March11- 12, 2011
Linda:
I am writing this from the front porch of our tent at Siana Springs Camp. After a very very long drive (5+ hours and two of them over the bumpiest road we’d ever been on we arrived here. After lunch we had a lecture from JJ, a Masi warrior and the son of a Chief. He claims to have only high school education but is very knowledgeable and well spoken. He still lives at home with his parents and will do so until he marries at age 26 when he becomes a junior elder. After his talk we all went to visit his village. It bagan with a dance or two by the warriors. They do throat singing in their dance and it is amazing. They end the dance by coming right up and getting in your face!The second shortest warrior wound up in front of me and then i had to go dance beside him. He put his dance necklace on me (one of those beaded numbers that goes up and down when you bounce up and down) so I put my hat on his head for the dance. Their heads are shaved but it did cross my mind to think of what might be on his head!
After the dancing we got tours of their homes. We were divided into groups of 4. I got the American lady who seems adept at asking disresptful questions so I cringed but she behaved like a Canadian Bless her heart. The women build the houses, cook, wash the clothing, take care of the children and milk the cows. The men buiild fences (of brush), tend the cattle and build the fires.
The houses are at best 5 feet high with a flat roof. They are made of cow dung, mud and straw, as is the roof. Before the rainy season they add grass and more dung to make it water proof. Mike took our group to his house. His English is very good. You duck down and go through a small entrance and enter the kitchen – it is about 5 feet across and maybe7 feet long. In the center is the fireplace which is dung built up about 6 inches on 3 sides and open at one end. There is a small round opening in the wall for the smoke to exit. They use wood for their fires. We didn’t see any cooking utensils. There is another room for the parents to sleep. The bed is built up out of the floor and is made of you guessed it – dung. The mattress is cow hide as are the covers. The two boys had a bedroom of their own with the same bed. Both bedrooms have large windows that open on to the kitchen so privacy is nonexistent. They also have a small store room. All this in a 10x 10 space. We praised the house as they are as house proud as someone in a mansion at home. Some of the homes had a baby goat or lamb in residence. There were were 15 to 20 houses in a circle surrounded by a brush fence. The cows and goats are out grazing all day and at dusk they come inside the fence. Our village had 300 cows. The ground is very dungy as well. They showed us how to start a fire – the boy scout way and using – dung. After all this the women danced for us. They sing and dance in a row so of course we had to dance with them too. Then they took us to their outdoor market to sell us jewellry (but no dung was involved.). They are not afraid to charge a heathly price.
JJ told us a lot about his culture. He would like to study more and be an ambassador for his people. He would be very good in that role as he speaks well and can relate how his people live and understand that it is quite foriegn to us so he inserts some humor. He has travelled to the US, a big dream of his. He wore his Masi clothing and almost froze but was loyal to his native dress. He thought everything was wonderful in America but was glad to come home to his village. He is 24.
After the village we went on a game drive. We saw a leopard stalking a gazelle. It is rare to be able to see them hunt so we were thrilled. At the last moment the gazelle swered and the leopard lost his prey. Shortly after that we saw a pride of 19 lions (all female with cubs0. The cubs played with their mothers tails and acted like kittens. We were able to observe them for a long time.
We also saw Topi with are only in this area. Also saw wildebeasts and hartbeasts.
Home for dinner and bed as we had to be up at 4 amto go for a ballon ride. After a 1 ½ hour drive that left us feeling like scrambled eggs we arrived at the balloon site. It was fabulouss. I don’t think I can give the experience justice. We floated above the Masa Mari at heights of 1200 feet to just skiming over the grasss. Did’nt see many animals but it was all about the experience. You could see for miles. What a thrill. We glided to a stop and were driven to an outdoor bush breakfast, complete with shampagne on the plains. How cool is that.
