June,
2015
Kenya
The
Maasai Mara National Reserve (Masai Mara and also known by the locals
as The Mara) was named in honor of the Maasai people, its original
inhabitants, and is in the northernmost part of the Mara-Serengeti
ecosystem. In southwestern Kenya, right across the border with
Tanzania, it is the home of the “Big Five” (lion, leopard,
African elephant, African buffalo, and black rhinoceros) and most
populated by millions of wildebeest who, along with topi, Thomson's
gazelles, elands, and zebras annually migrate north (July/August)
from the Serengeti in search of pastures and then return home in
October. Although we were too early to witness “The Great
Migration”, we did see the beginning stages of movement and, as
this is on my “Bucket List”, I have marked my calendar for a
return trip to Africa.
Our
game drives in Masai Mara were thrilling and my camera was always
primed for a photo...actually, many photos. Kariuki was fearless in
his driving and, after a couple of weeks on very bumpy, dry, mud
roads, I was used to holding on anywhere I could in the jeep, always
with the hope that I would return home with a functioning back! Each
morning of our stay, I would get up early for sunrise, always with
delight to look out at what lay before me. Dawn comes quickly over
The Mara; one moment it is dark and then the shadows lighten and the
sounds of animals and birds are heard in the distance...another
ordinary day for the inhabitants of this majestic kingdom, but, for
me, another day filled with gratitude and awe.
The
last day of game drives was, yet again, filled with “you had to be
there” moments. Our jeep came close to being attacked by an annoyed
male elephant and, as soon as he trumpeted his displeasure with us,
Kariuki “hit the gas!” Then there was a champagne breakfast in
the woods by the water, complete with a crocodile sighting and
courting hippos (actually, the hippos did more than just kiss.) I
also had a lovely conversation with Sakui, a Maasai warrior who is
working for the resort so that he can save up enough money to buy
cattle and find a suitable bride. (I wonder how many cows I would
fetch?) There was a cheetah sighting and we rushed to the area,
patiently and silently waiting to see movement through the tall
grass...and they (yes, there were two) did not disappoint. There were more mud
covered cape buffalo and rhinos in the late afternoon and then a last
look at the Kenyan sky whose clouds are the most beautiful I have
ever seen...
A
bit of The Mara through my lens...
