Hey
everyone,
Sorry
I haven't been in touch much lately, have been really busy exploring
Africa and working with our beautiful kids at the orphanage. Got back
this morning from our three day safari in Masai Mara which is a
national game park and where you find all the Masai tribal villages.
Our
first day wasn't amazingly exciting as we had to drive approx 7 hours
to get to the Mara. We did stop off at the Rift Valley lookout which
is huge and absolutely gorgeous, hard to capture properly on camera.
The valley apparently stretches from Jordan to Mozambique which is
pretty mind boggling!!!! On arrival in the Mara we settled into our
accommodation which was like luxury camping. We were in safari tents
with actual beds and even a little front porch to relax on ahhh how
nice!! Hot showers, flushing toilets and meals that included meat
were definitely added bonuses – lol see the things I appreciate
now!!!. I don't think you understand how we are living here in Kenya.
The water and electricity cut off randomly and for periods of time
which can be a massive pain in the butt. Also Sara and I spent about
45 mins today scrubbing our clothes, rinsing and wringing them out
because I don't think anyone in Kenya owns a washing machine. A
laundromat here could be a business idea for all the mzungus like us
who aren't really partial to raw knuckles!!!
Anyways
back to the safari.... So the first night I drank my first ever beer
(Dwayne you are officially allowed to call me a bogan once for this
lol and jess you should be proud of me). We sat around a camp fire
talking and swapping stories with the local Masai tribesmen. I can't
explain to you how surreal and fascinating this was. It was like
stepping into another world, the way they live is so primitive
compared to what we are accustomed to. Mind you this wasn't part of
our safari, I just started asking them questions and they asked us
some in return. I doubt that many other people get to experience
something so different so I count myself very lucky for that. They
pity us for the amount and regularity of divorce in our countries,
they were shocked men only have one wife and that it is illegal for
us to keep sheep in our houses!! One guy asked about travel to the
stars and when we briefly explained travel to the moon he was pretty
confused – asking how we get there and how we know when we arrive.
One of the girls in our group is originally from Sierra Leone and
they questioned how Africans got to other countries, to which she
replied “Um we fly” !!!!
Now
a bit about the Masai people and how they live. Initiation processes
into manhood involve traveling in the wilderness for 5 years, hunting
and killing a lion, circumcision and marriage. Female circumcision is
now illegal in Kenya but some families still travel over the border
into Tanzania to be able to carry out the ritual. The going price for
a wife these days is 10 cows, unless the man can 'jump' really high,
then he can lower the dowry to about 6 cows. Men are expected to have
an even number of wives and usually minimum 4 who all live in
different villages. The women build the houses by the way – power
to the women woo hoo!!! But on the other hand it is very common and
socially accepted to beat women to ensure that they are obedient. The
tribes literally use everything from nature and don't waste anything.
They drink blood, sometimes boiling it and mixing it with milk. For
anyone who's interested, I've been told it's quite tasty but took
their word for it!! When we were shown through their village we were
welcomed into some of the mud huts. Literally made of mud, grass,
wood and cow dung!!! After they eat meat, they like to smear some of
the fat and grease into their skin so you can imagine the flies they
attract. We saw kids and adults just covered with them, pretty
disgusting in all honesty but they seem quite immune to it. The women
also are renowned for their bead making which is so vibrant and rich
in colour. That's something else I find fascinating. That they live
in mud huts with the most simple tools and way of life, yet their
clothes, jewellery and body decorations are insanely intense. It's a
huge contrast but just have a look at the photos and videos. I could
write about this for ages because I think it was such an amazing
experience but I migrht be boring you all so I'll move on plus I'm
starting to feel like I'm writing an essay haha
So
the actual safari was cool but a lot of driving. First day we saw
giraffes, wilderbeest, zebra, gazelle, lions, crocodiles, hippos and
elephants. Probably the most exciting and scary thing to happen was
when I was kinda leaning out of the top of the van to take a photo of
a huge male lion and it woke up and gave me the death stare! Needless
to say I was back in the van quick smart but with some good shots on
my camera lol. The scenery was divine thats the only way to describe
it. It's exactly as I pictured Africa in my mind but even more
stunning. On the second day of safari we woke up really early so we
could see the sunrise. Got some awesome pictures and we were very
lucky to see three cheetahs which are pretty rare and hard to find. I
must say I think they were my favourite animal and we all got a bit
excited when they started stalking a group of gazelles. Sadly we
didn't see any hunting in action though :(
So
another adventurous weekend that I thoroughly enjoyed and would
highly recommend to anyone. Learning first hand about the Masai way
of life was my highlight, I don't think there is any better way to
experience a culture that has held onto its traditions for such a
long time.
So
until my next entry – I love you all and advise you to appreciate
washing machines, beds that don't squeak, meat, constantly running
water and electricity!!!
enjoy
every moment, I definitely am
ki
xoxo