After breakfast we rejoined our group and went on a game drive. We saw ever so many crocodiles. They pretty much stayed submerged in the river but their heads were massive. Saw many mongoose and even saw one catch a rat. Of course Pombah was everywhere. Kenyans call warthogs Pumbah which means stupid in their language. When chased by a lion they will run like stink for about 30 feet and then forget what they are doing and stop and eat. We saw more lions and 3 leopard brothers. Were supposed to find rhino but it was hot and the animals were in the deep shade and we had enough so came back to camp.
Roys Notes: Some will be similar to Linda’s but enjoy
We left the Kigio Game conservatory with a bit of reluctance. I was not partial to all the food they served, but was a unique experience. It is an eco camp which tries to bring back some of the animals which are in danger of going on the extinction list. They have 32 reticulated giraffe and they will soon be relocating 10 of them. For a change we had a good road for the first couple of hours of driving. When we stopped for a pee brake at a shop selling souvenirs we were told that the rest of the trip would be on really bad roads. And you know they were right. It took us two hours to drive a road which should have taken less than an hour. It was so bad that one of the vans punctured an oil pan and had to go back to the town to get it fixed. One time I ask Edward our driver how fast he was going and he said 15-20 KPH, and this was on the paved section. Our driver often drove off the road onto the dirt side going the wrong way to find the smoothest path. Finally after an hour we cut off the main road to a goat trail, and when asked were told it was a short cut and better than the main road. The scarcest part was going through the dry river beds because there was a steep drop down to the bed and just as steep getting back out. When we arrive at the camp, everyone was tired from the beating they took on the road, and was ho hum about the place. Once we got to our tents, everyone was raving about the accommodations at lunch. After lunch we had one of the local Maasai tribe members give us a talk on Maasai culture and then take us to his village. He was a very well spoken individual and very interesting to listen to. When we got to the village, there was a reception waiting for us with male members dancing and chanting. We were then taken into the compound where there was information and a jumping contest. While filming the jumping compound, J.J. our Maasai guide complimented me on my watch ( almost cheapest I could get at Wal-Mart). We talked for a second and then he asked to trade me my watch for a Kenyon bracelet he was wearing which the Maasai make and sell (and boy do they sell, like the Mexicans). Anyway, I thought what the hell, I could buy one like it but it would be neat to have the one he is wearing, so I did. We were given a tour of the houses, which are made of cow dung and wood ( which the women make) in groups of 4. The houses and the tours were actually quite interesting, and I had trouble understanding why people who are educated still live in them. While leaving the abode, one of the Maasai men, took off a bracelet and put it on my arm. I asked how much, negotiated a price and I got that too. I am a sucker, and not a good barginer, but It was fun. Next was the market of jewellery, which Linda also bought a bracelet. Then off to another game drive, this time on the Maasai Mari. We saw a lot of the same animals, but our driver spotted a cheetah at the side of the road and stopped, and we watched him stalk a gazelle. In the end the gazelle got away, but was it exciting. We were the last to leave the cheetah and as we were driving along, our driver stops and says there are lions. And so there were, only about 10-15 yards off the road sleeping. The other 3 vans had driven right past without seeing them. Edward called on the cell phone and we were soon surrounded by vans. Other than the cubs there wasn’t much action, but just seeing them was great. Soon after we had to leave because you cannot drive in the park with your lights on, and we just made it out. Once back to our camp we had supper, got ready for tomorrow and hit the sack, because we had to get up at 4 am for our balloon ride.
