Lion King

Off at 6:30, getting up in the dark and wearing a sweatshirt due to the windchill in the van, we struck out for new parts of Masai Mara. James accompanied us again with his video camera, and what a show he would get. It was slow going at first, with few animals to see, but we got a call that there were some lions and off we flew to see them. Again, they were at large dirt hills, this one about 20’ high and near a stream so there were bushes under which they could sleep (at least until we showed up). There were four lions, two males and two females. One male was lying at the base of the hill and the females were walking back and forth behind him. The other male was about 15 feet to the right of our van but hidden by the bushes. We all got some great pictures. And as one van backed up next to us to leave, he almost came upon the lion in the bushes. Being rudely woken, he got up, glared at the van, and with great disdain started walking directly at our van from the rear (where Bay and I were sitting) - Bay immediately sat back down in her seat behind the safety of the closed doors and windows while I’m hanging out of the open roof trying to take the picture of a lifetime. The lion passed not 2 feet from me - right next to the van. I could have patted him as he went by.

As we prepared to leave, Mario exited the van to look at the ground to see if it was safe to drive over, and unbeknownst to him, his wallet dropped out of his pocket as he leaned over. Fortunately, he got a call later than someone had found his wallet and they had it at another lodge. How lucky is that! He is a good man, even though I call him “Cheese Man.” The rest of the morning safari was spent traveling over hill and dale, seeing a secretary bird, giraffes, a wildebeest, crowned cranes, warthogs, etc. A male crowned crane has extra tail feathers hanging down just in case you see one and want to know how to tell the difference.

And have I told you that some in our group think that Bay looks like Cybill Shepherd (sp?) in “Moonlighting” and that she is a scientist? And 29? With very white teeth? And she looks great in pink?

Masai Village

Against my better judgment and the piece in the Lonely Planet book, I agreed to go to the Masai village. The cost was the same as the Samburu village ($20) to “help with the education of their children.” Our Masai guide spoke good English and we started off with two dances by the men, followed by the dance by the women. The rest was predictable from our previous experience and the only thing saving me this time from the onslaught of the ladies selling their wares is the promise that I had a gift from the people of America to give to the chief and the Masai people. So they escorted me around the market but there was minimal pressure to buy bracelets, necklaces, knives, figures of animals or Masai warriors, all set up in twig huts in a circle, being their market. The chief’s son and the “Secretary General” followed me and held the things I chose to buy, not telling me how they were until I completed the circle. Then they informed me that the cost would be $40. I said “$20” and they counterofferred $30. I said $20 again, and they replied $25. I again said I would only pay $20. They said OK and shook my hand. I gave them the money. They wanted me to be sure that when I gave them the gift, I handed it into both their hands. So I pulled out an Obama-Biden campaign bumper sticker, and told them that this was a gift to the Masai people from the people of America and they thanked me and the people of America. I put it into both their hands and the Secretary-General took it and opened it up.

The new part of this visit was the letting of the blood of a cow. The Masai’s diet consists of milk, blood and meat. And they get the blood from a cow and demonstrated how they do it. They put a belt around the cow’s neck, letting the pressure build up in the veins like us giving blood. They keep feeling the cow’s neck to be sure they have the right vein and that it is expanding with blood. Then an elder comes with a bow and arrow and shoots the arrow into the vein - the blood spurts out and they catch it in a pitcher getting about a pint before the flow slows to a trickle. Then they put pressure with the belt on the wound, like the nurse putting pressure with the gauze on the pin prick in your arm, and the blood coagulates. They won’t use this cow again for bloodletting for 3 weeks. One of the Masai men then picked up the pitcher and took a big drink of the blood.

Not too surprisingly, the Masai who addressed me also called me “Tall Man.” They are also a tall group, with one or two approaching my height.

Big Five

This would be our last safari in Kenya and we had seen all the big five but the elusive leopard. After lunch and a swim at the pool, it was 4 and time to leave. This time we travelled west in the reserve and it was very quiet. But the scenery was spectacular and we had a lot of laughs with false viewings of this and that, me with stumps, and Dave with red-headed whatever. After an hour and forty-five minutes, we turned back toward the lodge.

As the limbs of the green-leafed bushes were dancing in the evening winds, bobbing up and down, the storm clouds gathered in the north. And you could smell the electricity (ozone?) in the air as Jackie noted. We heard a melodic sound. Another songbird? No, that’s Mario’s cell phone. After 30 seconds of conversation, we rocketed up to a speed of Mach 1 from 15 km. per hour, and we all lunged for the closest available handrails. The spotted hyenas, warthogs, wildebeests, elephants and God knows what were just a blur as we approached Mach 2. We careened from ditch to ditch as Mario yelled, “We’re going to try a little experiment.” Like a Toyota van lifting off? On we sped past the Lodge until we slid to a dusty halt beside two other vans, and they cried out, “The leopard has just left.’ Not to be denied, Mario, and Mario only, drove over rock outcroppings scraping the bottom off our van, and circled behind the ledge. Behold, there is the leopard, 5 feet in front of us and it was a race to see who could get to the cover of the stream first. The leopard won, but not before we got a few pictures. God bless Mario! He did it - the Big Five. Not in one hour, like Prince Charles decades ago as the picture in the bar says, but in time for our departure tomorrow. When he has a mission, get the hell out of the way!

Back to Nairobi tomorrow with a 7:30 AM departure. I will be very sorry to say “Goodbye” to this spectacular country and most especially to our friend, Mario. He has taken good care of us and wanted us to see his beautiful country and learn as much as we could while we were here. We will miss him, but I plan to keep in touch.

Good night to you all.

Love, Nat, Dad, DB, Matt and Tall Man