Hakuna Matata

Safari was INCREDIBLE!

We started in the Masai Mara and stayed in these big green army tents that had the nicest shower I have seen since I've been here. We went out the first night we arrived, the next day, and then for a few hours on that third morning.

I saw every kind of animal imaginable. I was so close to a lion that I could have reached out and touched it. It was insane! I also saw elephants, giraffes, hyenas, zebra, impalas, african cape buffalo, topi, crowned cranes, wart hogs (the Lion King nailed Pumba's character), hippo, rhinos, and so much more. Nothing I have seen compares to the beauty of the Masai Mara. The cool thing is that you have to look for the animals. It's not like you just drive down the road and there they all are. We had to listen over the radio to other safari vans and figure out where different animals were. Julie's dad had a nice pair of binoculars so he spotted a few animals for us. I was hoping we would see all of the big five, but we never saw a leopard. We did see a cheetah though! It was the coolest thing ever. We were just busting through the Masai Mara; dirt was flying everywhere and we were all bumping in our seats. The chase was on! Then all of a sudden we see two cheetahs on the prowl. They're really fast so I only got a few pictures of them. It was a really exciting morning.

A guy named Mark joined us on the safari. He was traveling alone so it was cheaper for him to join a group. I was so glad that he came with us. He was really funny and very interesting to talk to. He was such a gentleman and always opened the van door for us. If we walked around and he was in front he would look back to make sure I was okay. When we went to the Maasai village he stayed outside and just played with the kids. He could of been my perfect guy if he weren't 36 and from England. Maybe on my next adventure :).

The Maasai are a tribal group that live in the Masai Mara and surrounding areas. They live very animalistically and they are very interesting. We were able to go inside a village to meet them and do some dances with them. 

The Maasai Culture:

*All of the Maasai wear some form of red on their bodies. The color scares the animals and makes it easier for them to spot one another in the bush.

*At the age of 10 boys get their ears pierced. If they are going to go to school they get the upper ear pierced. If they are not going to school they get gaged ears, which are huge. 

*At the age of 15 the boys are circumcised in a public ceremony. They are also sent to live in the bush for 5 years to become warriors. Most of them will kill a lion before they return to the village.

*At the age of 25 a man is suppose to get married. Men can marry from 25 to 30 or when they have enough money for a dowry. A Maasai man must give 10 cows to marry a Maasai women. Their first marriage is arranged for them and then after that they can pick wives. A man can have up to 6 wives. (If you haven't noticed by now EVERYTHING  is about the men!)

* The Maasai live in one village for 9 years and then move because of the termite damage.

*The higher a man can jump the less cows he has to give as a dowry.

*The Maasai believe all cows are theirs and they go as far as Tanzania to "re-claim" their cows.

*The houses they live in are made from cow manure.

*Women must build the house they will live in with their husbands by themselves. It takes them 5 months to build one house.

*The women must share a full sized bed with three children. The children are newborns to five years old.

*When a child turns six he/she must live in their own homes.

*Men get a king sized bed all to themselves. 

*Their diet consists of blood, meat, and milk.

One of the Maasai men asked me to marry him. YEAH RIGHT!

After safari was over we came to Naivasha, which is where I currently am. We biked through Hell's Gate yesterday. Let's just say that I feel like I was beaten badly with a stick and then put to bed. Our guide decided we should bike from the hostel we're staying in which added another 6 miles to our trip. The way there and to the gorge wasn't too bad. It was 3 miles from our hostel and then another 5 miles from the park entrance to the gorge. It was downhill the whole way so I was loving it. You don't bike on paved road though. The road is thick sand and gravel. So the ride is fun until you have to bike 8 miles uphill in sand and gravel, after you have gone on a two hour hike. I thought I was never going to make it. I definitely got my workout in for the week. It was really beautiful there. We biked through these huge canyons and there were zebra and giraffe's crossing the road in front of us. I couldn't believe we got that close to them. Julie's cousin Mary tried rock climbing for the first time while we were there at the age of forty. I hope I'm that adventerous and in shape at forty.

Today is a day of rest. Thank goodness! Tomorrow I am going on a boat ride and a hike through a crater. Then it's back to Nairobi until I fly out.

I should be able to write one final blog before I go and then I'll be home before you know it. 

"The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature." ~ Anne Frank