Masai Mara...day 3....Masai village and more animals

We had a little breakfast about 8a then headed out around 830a...not far out of the camp Simon spotted a Leopard in a tree with a Gazelle he'd killed and was now eating.

It would have been great to see the kill and him drag it up the tree, but this was cool too.

Lots of trees and bushes in the way, but you can see.

Then she came down, cleaned up a bit and took a nap...

Then we saw some giraffes "necking"....which is playing or fighting. This was 2 males both wanting the same female. It appeared that one of them won. The female took a potty break and the male sniffed to see if she was "ready".... suppose not,because he wandered off.

She wasn't ready....oh well.

Female

Male....see the difference in the horns...

Then we decided to go see a Masai village....The Chief greeted us....he had an "interpreter" but we noticed many times he would answer our questions before the interpreter could repeat them, and once he even spoke some English...hummm...how much of this was for show...they make money on visitors, $20 each, and they try to put on a show....I liked it when it was more authentic, I think it is a money maker now. I do believe they live this way, but they do things just for show now.

 Men right outside the "wall" around the village....

Many similarities to the one we saw in 1978, but also some differences. Seems that a change in the environment has caused them to make changes in their customs.

We learned the Masai can have more than 1 wife, baby girls don't count because they marry and move away, the boys marry and bring their wives to the family home to help.

Marriage parties take 3 days and 10 cows are paid for each bride.

The women build the houses the men tend the flock of sheep or cows. They do go to school at age 5ish and go thru age 14ish. However, for boys if they "become a man" before that they stop going to school. Becoming a man means they get circumcised. Many yrs ago this was a rather brutal event....no drugs for pain, cannot cry or move or they kill you. The older men in the camp performed this and all boys were done with the same knife. Fast forward a few years and due to diseases that have now shown up, a doctor comes to the camp, there are pain meds and it is much more civil. However, there are tribes that are deep in the bush far away from anything that still practice this tribal method and many others. Women used to have their babies in the huts and by themselves....now they go to clinics...they were losing many babies. But again the tribes that are deep in the bush still practice this. All the "mounds" you can see are dung...yep, they just walk in it and think nothing of it.

The women did a dance for us...

Shea got in on the dance....

Inside a hut...right inside the front door this room is for the chickens and baby cows.

Children take care of children..

Kitchen and supplies...see the one window against the back wall..this is mostly to let the smoke out..otherwise...very dark. They now use solar flashlights.

A skin of something hanging up..

The ceiling

He is sitting on his bed...has a cowhide cover...see how dark...only light is our flash

 Extra supplies...                                                                 His and his wife's bed

This man has 3 baby girls...will likely try for a boy

Outside a hut...

Cute little girl...

The fence around the village...about 80 people

The men did a dance...

 They are known for their jumping...

Denny joined in...the Chief, with the hat on was explaining...

And Denny tried to jump with the men....they are known for their high jumping, the higher the jump the more women that want you...good thing Denny's already married!!!

At this village they had a "gift shop" tent...didn't have one of those in 1978. The women that had made the goods had to stand on the outside of the tent while we and the men could go in. The men would answer our questions, by asking the women.

The Gift Shop...

Mom and Shea bargained a bit and made a few purchases.

Time to get back in the Land Rover and head out to see more animals...it was hot and we'd all shed our layers by now. We decided to stop under a tree, that didn't have anything perched in it, for lunch....they do pack nice box meals.

We all enjoyed lunch and Simon told us about his life. Lovely location under a shade tree..
Veggie tart, a piece of chicken, tomato and cheese sandwich, water, juice, brownie, orange, chips..plenty

 The box was cool too....

 He went to school and learned English and how to drive. He had to drive without passengers for 5yrs before he could hire on at the camp. He is part of a Masai village 2hrs away...and he went through the tough ritual of becoming a man. We is now married to 1 wife and has 3 girls and a boy. The boy was last....he said he kept trying, he needed at least 1 boy. Not sure yet about more wives or more children.

We all had to wonder how he could live at the camp stay in nice housing, have running water, flush toilets, good food, TV and then go back to the village...but he does.

However our waiter, Nelson, seems to want out of that life...he's 29 (boys are suppose to marry by 28, so he's getting pushed to marry) and is studying to become a camp Manager. He wants to have a nice house like the camp Mgr and then get married. He said the house is on the property 3 bedrooms, nice living area, bathrooms...and that's what he wants. Good for him.....hope he makes it. He has told his family he will take a wife when he's ready. He said that no longer can the tribe force him to marry...you may now remain single if you wish, but I'm guessing that's not very common....they all find it unbelievable Shea is 47 and single.....wow!!!

Riding and chilling...

Once lunch was over we headed for animals...we  wanted to see a BIG male lion but instead we found these Mommy's and babies...and their kill....a Wildebeest. These were the youngest cubs we've seen so far....

She must have been the last to eat..she was really hungry.

Yummy....

Hello cutie........

See that broken front tooth...

We got to see a little disagreement too....

Further down the way...we got to see an Ostrich family.....we have been very lucky to see so many young animals.

We saw a few more birds along the way...Marabou Stork

 We learned this birds legs are really black...but it's urine turns them white....yuck

Black Chested Snake Eagle

Narinas Tragon

Yellow Throated Long Claw

 Oriole....

Helmeted Guinea Fowl

Warthogs and their tiny babies...

Buffalo and a baby...

We finally got to see some elephants in their "jacuzzi's"....there are these deep holes that are dried up mud, but when there is water they make for an elephant mud bath....they were having a ball....

The baby was so cute.....

Mommy and Daddy were a bit protective...

The baby was trying to nurse a little...

Serious tusks.......

We really wanted to see a Rhino...the last of the Big 5 for us...so, sweet Simon took us way out where he knew there would probably be one.

We knew it was there by the number of trucks we could see before we got there...it was a Mom and a baby...though it was a bigger baby...it was a younger one.

They were a ways off and there was a Game Warden truck very close to make sure we didn't get any closer....but Shea did pretty good...perhaps we'll see some more.

We also got to see another Cheetah...she was happy under the tree...then not far off there were 3 more walking in the tall grass...got a good shot of 2...they were a ways off.

Was time to head back...we were over an hour from camp...but Shea had given Simon a "wish list" and he took that as a challenge to see them all today...it was meant to be an overall wish list...but he got the last thing.....

A Hyena....they are so ugly and a bit camera shy....

We headed back and saw some more baby elephants but not a good photo op....but sunset was amazing....

We made it to dinner, exhausted after a 10.5 hr game ride, but happy. The Red Snapper was good...the lamb was a bit chewy but ok. We decided on some down time for tomorrow, one game ride at 330p....after all we still a 3rd camp for 5 days...we think we can afford to relax a little.