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Published: June 25th 2007
Supa!
I hope that this blog finds you all well and happy. We have just come back from an amazing weekend and I can't wait to tell you about it... it's a long one, though... so get ready.
Thursday evening we went to eat at a place called Carnivore. It has been rated one of the top 50 restaurants in the world… twice. It was great. The servers gave you meat straight off the sword and we ate until we couldn't eat anymore. Alan said that the beef was the best he's ever had. His exact words were, "Every time I bite into this beef I am blown away. It is the most amazing thing I’ve ever eaten."
That evening we stayed at a place in Karen (just outside of Nairobi) called Karen Camp. It was a great hostel located in a beautiful area. There were three large dogs and... wait for it... wait for it… showers. It was the first time that we took showers (albeit cold ones) since May.
Friday morning began with a cold wait for the safari van to pick us up outside the grocery store. The pick up time was 7... meaning in Africa time 8.30. While we were waiting we heard yelling and chanting coming from the parking garage. We looked down inside of it and saw a bunch of people pacing and praying… it was a strange sight. Finally, our man Joseph (the same man that picked us up from the airport) arrived in the van and after picking up a few other volunteers, were on our way.
It was a beautiful drive. Coming out of Nairobi and dropping into the Great Riff Valley is a sight that I will never tire of and one that will always be etched into my memory. We traveled to our camping site in the Masai Mara which was a slow, pot-hole filled six hour drive... to avoid the potholes the majority of the time we were riding in the ditch. On our way we saw a lot of zebras, wildebeest (they are migrating across the Mara at the moment so there were a lot of them) and giraffes (my favorite). We finally arrived and the camping site was amazing. Our large safari tents had showers (although we didn't have enough time to use it), running water and flush toilets... luxury. We quickly dropped off our bags and then jumped right back into the van to go on our first game drive.
As soon as we entered the park we saw a few elephants up close. They were only a few feet from our van. We all stood up to look out the top. The van had a roof that lifted up so that we could have a 360 degree view. We took loads of photos and then were off to see the next animal. We came across lions which were laying in the grass near the road... one male and one female. There were elephants, warthogs, huge birds, dik-diks, impalas, hartebeest, topi and gazelle all right in the same area. We were hoping that the lions were hungry so that they would hunt, but they were too sleepy and only rested. That evening we went back to the camp and ate a wonderful dinner. We talked with the other volunteers who were on the safari with us and really enjoyed their company. There were vervet monkeys everywhere and it was so much fun to watch them play in the trees as the sun went down. With full bellies we all went to bed to dream about the big day that was to come tomorrow.
We woke up first thing to a hot breakfast and an awaiting van. When we pulled up to the entrance of the park so many women came up to the van and tried to sell us so many bracelets and carvings. Alan and I did some bargaining... very hard bargaining... and got about 15 really beautiful bracelets and a traditional carved Maasai club for Al for 1000 Kenya shilling (ksh)... a little less than 15 US dollars. When we drove into the Mara we saw so many animals. Lions came right up to the van... they brushed themselves against it. It was so cool to see them so much up close. We could have reached out to touch them. Alan loved it. That was exactly what he was hoping for. We saw cheetahs, buffalo, birds, and everything that we saw the day before. It was so cool. For lunch we stopped under a tree right in the Mara and had a wonderful meal surrounded by unbelievable beauty. We did some more riding around and did a lot of watching all sorts of exotic animals and then around 4pm went into a traditional Maasai village at the entrance of the park.
We arrived in the village the young warriors came out to greet us with a welcome dance... they circled us and sang and jumped. It was very cool. We then went into the village and looked at the traditionally made dung and mud houses and met many Maasai people. Finally, we were shuffled into their market place and looked at necklaces, bracelets, masks and other beautiful handmade things.
Alan and I looked around and he saw a machete that he really liked and a mask for me... we bargained hard (a necessity) and got both of them for 1000ksh. We also spoke to some of the warriors (almost all of them spoke amazing English) and told them about Saikeri where we are living. It was a little strange having to pay 1000ksh each to get into a Maasai village as a tourist since we live in a pretty traditional Maasai village ourselves, but it was great for the other volunteers to see since they live in Nairobi and wouldn't have the chance to visit something like that otherwise. It was also good to give our money to a community whose tribe has been consistently dispossessed for over a century and who rely largely on tourism for income. When the tour finished and with our bargaining done... machete and wildlife pictures in hand... we were on our way back to camp for the evening.
That night the stars were out in full force and the other volunteers (who all work in the city so don't get a chance to see the stars... Al and I are very lucky to see them almost every night) saw them for the first time. It was cool to point out the Big Dipper (which is upside down here), the Southern Cross (which we can't see in the Northern Hemisphere), Orion (which we can only see in winter where we live) and the moon (whose crescent is sideways) to them. The stars here are amazing... there are so many and they are so bright.