Up at 4 got dressed in the dark because the power isn’t usually on until 5 am, only to find out the power had been put on for us early risers. We had a chance to get a cup of coffee and off we went. This time it was in 6 passenger Land Cruisers. And boy did they go, it may have been the roughest ride yet. They took us to another camp called Fig Tree, and it was even better than ours. After a bit they put us through, believe it or not, security before taking us to the balloon site (short walk). It takes a lot of people to get a balloon off the ground and recovery. Our pilot Kim has been in 15 countries the last 3 years piloting balloons, including Winnipeg. Quite neat to watch the balloon being inflated first with air then with hot air. Once the balloon was full and the basket upright, they split us into groups of 3 and we climbed into the basket. The pilot kept applying heat until the basket just left the ground and about ½ dozen men moved it into position and up and away we went. It was fantastic, the only sound was when the pilot added heat to go up and when we were talking. Didn’t see any cats on the plains, but the ride was worth it. We flew about `10 miles and our height above ground varied between 1000 feet and 3 feet. Super. Landing was smooth, and we climbed out, took pictures and then boarded a 4 wheel drive bus to take us to breakfast. Had breakfast our on the savannah, wonderful experience, and Champaign to boot. Once breakfast was over we headed out to meet up with the rest of our group for another game drive. On the way back we came across 3 cheetah brothers lying under a tree. The trucks are not allowed off the roads, but this tree was only about 10 yards from the road so it was real close. Only problem is they just layer there and hardly moved. Once we met up with our group we started another game drive for about an hour and then stopped for a picnic lunch again on the savannah. Too much food and for some people, not us too many ants, but again it was pretty cool. Afternoon game drive gave us lots of animals, but nothing new or exciting. Back to camp by 4 PM and started typing this note. It will be early to bed for us…..
Linda:
I am writing this from the front porch of our tent at Siana Springs Camp. After a very very long drive (5+ hours and two of them over the bumpiest road we’d ever been on we arrived here. After lunch we had a lecture from JJ, a Masi warrior and the son of a Chief. He claims to have only high school education but is very knowledgeable and well spoken. He still lives at home with his parents and will do so until he marries at age 26 when he becomes a junior elder. After his talk we all went to visit his village. It bagan with a dance or two by the warriors. They do throat singing in their dance and it is amazing. They end the dance by coming right up and getting in your face!The second shortest warrior wound up in front of me and then i had to go dance beside him. He put his dance necklace on me (one of those beaded numbers that goes up and down when you bounce up and down) so I put my hat on his head for the dance. Their heads are shaved but it did cross my mind to think of what might be on his head!
After the dancing we got tours of their homes. We were divided into groups of 4. I got the American lady who seems adept at asking disresptful questions so I cringed but she behaved like a Canadian Bless her heart. The women build the houses, cook, wash the clothing, take care of the children and milk the cows. The men buiild fences (of brush), tend the cattle and build the fires.
The houses are at best 5 feet high with a flat roof. They are made of cow dung, mud and straw, as is the roof. Before the rainy season they add grass and more dung to make it water proof. Mike took our group to his house. His English is very good. You duck down and go through a small entrance and enter the kitchen – it is about 5 feet across and maybe7 feet long. In the center is the fireplace which is dung built up about 6 inches on 3 sides and open at one end. There is a small round opening in the wall for the smoke to exit. They use wood for their fires. We didn’t see any cooking utensils. There is another room for the parents to sleep. The bed is built up out of the floor and is made of you guessed it – dung. The mattress is cow hide as are the covers. The two boys had a bedroom of their own with the same bed. Both bedrooms have large windows that open on to the kitchen so privacy is nonexistent. They also have a small store room. All this in a 10x 10 space. We praised the house as they are as house proud as someone in a mansion at home. Some of the homes had a baby goat or lamb in residence. There were were 15 to 20 houses in a circle surrounded by a brush fence. The cows and goats are out grazing all day and at dusk they come inside the fence. Our village had 300 cows. The ground is very dungy as well. They showed us how to start a fire – the boy scout way and using – dung. After all this the women danced for us. They sing and dance in a row so of course we had to dance with them too. Then they took us to their outdoor market to sell us jewellry (but no dung was involved.). They are not afraid to charge a heathly price.
JJ told us a lot about his culture. He would like to study more and be an ambassador for his people. He would be very good in that role as he speaks well and can relate how his people live and understand that it is quite foriegn to us so he inserts some humor. He has travelled to the US, a big dream of his. He wore his Masi clothing and almost froze but was loyal to his native dress. He thought everything was wonderful in America but was glad to come home to his village. He is 24.
