A Journey (Safari) to Remember

...rhinos,...
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Safari in the Maasai Mara Games Reserve

Kenya

The most amusing animal of all we thought were the gawkerbeests.

November 17 – 19, 2006

Sam, the driver and the Chengs preparing to go on safari.
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As we were unable to be accommodated at A Rocha until November 20^th, we decided to use this time to go on safari before staring our next volunteer assignment. Safari is the Swahili word for journey, and what a journey it was!

Sam, our driver and guide picked us up in a safari minivan early Friday morning. We soon left the lush, greenery of Nairobi’s vicinity and had our first look at the massive Rift Valley from above. The Rift Valley is supposedly the most stunning and largest part of the scar created on the continent of Africa when the ancient continent of Panacea was being split apart 8 millions years ago to create the various continents. It is huge; coming all the way from Israel in the north, through Ethiopia and down all the way to Mozambique. From up above on the escarpment we could see a vast, fertile plain dotted with trees and farms. On the other side of the rift were hills and volcanoes, some of which were in Tanzania. Down into the rift we proceeded, and this is where the journey became interesting.

We saw lions,...
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The road became steadily worse until soon Sam was driving like a madman; swerving to avoid pot holes as big as 20 cm. deep and 3 meters wide. Where the road was just too bad, he drove on the sandy, rocky shoulders, on either side of the road, left or right, whichever was better. We bumped and jostled along; but not at the slow pace you’d expect on roads of that condition. It seemed like we were in a great hurry. Sam was driving at speeds of 50 to 70 km per hour on these shoulders and occasionally slowing down only for the deepest and biggest holes or for the occasional herds of goats or cattle being herded by Maasai herders. We were relieved and Sam was exhausted by the time we got to the Mara Simba Lodge just outside of the Maasai Mara Reserve.

...elephants,...
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A great buffet lunch and an afternoon nap revived us all, and then at 4:00 pm it was time to go on our first game drive. Sam had the roof of the van elevated for us so we could stand and spot the game we had come to see. Would we really see animals in their natural habitat? We drove into the reserve and were soon excitedly spotting our first Thompson gazelle as they grazed in the plains. They looked up at us, wagging their black tails furiously, but too engrossed in the work of finding a few green blades of grass on the dry plain (mara). Next we came across a herd of zebra, plump and wonderful, each with its own individual black and white markings. We drove across the dirt roads and tracks of the wide open mara, somewhat aware that there were a few other white vans like ours traveling the tracks ahead or behind us, but for the most part feeling very much alone in this vast open space of God’s creation.

...cheetahs, and...
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Soon we spotted a herd of elephants crossing the plain ahead of us. Mamas and young ones trudging together to the next grazing ground with the babies safely tucked in between the bigger elephants. We and a few other vans stopped to watch their methodical but intentional walk across the Mara. The spottings were becoming more interesting and exhilarating, especially as we spied a lone rhino lumbering towards the bushes. Rhinos are apparently not often sighted!

The most amusing animal of all we thought were the gawkerbeests. These not so rare creatures rise early at dawn and start their hunt for their prey either alone or in small groups of a few. They dart to and fro on the Mara seeking out their intended targets. Once a prey has been sighted by one of these gawkerbeests, they signal their companions and the others rush from near and far to surround their victim. The surrounded prey stands no chance as the multitude of the gawkerbeests descends upon it. The gawkerbeests then start to ooh and ah as they unsheathe their weapons of choice and start to shoot off in rapid succession a multitude of digital and 35mm photos. After feasting themselves sufficiently with that particular animal, they then roar off in search of their next intended victim as listed in their guidebooks. We started to realize that wherever a group of gawkerbeests congregated, there was sure to be a game of choice to be sighted.

the dreaded gawkerbeests!
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We also soon realized that it was a badge of honour for the driver and guide of a safari van to be the first to notify the rest of the ‘gawkerbeest’ vans of a sighting. We were proud gawkerbeests, indeed, on several occasions to be the first to spot a herd of water buffalo, a family of elephants, and a hyena eating a freshly killed carcass of some poor animal. But we were also always happy to see a group of vans parked in the Mara. Heading over ourselves, we’d jockey into viewing position to see what had been sighted. Probably the gems were the lions. On one sighting we got within 5 feet of a bush that sheltered 3 tiny lion cubs, likely only 1 or 2 weeks old and their mother. The mother lion tolerated us for a while with great patience, but as she started circling the bush and showing us her impressive fangs, we got the message that we were making her nervous and removed ourselves from the scene. Just before we left, a tiny cub crawled out from the safety of the bush and she very patiently but deliberately went over and picked him up in her great mouth and deposited him into the safely of the bush. Not long after, the gawkerbeests came across the dad; majestically lounging in the grass, not a care in the world. On another sighting we saw 2 mama lions with their teenaged sons and daughters sunning themselves on the rocks. They gazed back unperturbed at the gawkerbeests as we watched their regal self-confidence with lumps in our throats.

Hippos lounging in the steam beside our lodge.
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Game drives are a sport and we enjoyed and were humbled by the game. We were rewarded by sightings of giraffes, zebra, elephants, a cheetah, hyena, wildebeests, buffalo, topi, gazelle, hartebeests and many different birds. We were also humbled to see the passion and pride with which Kenya is now protecting and caring for the reserves of wildlife, to be enjoyed and respected by all of us. The mara and its animals are a magnificent natural resource; well worth the visit and essential to be protected.

One of the multitude of zebras in the Mara.
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After a 2 ½ hour game drive, the gawkerbeests were taken back to the rustic but beautiful Mara Simba Lodge where they could rest from their sport and graze at the wonderful buffets laid out for them. Great food, beautifully presented. Satisfied with their sightings and meals, they could lounge by the pool where monkeys come for drinks or watch the large extended family of hippos snorting and snuffling in the river just beside the lodge. A lazy crocodile winks sleepily at the gawkerbeests and convinces them that an afternoon nap is not a bad idea.

After a fourth and final game drive early on Sunday morning the gawkerbeests collected their belongings from the lodge and set off in their vans back to Nairobi. This time the jolts and bumps on the bad road are just too much for our safari van, and we hear something snap. A torsion bar gave way on the right front suspension! Oh, dear! Sam decides that we can move on although our progress is reduced to almost a snail’s pace. Forty five minutes later we hear another loud bang and something falls off the van. The previously broken torsion bar finally gave way and fell off completely! Sam picks it up from off the road, tucks it under a seat and we continue our slow, laborious progress through that system of holes and ruts they call a road. Eventually, the children and I are transferred to another safari van and we leave Sam and David to slowly make their way back to Nairobi. Our second driver, however, must have had an important date in Nairobi later that day or he fancied himself as a rally driver intent on being the fastest and wildest driver along that awful road. Fortunately, we reached Nairobi safe and sound, possibly missing a few brain cells from the jostling of the journey. All in all, it was an adventure to remember!