To the ends of the Earth

Masai Mara-A week and a half ago I was swimming off the northeast coast of Australia on the Great Barrier Reef; today I am here in western Kenya in the Masai Mara chasing lions and elephants as easily as I swam with sharks and turtles. At one point I stood up in the Safari truck yesterday and exclaimed that I couldn't believe where I'd been and where I now was. It really feels like I have traveled to the ends of the Earth.

Things have been coming together rather well for me here in terms of work, so I realized that if I didn't go on Safari this weekend, I might never have a chance. So off I went with 3 other people from Upperhill to the Masai Mara, a game reserve that is over 1800 square km. Bordering the Serengeti in Tanzania, the Mara is a vast grassland full of animals and rolling hills.

We started out the trip with a spectacular view atop the escarpment just 45 minutes outside of Nairobi of the Rift Valley (thought by many to be the home of the first human beings). We then bumped and bounced our way to the Mara along some of the worst roads I have rode on. I was surprised by this; while they are in the process of widening and re-taring the road, I couldn't believe how bad it had become. The last hour or so was dirt, but that got us ready for the Safari.

We stayed in a tented camp (with beds in the tent and electricity), and my roommate was a nice young woman from Hong Kong. She had 2 other friends with her, I am not sure how she drew the short stick, but I was happy to know her and she was very kind. They had brought gigantic lenses and fancy cameras (they each had 3) for the Safari and must have taken at least 900 pictures a day. I tried to take 1 good shot of each animal, then sit back and watch the show.

My favourite moments were watching nature unfold. Twice we were privy to the hunt of the lion and lioness and I got so excited to watch it so closely. The first time, man got in the way, which was a theme running throughout. The plethora of Safari vans often outnumbered the animals and I couldn't help but feel a bit dirty about the whole thing. On the one hand, I wasn't about to turn around and not be a part of an opportunity to see such beautiful animals, but I did wonder if I was part of the problem or the solution. I guess being there means the animals are protected in a reserve and safe from poachers. But when we drove up just a metre from a sleeping lion, revving our engines and smoking black fumes, I wondered if I was just part of a giant zoo.

Did I mention lions? Well, we saw plenty! On the third morning we saw 7: the sleeping lion who had awoken, a mother and her 2 cubs, and 3 other female lions from another pride. At one point I watched as the mother came from the underbrush to challenge the other female lions who were getting to close. She came right out and leaped with open mouth at 1, who then ran off to hunt. We watched the day before as another lion sat atop a rock overlooking the plain. A lone zebra wandered away from his heard and I got so excited at the thought of seeing a kill. But as the zebra approached I started to panic and hoped it would escape. Not to fear, for another 4 vans pulled up parking themselves directly between the lion and the zebra, thwarting the hunt's conclusion.

My favourite animals were the giraffes and zebras for their coats are just too cool. Plus I am tall, so I like giraffes for their height. When we stopped on the long middle day for our picnic lunch, monkeys arrived to steal the banana peels. We also saw elephants, gazelles, jackals, hyenas, ostriches, hippos, and a croc. I watched as lions ate a zebra, then saw vultures as they scavenged for the remains. It is also the season for "The Migration" which involves the movement of 2 million wildebeest and other grazers from the Serengeti to Lake Victoria. At times as we gazed about, thousands filled my view. It was pretty spectacular.

The final day was not without it's irritations. In Swahili they say "hakuna matata" which basically means “no worries.” I understand when you are paying 30 cents to take a beaten up old van around town and it breaks down, then you can say hakuna matata. But when you are paying Western prices ($90 a day), and you are left in your camp for 2 hours, then finally picked up by another Safari company whose van breaks down and you are stranded for an hour and a half, then you are dropped off for another car to pick you up after a 30 minute wait to be taken the final stretch to Nairobi, only to encounter rush hour traffic, where you sit for 2 hours, just half a kilometre from home, but you can't walk because you might get mugged, then it is hard to say hakuna matata.

But hey, this ain't New York City.