up to their eyes in the river. Overall, we had an amazing day despite the strong summer sun! We saw alot of animals and had had a truly “Out of Africa” experience.
Tomorrow is our last day here and we will be heading to the Frances Jones Abandoned Baby Center. Our group will have the privilege of meeting the children and tour the facility to learn about the amazing work that Feed The Children is doing as a result of Frances Jones’ dream to help children throughout Kenya. We fly out tomorrow night at 11:30 Kenyan time. Thanks so much for checking in on our journey here. We have learned so much and cannot wait to share more stories and pictures once we get home.
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