Kenya - Maji Moto

Well, it has been a physically grueling week and a half which left little time or energy for blogging. The next few posts will be updates on what I have done so far.

I'm currently at Entim Mara Camp, which is a luxury tented camp in the Maasai Mara Park. After a rough night, in which it felt like my guts were being stabbed by hot irons and my innards were trying to violently eject themselves, I am on the mend thanks to a large supply of antibiotics. Most of today was spent lazing around on an outdoor couch and listening to lizards scurry around the inside walls of my tent (very cute). I find the game drives at this camp are not quite as good as the ones I've been on already, so had no problem skipping out and just enjoying the luxury part of the camp.

Also, the mangos in Kenya during mango season are better than candy - FYI

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On Monday morning I was collected by Daniel (driver), Nicholas (guide) and Titus (chef). Yes, three people to take care of one of me, which was about as decadent as it sounds. At any rate, we all piled into a land cruiser with a frightening amount of camping gear and we were off on our adventure!

The first leg of our trip was Maji Moto (hot water in Swahili), a Maasai settlement on the Liota Plains. I really had no idea what to expect when we got there and just had it in my mind that I would make the best of it, whatever 'it' was. The drive to the camp was paved most of the way, with the exception of 50 km of rough dirt roads, and took several hours. Nicholas and I gabbed the entire way and every day after that.

This would wind up being a good road in comparison to many that we were on last week

The camp consisted of comfortable little cottages, resembling traditional Maasai homes (boma), an outdoor kitchen and dining area. There was also a bucket shower and long drop (more luxurious than anticipated). There was dung everywhere, literally (that was the make-the-best-of-it part).

The view from my porch

 

Still figuring out exposure…

When we got to the camp, we were met by Maasai warriors who sang and danced and was kind of awkward for this audience of one.

Later on that day, Nicholas and I were taken to visit the widows village, part of a special program run by this particular community to help the widows support themselves (and includes the maintenance of the tourist camp), as they are not permitted to remarry. Then we went for a relatively brief hike in the Liota Hills. Philip introduced me to the concept of "mzungu cow" = white persons cow = my camera.

The widows

Philip

 

Supper turned out to be spaghetti and meat sauce the likes of which I have never tasted before, but was very good. The familiar names and unfamiliar favors continued all week. Daniel and Nicholas joined me for meals, which I was grateful for, as it would have been pretty lonely otherwise. They both had a great sense of humor. Daniel had some great stories about baboons and leopards falling on tents occupied by his clients and quite a repertoire of animal noises.

That night there was stories around the camp fire, including an in-depth discussion about cows. Philip answered all our questions about Maasai marriage customs, which are rather complex, and I'm glad they don't apply to me. He was rather enthusiastic when demonstrating how he slapped his wives if they were insolent.

The following day Nicholas, Philip, and I went for a 5 hour, very hot, walk on the Liota plains. Not much for game, but it definitely looks like 'the real Africa'.

Five hours of this

 

…And this

That night more quizzing about Maasai marriage customs. Nicholas was a very effective guide, in that, he asked questions of the Maasai (when he probably already knew the answer) when I was not willing and anticipated what I would need or want and sorted out everything in Swahili before I could ask. A very good visit with the Maasai, without a lot of suffering on my part.

Maasai warrior training - would have left me crying, for sure