We set off the next day, Sunday, for an early morning game drive into the Mara. We left camp at 6.30. The early hour was soon forgotten as we were greeted to a brilliant sunrise over the vast savannah. It was one of the most beautiful sights I have ever witnessed. I called my parents at that moment... I wanted to share it with them, but we were cut off. So, dad, since I didn't get to tell you about it then... and haven't talked to you since... that is what I called to describe to you on what would have been your Saturday night.
When we arrived into the Mara we saw a huge hot air balloon which was on safari itself. It was very cool to see. We saw more lions and then cheetahs hunting... which was amazing. They were so close to the van and were ducked down hidden in the grass hunting a Topi. So cool. We had to get back to the camp for breakfast, however, so we didn't see them kill it... next time. When we exited the park for our last time one of the other volunteers wanted to stop and get some bracelets. Where we stopped there were no women there but as soon as Jenna (the volunteer) stepped out of the car Maasai women came from every possible direction running at full speed in their shukas, wearing no shoes, armfuls of bracelets and all. Jenna was swallowed whole. There was literally a minute were we could only see the Maasai women and Jenna (who was somewhere in the middle) was completely hidden. Alan jumped out to help her out... but couldn't even begin to do anything. The rest of us stood up to look out the roof and take pictures... it was really funny. While I was standing up some of the women looked to me and started trying to sell me bracelets and carvings... I didn't want anything so I kept saying no... and then one woman offered me 20 bracelets for 600 ksh. "600! For all those? Al, do you have 600 in your pocket?" So much for not buying anything...
We got back to the camp, had breakfast, gathered our belongings and were on our way down the dusty, pot-hole filled road back to Nairobi where we saw giraffes standing right on the side of the road and we were making pretty good time... until the van started smoking. We pulled over and saw that smoke was coming from the right front tire. Our driver Joseph got out, jacked up the car, took off the tire and found that one of the bearings was completely shot. This took a couple of hours... luckily our group was so cool and we were all content waiting and lounging in the sun on the side of the road until Joseph found us another van that would take us to Narok where we were to eat lunch while he stayed to fix the van.
While we were in Narok we ate lunch and I saw a shop on the main street that was selling baby clothes for 20ksh each. I asked the girls and Al if they wanted to come and help me pick some out so that we could leave them in the maternity for the mothers who give birth there and they said yes. We bought a huge bag of clothes and we are really looking forward to giving them to the mothers.
Finally, a few hours later, Joseph arrived and we were on our way again.
Monday we went on a walk through Kibera with a man named Peter... Kibera is the second largest slum in the world with over 1 million residents. It is amazing to see how happy people are here... even in desperate conditions. It is also amazing how safe a place like Kibera is. Mob justice is still strong in Kenya so there really isn't too much crime... sure there is petty crime like pick pocketing and small time scams and things but you don't see houses getting broken into and things like that. We were in Kibera for three hours and felt so comfortable and really enjoyed meeting all the people and seeing all the kids… they constantly asked us, “How are you? How are you?” It was so cute. We saw the places where The Constant Gardner was filmed and we visited clinics and schools to see how they were run. It was so eye opening. It totally deepened my desire to someday work in a place like that and help establish quality medical care and family planning clinics. It is so needed.
Yesterday evening we ate an Ethiopian restaurant called The Blue Nile which was amazing. Ethiopian is my favorite food and I haven't had it since I lived in Seattle and Al had never had it before. We found the restaurant in the Lonely Planet guidebook that we use all the time here and while we were eating the owner sat down and began chatting to us. She asked us how we found out about it and I told her about the book. She read the passage that they have in it about her restaurant and it was really cool to see her smile as she looked it over. It was a really great experience.
Last night we stayed at the Karen Camp again (I love it there) and now we are here in Karen city using the internet and are going to go to the store to buy some drinking water, supplies and soaps and baby things for the maternity before heading back to Saikeri tonight. It feels as if we've been away for ages.
So there you are... a long blog for a long weekend. I hope to put up some pictures from the safari next Saturday. I hope that everyone is having an amazing week and thank you for all the comments and messages you are all leaving. We LOVE to read them so keep them coming.
With love from Africa,
Brooke
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Ginny Webb
non-member comment
Wonderful Blog
Your writing makes me feel like I am right there with you. Some of the images you describe, I have seen on different animal shows but to be able to see them in person, must be awsome. It is just simply amazing that you and Alan are right there in the middle of it all. I can just feel the love that you already have for the country and the people. Take care and maybe one day we will meet. Love to you both, Ginny