Maasai Mara – on the way

I rushed out the door, running late to meet the others. The street was empty with only the distant sound of gospel music. I greeted my guard on the way out and took in the view of the colorful sunrise which I so rarely wake early enough to witness. In the end I was only five minutes late and we still had to wait another 10 for our other friend. It takes only five hours to get to Maasai Mara from Nairobi but you never know what you might run into along the way. In the end leaving early was indeed a good decision. I was excited not just to go on another safari to an even larger park but also for the journey since I have seen little outside of Nairobi. We each had our own row to spread out in the safari van, but I had no intention of sleeping for the journey.

The Maasai Mara is part of the Serengeti that is in Kenya. It is not as large as the Serengeti but still an enormous national park, and is known for being one of the best to see animals. We were going in the off season, however, so we were unsure of how many animals we would spot but we were saving a bit of money. Also, I’m only here when I’m here. Another interesting aspect of this park is the tribal people located around it, the Maasai. They are one of the better known tribal groups here in Kenya.

As we left Nairobi the landscape was increasingly covered by greenery. We reached the end of the plateau and drove along a heavily forested overlook. But below we could see the endless golden landscape dotted with shrubs. We hit a lot of traffic here as the road was small and many vehicles had broken down along the way. I was surprised to see so many freighters on the road in the early morning of a Sunday.

We made a quick stop when we made it down to the savannah to fill the tank and then were off again. Herds of goats, sheep and cows were scattered along the way, sometimes with all three species in the same group. Often they were herded by children smaller than the goats themselves. The herds moved about from one grassy spot to another, and passing a bit waterhole many came together to cool in the water.

Further along we saw more wild ungulates, thompson’s and grant’s gazelles, wildebeest and zebras. It was curious to see them feeding on the same land used by the herders.

Most of the little villages we passed were similar to Kasarani but with smaller buildings. Whole buildings were often covered with pepsi, coke or other common big brand logos. They would stand out bright against the mostly gray buildings. But as we approached the Maasai Mara we came across more mud houses. At first they were often alone but then we would see groupings of them, all together in a circle. Here we would see Maasai, dressed in their traditional red garb and covered in jewelry, herding cattle.

We made it to our lodging much later then we hoped ate lunch quickly before heading off to begin our safari.

                                  

The Common Zebra (Equus quagga) lives in groups of up to 6 females with young and herded by one male. They have individual “songs” to recognize and locate each other from a distance or when distressed.

Blue Wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) are social grazers that congregate according to grass distributions. Permanently formed herds remain together as they search out greener pastures. Males however stake out territories and guard them through vocal and visual displays.

Last minute decisions

So the other day started out a bit different than most. Instead of heading straight into work I waited for the man who was coming to clean. I have avoided calling him because I feel a bit guilty paying someone to clean up for me. But here you have to hand wash all the clothes and everyday there is a coating of dust that settles throughout the house. My flatmate, who I haven’t actually lived with yet, and have really been just staying at his place, is returning this week. He normally has this guy come and clean so I figured he would leave the place in whatever sort of standard my flatmate might prefer. And the man who came to clean was very happy to receive some work. So I worked over my data while I waited for him to finish cleaning and headed into work shortly before lunch.

At lunch one of my colleagues and I went to a nearby cafe where I ate chapati with beans. Chapati is a common food eaten here, quite similar to tortillas but always freshly cooked. On the TV they were discussing the game for this afternoon – the Kenya vs. Nigeria qualifiers for the 2014 world cup. We had discussed going to this before but never made arrangements. We weren’t sure if we could get tickets still since it was only a couple hours away. But it wasn’t too far to walk there so we decided to make an adventure out of it and head to the stadium and see if we could get in.

As we headed over we were met with people selling all sorts of Kenyan paraphernalia. I got a scarf and my friend bought a flag. People were more and more covered in Kenyan colors and the atmosphere was thick with excitement. The streets were flooded with people heading to the game and people selling merchandise and food for the game. People were always eager to get the attention of us “muzungus” as we walked by, being quite aggressive at times some even draping us in scarves and other items. We asked any guards we came across about buying tickets and were turned this way and that and given some conflicting information. We asked a couple men carrying large cameras about tickets and it turned out they were from the media and insisted on interviewing us. They told us after we should just try at the doors. The crowd was so large I was doubting any ticket availability. But when we came to the doors there was a window selling tickets. We were elated that we could carry on with the party. And the media guys found us to follow up on our story.

