Maasai Mara

I have returned from an amazing safari through the maasai mara. To the left is a picture of a giraffe as the sun was rising. It was amazing how close we got to all the animals, including the ones that could kill you in one swift motion.

The only animal that I can think of that we did not see was a rhino. We tried tracking one down through the brush, but its path led into some trees where our car could not fit. Other than that, we saw plenty of zebras, elephants, giraffes, wildebeast, cheetahs, a leopard, hippos, and hyenas. By the end of our adventure, a group of giraffes was like seeing a bunch of deer in Illinois.

The tents that we stayed in were very nice. I was expecting it to be very rugged, but it was actually almost nicer than my place in mombasa. Every tent had a toilet and a hot water shower. It was incredible! Too bad I wasnt able to use the shower though since I brought nothing to shower with. Oh well, this is Africa, hot showers shouldnt exist.

After dinner at night, we would all sit around a fire with massai warriors and talk. I met a 19 year old named Daniel who had killed 3 lions, his first being at age 15. In the massai culture, in order to prove yourself as a man, you are sent out into the wild with about 5 others and a spear. The goal is to kill a lion and bring back its claw, its tooth, and if its a male, its mane. Alongside this, each warrior has a wife and many "friends". Polygomy is allowed in every village. When asked what their favorite food is, they all reply with blood and milk. I dont think I could fit in too well with them. After finding out that there is

nt much variety to their meals, I made one of the warriors eat a smore. It was one of the funniest things I have every seen. His face was priceless as he took in all that sugar.

Each night, we would fall asleep to the noise of cattle and yelping hyenas. This is probably why massai warriors had to stay up all night and guard our campground.

The most amazing thing I probably witnessed while on the safari was a lion eating a buffalo in the morning. I got it all on video too. Although some will be sad by this, it is a part of nature and if it helps, the buffalo was long dead before I saw it. When I asked our guide what the craziest thing is that he has seen, he replied with a lion eating a human. At first we all laughed and took it as a joke, but later we asked him again and he was completely serious. Supposedly a tourist got out of his car to take a picture next to some sleeping lions. They woke up, and the rest is history.

Today I went back to work at the orphanage. Being away from the children for 4 days has made me miss them so much. Its going to be very hard to leave them at the end of this trip. One girl named Precious is teaching me swahili and has given me homework for tonight. She is roughly 13 years old. Another girl named Melody, who is very young, but knows some english, wouldnt let me leave today. I helped her draw an orange today for her homework. She may be one of my favorites in the orphanage. On the downside, one of the kids woke up after wetting his bed and climbed all over me. Didnt realize it was urine until I smelled my shirt. I got over it pretty quickly.

As I work there longer, I find out more and more about their past history. One girl named Marsey has a very sad background. Her mother tried killing her several times before a neighbor got suspicious and notified someone. Despite this tragedy, she is one of the cutest and happiest girls at the orphanage. One of the younger boys, named Levis, was dropped off at a neighbors house by her mother and told to watch over him while she did some shopping. She never returned him. This most likely explains his personality of being very jelous and upset if you set him down and walk away for a minute. I have gotten very attached to these children as well. One of the days this week we are going to take the children to the beach to go swimming. It should be a fun time.

Well I better get going now. Let me know if there is any specific animal you would like to see a picture of. I have just so many, that I didnt know which ones to post on here. Ill have to remember to bring my camera to the orphanage so you can see the children and their white smiles.

Asante (Thank You)