Days 11-15: Safari Time!

Thursday: We left the compound at 8 am on Thursday morning and headed for the bus station. There were some pretty sketchy looking busses, so thankfully we ended up on a bus quite similar to a Greyhound. When we originally booked the safari we were not informed of how long the bus ride would be, but when we got our itinerary, there was a 9 hour slot blocked off – all on the bus! I don’t do well on long car rides to begin with so you can just imagine how thrilled I was, especially after I found out we could have taken a plane there instead! Needless to say, Dramamine and Zzz Quill were my best friends on that bus ride.

After a very bumpy and unpleasant 9 hours, we finally arrived in Nairobi. We were met there by the Elective Africa personnel and they took us straight to our “hostel” which ended up being a place meant for backpackers. We felt a little out of place since we weren’t wearing hiking boots, but we snuggled up 8 per room – just like Jr. High church camp!

Friday: I slept fairly well, but it would have been a lot better if my pillow wasn’t filled with rocks. Anyway, we were off again for another van ride to the Masai Mara Game Reserve. What we thought was going to be a short 2 hour drive magically turned into a 6 hour drive. Lovely.  They also failed to mention that the last 2 hours of the drive would be on an unpaved, ungraded, low maintenance road. Words cannot even explain how terrible it was, but I’m quite certain I have a concussion from hitting my head on the roof so many times.

We finally got to our camp at 3:30 pm and found out we would be staying in tents! The tents were actually pretty heavy duty and were on a cement pad with a roof over the top. Even though we were pretty protected in our hut, the workers suggested we keep our windows and door completely zipped up at night…monkeys are apparently an issue. But we quickly settled in and headed out for our first trip to the reserve. Everyone was anxious since we had caught a quick glimpse of zebras and giraffes on the way in. This time of year is known as the “high season” for safaris in Masai Mara because many of the animals make the great migration from the Serengeti in Tanzania to Masai Mara in Kenya. Anyway, since we were only out for a couple hours, we mainly just saw the grazers: zebras, gazelles, wildebeests, elephants and giraffes. Zebras and wildebeests were in abundance since they migrate together. And when I say in abundance, I mean hundreds of thousands of them. I would try to describe how amazing it was seeing all these animals in their natural habitat, but words and pictures don’t do it justice.

 

 

In awe, we headed back to the camp for a great meal, which was prepared for us by the self-proclaimed “stomach doctor.” Since electricity was only available from 5:30 am – 7:00 am and 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm, we used our light wisely and headed to bed. I forgot to mention that Nairobi is FREEZING! I slept in sweatpants and a sweatshirt and covered up with two heavy blankets. So whoever came up with the phrase “It’s Africa hot out here!” has clearly never been to Nairobi!

Saturday: The first thing we saw on Saturday morning was a hyena devouring the remains of a wildebeest. The killing must have taken place late in the night, and the lions had already had their fill. Although there was only one hyena feasting at the time, another hyena and a few vultures were waiting nearby for their turn. It was an “Animal Planet” show right in front of me. Absolutely incredible! The remainder of the day was spent covering a large portion of the reserve and we were fortunate enough to see every animal, except a leopard. I wish I could pick out my favorite animal, but it’s impossible! At mid-day we stopped under a tree and our whole group had a picnic together. From there, we headed to the river where we saw a ton of hippos and crocodiles. The baby hippos might be the cutest things I’ve ever seen! At about sunset we went back to the camp to rest up for another early morning of safari. The day was quite long, but it was one of the best days I’ve ever had!

 



On Saturday night we went a visited a Masai tribe. They showed us their traditional dances and had us participate, and also showed us their homes. Their diets consist of milk, cows blood, and corn - if they buy it, and their homes are even more simple than that. They were made of sticks, mud and cow manure. We got a tour and I thought I was going to suffocate in there! The women build the houses and it takes them 3 months to build. Every 9 months the tribes have to move because their homes become unstable due to termites. The village is in a circle and surrounded by a thorn fence. At night the cows are put in the middle and men stay on watch for lions that come and attack. The man who gave Laura and I a tour of his home had already killed 2 lions - with just a spear - and he was only 24 years old. Another crazy concept is that they buy their wives from other tribes, usually for 10 cows!

 

Sunday: We were up before the sun on Sunday morning to make sure we could see the sunrise from the reserve. It was absolutely breathtaking. After a couple snapshots, we went out farther in the reserve and actually came across a lioness that just made a kill. She was having a hearty breakfast of wildebeest! A little later we saw a hyena making his way towards the lioness to see if she was willing to share – highly doubtful. That’s about the only new thing we saw in the morning but the grazers were out and about already too.

At 9 am we packed up and headed out for another bumpy ride home to Nairobi. That evening we decided to wine and dine ourselves and went to a nice restaurant called “Carnivore.” We heard it was a little expensive, but we were all so hungry for actual meat it didn’t even matter. The meal started off with soup and bread, then a salad, and then the main course consisted of all types of meat. The waiters went around and served the normal beef, chicken, turkey, and pork, but there was also crocodile, ostrich, and ox balls! We finally surrendered and they brought us ice cream for dessert. We were expecting to pay around 2500 shillings, roughly $27.00, but no. My bill came out to be 3600 shillings. Everyone was digging deep in their pockets, but it was a great $40.00 meal! Oh Kenya, you cease to amaze me!

Monday: On Monday we ventured back to our base in Mombasa. I thought the ride was long on the way there, but the way home was much worse! It was a safari of a lifetime, but we were all happy to be back at our temporary home – and all anxious to be back in the states. One more week!

On a side note, on the way home I noticed one of the buildings had “Psalm 23” written above its doorway. It amazes me that these people still have such strong faith – but a reminder to us all that the LORD will always provide!

Psalm 23:

¹ The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
² He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
³ he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
⁴ Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,^[a]
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

⁵ You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
⁶ Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.