We entered the stadium almost an hour before the game was to begin. This was my first time attending a soccer game. Normally I am not too invested in sports, in the US I always had a very negative view of them, although, that had more to do with the bureaucracy behind them and less with the sports themselves. But I have found I rather enjoy soccer games, particularly international games. And if I’m ever going to go to a match, why not one in Kenya?

In the stands it was one big party – reggae music was playing accompanied by whistles and horns and general cheering throughout the crowd and men were dancing and waving their Kenyan flags. But there was little to no drinking. However, people were not completely sober as another drug hung heavy in the air – I could do little to avoid breathing it with every breath. But with time this made for a calmer atmosphere. We watched the game and cheered on the Kenyan team.

People did not get too rowdy even up to the end of the game when it was clear Kenya wouldn’t win. Whenever there was too much aggression it was quelled by other men, reminding them to stay peaceful. Regardless we decided to leave a few minutes before the end of the game in case people got aggressive since Kenya was not winning. We did not leave in much advance we found as people were already flowing out. But the precaution proved unnecessary as people were still happy, dancing and singing unphased by loosing. They were happy to have see the game at all and to have time off to enjoy with each other. Watching people form a big circle to dance and sing together outside the stadium, I really fell in love with Kenya.

The day following the game a lot of people said they saw us on the news, so I looked it up and found the interview.
http://www.citizennews.co.ke/mobile/sports/2012/soccer/item/11000-colour-at-stars-vs-nigeria-match

Daily life and safaris

Days here are full of bright colors from flowers and birds everywhere I look. Though it’s winter here there’s still constant sun and during the day the temperature is rarely below 20C (70F). Nights get a bit cool but nothing I can complain about. And the sky fills with stars forming different constellations from the ones I know up north. When I walk home from work at dusk along the dirt road, I take in the view – a landscape filled with palms and acacia trees against the backdrop of the darkening sky. I can’t capture the image nor the feeling I have, I’m so lucky to be here. And pass the gates to enter my living complex there is one guard who smiles big every time as I greet him in the tiny bit of Kiswahili I know.

The last two weekends I was able to get out and see a bit. I went to Karura Forest, a beautiful forest within the city limits of Nairobi. Two of my colleagues from icipe joined me. We spent the day hiking spotting beautiful birds, butterflies and even some larger wildlife. We walked along a small river heading to the waterfalls. We also came across some caves that are a symbol of Kenya’s independence.

But the highlight of my time here so far was going on my first safari. Last weekend we organized a trip to Nairobi National Park. We left early in the morning, in hopes of seeing some predators. At the entrance we were greeted by a group of baboons, which tipped over a garbage can and fought for the food.

We were driven around in a safari van, which opens at the top so you can have a free range of vision. You aren’t allowed to walk around the park so having a removable roof is really necessary to really take in the park. The entrance of the park was a small forest but opened up into the vast savanna. It’s interesting to see buildings in the distance and apartment complexes right along the border of the park. The day was spent searching out wildlife which I can’t imagine anything more enjoyable. The animals here are so large and it’s just incredible to see them going about their days.

Although the park has lions, leopards and cheetahs they are quite rare to see. But we were lucky. We saw a pride of lions feeding on some prey when we entered, and again as we were leaving we came across a couple lions sleeping in the sun. But mostly our day was full of ungulates – gazelles, giraffes, hartebeests, impalas and so many more. Yet we had some other rare sights – black rhino which is on the verge of extinction. Granted it was incredibly far off, binoculars are also a must. To look out and see the beautiful savanna landscape with these incredible animals scattered across it feels like a cartoon more than anything else.

Going on the safari has only increased my desire to make time for more, hopefully, a longer one far away from any cities. But I was surprised that Nairobi National Park had so much considering the proximity to a big city.