Thursday, November 15, 2018

Massai Mara National Reserve

We had a LONG day on the bus, traveling over dusty, bumpy roads to Maasai Mara. On the way, we visited a Maasai village, where we learned about this interesting culture whose elders have made the decision to maintain a traditional lifestyle rather than embrace modern ways. Cows are the currency. Bright colors, beads, and other jewelry adorn everyday fashion. Bright woven shawls accessorize the outfit of men and women.

Throughout the day, we had the opportunity to visit curio shops and haggle with the locals. At Maasai Mara we traded our bus for a more serious overland vehicle. You would not believe the ruts in the main road! We arrived at Siana Springs Camp late in the day, dusty, tired, and beat up from the drive.... oh, excuse me... that was the FREE African massage!

Siana Springs is an oasis in the arid plains of Maasai Mara. We will have the chance to settle in here for a three night stay.

Maasai warriors welcome us


Rouse danced with the boys

Helen was our guide

Rouse is a natural! Check out that form. He hit the tree! A true spear chucker...

Women and children greet us

The children each presented themselves for a blessing from elders... hands on head

Sue can dance

Rouse shops

Everyone is happy!

Bye bye,Maasai 

Other shopping fun



Dusty Road

Our tent


Our guard ... the local Tree Hyrax. Wow! Can he make a scary racket at night!



























3 comments:

  1. What an incredible trip!! Thanks for sharing so many photos. I hope you got a video of Dad dancing. ;) Interesting to see the combo of Dads spotting scope and the rifles your guards carry. I guess that’s to keep the lions away? Love you!

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    1. Lions will only kill you if hungry. Cheetahs and Leopards will kill for sport! So many dangerous animals... the African Cape Buffalo and Hippos are the most deadly. We saw a hippo charge a boat, very close to our boat. Frighteningly impressive. We were rarely allowed out of the truck / Land Cruiser, and were not allowed to stray far from our camp sites. There were night watchmen at the bush camps, and escorts to accompany us as we moved from tent to communal area and back. The animals are free to roam... we are guests in THEIR home... and do so all around and through the camps. Hyenas were right outside our tent at night. We heard their calls.

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