Masai Mara

Day 5

After leaving camp we drove to the Masai Mara National Reserve. It was a long drive to get there and we had to enter the first gate of the park in order to get to our camp for the next two nights.

Our camp had the same canvas tents, but upgraded to have beds with the same 3″ mattresses. The best part was that each tent had it’s own attached bathroom that included a flush toilet, sink and heated shower. I also had to use a mosquito net at night to prevent bites that could cause malaria. I had been taking meds to prevent it and the side effects weren’t pleasant, especially the first couple of days. They made me dizzy towards evening, very bloated with abdominal pain and belching up the nasty taste of the medicine.

After setting up camp, we did a game drive in the park (past a second gate) for a few hours. At the gate, Maasai women were selling their wares and being quite aggressive about it. Most of us closed our windows and ignored them, but Corbin, a big softy, interacted with them and giving them a few dollars.

Shortly after entering the park and seeing wildebeest for the time, we raced off to see a leopard that others had spotted. When we got there, I was appalled at the behavior of the other tour companies. While we and our G Adventures sister tour kept our distance, the others tightly circled a clump of trees & bushes where the leopard was hiding. I felt like they were really stressing the poor animal by keeping it trapped for over an hour. I was so mad and upset that I started to cry. When we got back to camp, I didn’t feel like I had been overreacting when others in the sister group voiced their anger, too.

Day 6

After breakfast we had a full day on safari. Four of our group left at 4am to do a hot air balloon excursion. Antonia, Abdi and I left in the van around 7am and began our safari. We were delighted when we found a large pride of lions with cubs and spent at least 30 minutes observing them and taking photos.

We saw more animals and birds as we drove to the pickup spot the balloon adventurers landed. After picking them up and using the pop-up toilets (a wooden box with a hole inside a stand-up tent that enclosed it), we continued our safari.

We got to see a male lion eating prey it and another male had taken down the night before. Several types of vultures were waiting for their turn. When the lion had enough of us watching him, he grabbed part of his kill and dragged it off towards a stream. The vultures immediately claimed the remains while a jackal snagged a piece and took off.

The other lion was already at the stream and was drinking from it. He drank for at least 20 minutes without coming up for air! Apparently lions need to drink a lot after engorging themself on meat in order to help with digestion.

For lunch we found a lone tree for shade and set up tables and chairs for a picnic meal. It was so cool to be sitting in the middle of the mara, being able to see for miles, and eating my favorite beef samosas and chicken, salad and watermelon! It was so relaxing and allowed me to reflect on everything I’ve seen on this trip.

After lunch we saw a male cheetah and followed him, stopping to take photos before continuing on. He was bigger and heavier than the female we saw in Samburu and we were the only vehicle observing him. We also stopped to see a thunder of hippos in a river, including at least one baby.

We saw so many lions that day, along we all kinds of ungulates, hyenas, elephants, zebras and giraffes.

Day 7

Today was our last day of the tour. We had to drive through the mara in order to get back Nairobi, so we got to see another pride of lions and cubs on our way to a different gate existing the park.

Back in Nairobi we were taken to the same hotel. After resting a few hours, George took us to a Brazilian steak house. There I could observe that we were amongst wealthier Kenyans. For around $50 US, I could eat as much sides and meats as I wanted. It was my first time at a Brazilian steak house and it was interesting to see the varieties of meats they would bring by the table. If I wanted that item, they would slice off a big piece. If I didn’t want that item, I would turn over a card to the red side (green meant keep going).

We said our good-byes and hugs back at the hotel. Some were traveling on to Tansania or Zanzibar while the rest of us would be heading home. Corbin and I would be picked up in the evening the next day, both of us having very late flights home.

This trip still feels like a dream at times and I still can’t believe I finally checked it off my bucket list. I can never repay my mother-in-law (and husband who chipped in) for this trip of a lifetime!