when jeff and i were planning our humanitarian trip to africa, we knew we couldn't leave without experiencing an african safari. after countless hours of research we learned that the masai mara national park is the best reserve to see big game.
we flew from nairobi, kenya, on a little rickety (sketchy) plane, to the bush. the plane landed on an airstrip in the middle of the reserve. that's where our guide and jeep were waiting to pick us up. jeff and i were beyond excited, we couldn't stop smiling and i'm sure we looked ridiculous. we knew what we were about to do was a once in a life time experience and we couldn't believe it was really happening!
after being on the reserve for about 20 minutes, we spotted this remarkable animal hiding in the grass. what are the odds?! i'm not kidding when i say i almost wet myself with excitement. a male lion is what i hoped to see most of all. this animal was absolutely majestic and so powerful. this particular lion is considered to be a bachelor lion. jay jay, our guide, told us he must have lost his pride to a stronger, younger male. now he hunts alone and lives a solitary life. i'll never forget the thrill of being so close to a lion in the wild!
^^ look who's laying right behind me^^
^^the cape buffalo^^
^^ cutest baby and mother elephant eating lunch^^
^^a pregnant giraffe^^
^^beautiful female cheetah. i could have watched her all day long^^
^^the vultures were a lot bigger than i'd thought they'd be, some were three feet tall!^^
^^on top of the world!^^
this is jay jay, our driver & guide for the 3 days on the safari.
jay jay is considered to be a masai warrior and is wearing his traditional garb.
he's from the masai tribe and is the son of the chief.
his father has 60 wives and as jay jay said, "too many children to count."
jay jay is the youngest of 12 siblings and his mother is the first wife to the chief.
the first wife is the most important,
therefore his father knows him and they have a good relationship.
the masai tribe is obviously still practicing polygamy. :)
^^this is jay jay's father, the chief. ^^
every afternoon we picnicked for lunch on the reserve.
it was kind of exciting and terrifying, at the same time, to be out of the jeep.
luckily we didn't have any run-in's with wild animals!
it's still hard to believe that hippos are the deadliest animals in the world...
supposedly they kill more humans than any other animal.
they are so fat and cute!
^^crocodile^^
^^ there were thousands and thousands of wildebeests^^
^^male & female ostriches^^
jay jay told us that these lions are on their honeymoon. for a week they separate themselves from the pride. while on the honeymoon they mate 20 to 40 times a day. they fast for the full week and then the lioness hunts, and they feast before returning to the pride. it was really sweet to watch these two together. the male lion was very protective over the lioness. they sat right next to each other, so their bodies were touching, and relaxed till they fell asleep. it was amazing.
we also saw thousands of zebras while on the reserve.
we were lucky enough to visit during the great migration that happens every year.
^^some of the masai women selling their crafts.^^
we stayed in this amazing tent!
it was so fun and rustic.
we even had hot running water,
a huge relief after two weeks of freezing cold showers in uganda.
the food on the mara was amazing!
1 comment:
So I have to tell you we checked out the safari pics last night and my little Jackson LOVED the animals! Especially the lion and giraffe. Thanks for the entertainment :) looks like such a fun adventure!
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