To the Masai Mara We Go

5-6 july 2022

Another early morning, this time leaving our Airbnb and heading out on our official safari with our new guide, Albert, and two more couples--one from Canada (Gina and Veenu) and one from Wales (May and Maya). We had a long drive ahead of us to the Masai Mara--Google Maps said 4 1/2 hours, but there was a lot of traffic leaving Nairobi (there is a long stretch of road that goes from Uganda and other inland countries to Mombasa, Kenya on the coast so LOTS of tractor trailers and only one lane in either direction. Constant passing of vehicles--sometimes close calls!), and then 2 hours of dirt road with lots of ruts that Albert called the "African massage."

On the drive, we saw wildebeests, baboons, and camels on the side of the road. Our first stop was a viewpoint in the mountains of the Great Rift Valley...and the first squat toilet of the trip (but not the last!) :-) We also passed through a conservation area with zebras, giraffes, and wildebeests. After about SEVEN hours, we finally arrived at Lenchada tourist camp--similar to my eco hut in Chiang Mai. Two beds with mosquito net inside a large tent connected to a toilet/shower area. Bed pretty comfy--felt like memory foam--but lots of bugs! The electricity is only on at certain times as it runs on a generator.

We had some lunch (mostly veg/starch/carb--spaghetti noodles, cabbage, lentil soup, mashed potatoes, beef stew and melon for dessert) and a brief break...then we headed out for our first game drive in the Masai Mara.

A huge difference from Nairobi National Park. For one thing, you can't see buildings on the outskirts! Learned some fun names for groups of animals (a "tower of giraffes" and a "dazzle of zebras" were good ones...but a "bloat of hippos" is my favorite), and finally saw an elephant! Also a group of giraffes (an amazing find around a corner--a tower of giraffes drinking at a watering hole), wildebeests, spotted hyenas, water buffalo, zebras, gazelles, antelope, and more lions (eleven today alone)!

We got to see not one, but TWO sessions of lion porn. Two lionesses and a lion were napping...and the female woke up, walked over to the male and poked him, then laid down. He got up, did his job and then fell back asleep 30 seconds later. We left for a bit to see something else (all the drivers stay on their CB radios and let each other know when they find something good and everyone heads there), and when we came back, the male went to the female...licked her behind, then went at it again...this time, one of them made an orgasm sound, and then the female just rolled over on her back in complete ecstasy. It was so cool!

We also saw lots of skulls and leftover carcasses lying around, and an amazing Mara sunset. Dinner was rice, chicken (very dry), 2 different veg mixtures, and fruit (which someone scarfed before I had a chance to have some). It gets pretty cold at night, so hoping I can stay warm--went to bed in pj top and bottom, my hoodie, my scarf and socks!

In the morning we headed out early to see the sun rise over the Mara--stunning. SOOOOOO many wildebeests up and about! They have a short moo, similar to a cow. We also found the lions we saw fooling around last night...who had apparently hunted and killed a wildebeest. We saw the male tear off the head/neck and head into the woods for a snack, one of the lionesses snacking on a leg...and three hyenas showed up and one of them grabbed a rather large chunk and scurried off.

Learned male lions live about 13 years, and females live 20...which is why we've seen more of them. Today we also saw topi (antelope), gazelles, a lot of elephants, a sausage tree (a strange fruit humans don't eat, but in a draught, elephants will munch them), eland (the largest antelope), zebras, vultures, favit (?), sleepy cheetahs, and, after quite a bit of work (including watching a couple of other jeeps get stuck), a leopard! It was at a watering hole...then finally came up out of it and walked along the road next to all the jeeps that had shown up for a look. Incredible! Almost got into it with a woman from another group who started screaming at a truck that got between her and the cheetah--I told her that her screaming was going to scare it away and she shot me a bird.

For lunch, we headed to the Mara river. We passed out our sack lunches and were explicitly told not to feed the monkeys. There were a bunch of velvet monkeys (referred to as "blue-ball" monkeys) hanging around, including a mom with a baby hanging on to her stomach as she moved. She got closer and closer and went to grab my bag, but I grabbed it just in time...but not fast enough to save the chips I had already taken out and laid on the ground--she stole those and ran off into a tree to share them! They later got an empty juice box, tore it open and licked that clean!

After eating, we went on a brief nature hike with a local guide along the river and saw tons of hippos and crocs, monitor lizards and agama lizards. Some of the crocs were HUGE! Our guide was great and told us how hippos live in families, each with their own space in the river and even build special passageways up onto land. Saw lots of elephant poop but no elephants. Also learned about weaver bats--they build hanging nests in trees and we saw a ton of those (but no bats).

Yet another squat toilet here (oddly, however, no problem flushing toilet paper!). We drove a few minutes away and saw the marker for the border of Kenya/Tanzania, then a few more animals before we left.

Back at camp, had a shower and headed to dinner. Tried the Kenyan beer Tusker (elephants on the label!) too. After dinner, had a great conversation with May and Maya (college students from Wales) about politics that started with them asking me how most Americans feel about what is going on with abortion and guns. We talked for a couple of hours! Then I headed to bed!