Trip to Maasai Mara

On the first day of the 3 day trip we got picked up from our hotel at 7:30. After waiting for the other people to join us (2 Scottish and 1 British guy) the adventure could finally start. Driving out of the city, the big roads turned into smaller roads which turned into muddy paths. They call this kind of road an 'African massage'. Meanwhile, the jungle gave way to savannah and towns and villages were replaced by lonely shepherds, guiding their cows and/or goats to the best grazing spots. Before we have even gotten close to the park we have already spotted zebra, gazelles, wildebeest, warthogs and 2 giraffes that came really close to the road (they were a different kind of giraffe than those we saw on our first day). The camping place is luxurious. We have a tent under a roof with 2 beds, electric lighting and a private bathroom with a hot shower (they promised it’s hot, though we didn’t really notice or use any hot water). Electricity is up from 6am until dawn and from dusk until 10pm. The only thing we don’t have is Wi-Fi.
After a short stop in the camp we went for our first game drive. At the gate of the park we were greeted by wildebeest, 2 kinds of gazelles and a bit further, by some zebra. We could spot elephants in the distance (we had seen them already from the camp, but they were closer now). We were also lucky enough to spot a pride of resting lions from up close. Though daddy was a bit shy, the mama lions and their cubs were lazily posing for the camera’s. On our way back we got to see some ostriches and a beautiful African sunset. Back in camp it was time for dinner and some stargazing, but we weren’t allowed to wander too far off because the elephants were coming close.
The second day we woke up at 5:20, had a full hot breakfast (complete with eggs, beans, toast and pancakes) and at 6 we were off to see the activity of the predators during sunrise. We saw lots of wildebeest and gazelles that seemed uneasy about the lions in the distance, but nothing happened. Then we saw a cheetah walking about finding a good spot to rest during the day, some foxes, ostriches performing their mating ritual, lots of zebra and some lazy lionesses. We also managed to catch a glimpse of a male lion and a buffalo. After a short toilet break we were off to see some giraffes and a hyena, more buffalo, lots of hippos and 3 crocodiles. Some stick insects joined us for lunch and as soon as we took off a vulture came to see if we left something behind. We saw a family of elephants from up close, then we passed some baboons, warthogs and maybe a marabou in the distance. We definitely saw an eagle and a bill stork though and an elephant crossed the road right in front of our vehicle. At the end of our trip the lazy lionesses were still there and the male lion (if it was the same one) was posing under a tree, while the cheetah was hiding in the bushes. Back in camp we caught a glowworm and saw a bat that might have been a vampire. It was an amazing experience, but at the same time it feels odd to barge into an impoverished area to do something as decadent as going on an animal safari. The contrast between the rich white people in the vans and the African people outside is stark and a little unsettling. I try to comfort myself thinking the income from tourism will probably help protect this precious wildlife, but how wild are these animals still when they get used to dozens of cars parking 5m away with a bunch of tourists sticking their heads out?
The third day we could sleep in until 6 and after a cup of tea we went to a Maasai village to learn about their culture. It seems tourism had become the cornerstone of the Maasai economy. We learned a little bit about traditional plant uses, the son of the chief explained the setup of the village and we got to see a house from the inside. The walls are made out of sticks and cow dung, while the roofs are made out of sticks, grass and again cow dung. We also witnessed a traditional dance and and they showed us hoe to make fire by rubbing 2 pieces of wood together (although we weren’t able to do it ourselves, they made it seem a lot easier than it actually is!) The traditional food of the Maasai is cow’s milk and cow’s blood, which is extracted by puncturing a vein while the cow is kept alive. When boys are about 15 years old, they go out in a big group, accompanied by 2 elders for wilderness training. They stay out for 5 years after which they have to kill a lion to proof themselves. This is a dangerous mission, we were told about 5 out of 20 boys die during those 5 years of training and another 5 het injured. After we walked back to camp we had a nice hot breakfast and started out journey back to Nairobi.