More of the Mara

Our first night at the Mara,(Mä-dä) should have been one of sweet sleep,

if the only thing that determined that was the soft bed and cozy, romantic ambiance.

But the other thing that comes into the picture were

some of the wild sounds that are to be heard when you sleep in a tent next to the Savannah...

There were monkeys howling to each other in the trees above us.

There were hippos coughing in the river that was just down over the bank from our tent...

There were many strange sounds that kept me aware all night long.

Aware that I was in the Savannah. Aware that I was in the middle of nowhere...

We both woke at four AM and couldn't sleep after that. So we got up and tried to peer down into the river to see what it was that was making the great splashing noises. We even tried to take a picture hoping the flash would light it up enough to get a picture. Fail.

Our wake up call came at 6, along with coffee and cookies(I ate the other ones before I thot to take a pic:) delivered to our door..

We were to be ready to go for our early morning game drive at 6:30.

The day was overcast and cool and called for shoes and socks and sweatshirts.

Our drive did not reveal anything new or spectacular...There was not even a sunrise. I was disappointed because of my love for sunrises and sets.

Oh, there was one new thing...We all got to step out of the vehicle onto the Savannah... Thanks to our intake of coffee, hot chocolate and chai that morning...Antony our driver chose a WIDE open space, that's the safest in regards to not having some wild beast sneak up on you and have you for breakfast. You're not going to be looking for bushlines or scrubby areas that provide the privacy that we all desire. But thanks to our blankets that we had for warmth, there was relative privacy...

We came back to a wonderful breakfast and a plan to visit a local Masai village.

That was a highlight for the day...In school last year we had studied the Masai, so it was a tremendous opportunity to see and meet and experience...

This village had 10 families and 150 people living there.

They performed a welcome dance for us...

They showed us how they make fire each morning with nothing other than a 'dowel rod' and friction.

They allowed us a tour of one of their homes, and welcomed any questions we had.

The home was probably 12x10 and had one small window. You are looking at it. You may have thought the flash was flashing off the wall, but that is really a window. THE window. The ONLY window. Measuring 4x5. Inches.

Let me explain to you how dark it was. As we entered the home and our eyes went from bright daylight to the darkness, I saw practically nothing. As my eyes adjusted and the chief showed us a seat(actually  of the two beds in the home.) he began to tell us about their tribe. The whole time I sat there,(you can see me in the purple on the left there) I could see the window(obviously) and I could see that blue basket that held the white enamel cups, but I could see nothing else on the shelf. Imagine my surprise when I saw the pictures that Brent took. I have no idea how you get used to darkness like that.

They set out a "market" for us and we bought some souvenirs.

Marlin bartered for us.

The Masai herd cattle and goats all over the Savannah. They own the ground, and the safari clubs lease the land from the Masai, as I understand it.

The Masai are naturalists, polygamists, and are involved in rituals that make me squirm. While I was thankful for the opportunity to visit, I am so much more thankful that I could walk away knowing the power of Jesus Christ. 

The children got to swim before our afternoon drive...

And we got to get out of the truck and walk thru what felt like lion territory. We were guarded by several rangers who led us to..

Two white rhinos, who are kept under survellience 24/7 because of the value and vulnerability of their horns and scandals that will do anyting to kill and steal the horns for dollars.

Finding the the lions with their families was the biggest spotting that drive...There were 3 moms and 12 babies. They were so darling!

In addition to this family, we saw

more giraffes

and zebras. Speaking of which, do you know which side of a zebra has the most stripes?

Marlin accompanied our family to the Mara. Correction. He drove us there. We couldn't have gone without him...we wouldn't have found the way. We definitely would not have had as much fun without him along. He kept all of our sides shaking and gave us sore belly muscles as we made memories together. It was a big sacrifice for him, and we are grateful!

Friday night we were all beat and slept like we were at home....ahhh

and awoke to a gorgeous sunrise on the Savannah. 

We were rewarded with finding two cheetahs. There are only 25 in the Mara and because of their nocturnal habits are difficult to see during the drives. Thank you, God!

And then our time was over and we headed back to Kisumu, thankful for the opportunity to experience that part of God's creation.

PS as our last week in Kenya is here, we find ourselves making the most of every moment, hence there has been little time spent on the computer. Please excuse me :-/

Someone asked Darla and I yesterday if we are getting to have many great conversations. She said, and I echo, "but I'm not nearly done, there is still so much to talk about". We had a date this morning, which was Monday morning, just the 4 of us and have a couple more planned for the week, so that should help. But I have a feeling, that we will board the plane still having more words than there are moments. So bear with me as I focus on our last week here...we are doing well, good health, and having a wonderful time....a week from now, Lord Willing, we will be very close to Amercia...

Until next time, God bless and thanks so much for your prayers!