After the village we went on a game drive. We saw a leopard stalking a gazelle. It is rare to be able to see them hunt so we were thrilled. At the last moment the gazelle swered and the leopard lost his prey. Shortly after that we saw a pride of 19 lions (all female with cubs0. The cubs played with their mothers tails and acted like kittens. We were able to observe them for a long time.
We also saw Topi with are only in this area. Also saw wildebeasts and hartbeasts.
Home for dinner and bed as we had to be up at 4 amto go for a ballon ride. After a 1 ½ hour drive that left us feeling like scrambled eggs we arrived at the balloon site. It was fabulouss. I don’t think I can give the experience justice. We floated above the Masa Mari at heights of 1200 feet to just skiming over the grasss. Did’nt see many animals but it was all about the experience. You could see for miles. What a thrill. We glided to a stop and were driven to an outdoor bush breakfast, complete with shampagne on the plains. How cool is that.
After breakfast we rejoined our group and went on a game drive. We saw ever so many crocodiles. They pretty much stayed submerged in the river but their heads were massive. Saw many mongoose and even saw one catch a rat. Of course Pombah was everywhere. Kenyans call warthogs Pumbah which means stupid in their language. When chased by a lion they will run like stink for about 30 feet and then forget what they are doing and stop and eat. We saw more lions and 3 leopard brothers. Were supposed to find rhino but it was hot and the animals were in the deep shade and we had enough so came back to camp.
Roys Notes: Some will be similar to Linda’s but enjoy
We left the Kigio Game conservatory with a bit of reluctance. I was not partial to all the food they served, but was a unique experience. It is an eco camp which tries to bring back some of the animals which are in danger of going on the extinction list. They have 32 reticulated giraffe and they will soon be relocating 10 of them. For a change we had a good road for the first couple of hours of driving. When we stopped for a pee brake at a shop selling souvenirs we were told that the rest of the trip would be on really bad roads. And you know they were right. It took us two hours to drive a road which should have taken less than an hour. It was so bad that one of the vans punctured an oil pan and had to go back to the town to get it fixed. One time I ask Edward our driver how fast he was going and he said 15-20 KPH, and this was on the paved section. Our driver often drove off the road onto the dirt side going the wrong way to find the smoothest path. Finally after an hour we cut off the main road to a goat trail, and when asked were told it was a short cut and better than the main road. The scarcest part was going through the dry river beds because there was a steep drop down to the bed and just as steep getting back out. When we arrive at the camp, everyone was tired from the beating they took on the road, and was ho hum about the place. Once we got to our tents, everyone was raving about the accommodations at lunch. After lunch we had one of the local Maasai tribe members give us a talk on Maasai culture and then take us to his village. He was a very well spoken individual and very interesting to listen to. When we got to the village, there was a reception waiting for us with male members dancing and chanting. We were then taken into the compound where there was information and a jumping contest. While filming the jumping compound, J.J. our Maasai guide complimented me on my watch ( almost cheapest I could get at Wal-Mart). We talked for a second and then he asked to trade me my watch for a Kenyon bracelet he was wearing which the Maasai make and sell (and boy do they sell, like the Mexicans). Anyway, I thought what the hell, I could buy one like it but it would be neat to have the one he is wearing, so I did. We were given a tour of the houses, which are made of cow dung and wood ( which the women make) in groups of 4. The houses and the tours were actually quite interesting, and I had trouble understanding why people who are educated still live in them. While leaving the abode, one of the Maasai men, took off a bracelet and put it on my arm. I asked how much, negotiated a price and I got that too. I am a sucker, and not a good barginer, but It was fun. Next was the market of jewellery, which Linda also bought a bracelet. Then off to another game drive, this time on the Maasai Mari. We saw a lot of the same animals, but our driver spotted a cheetah at the side of the road and stopped, and we watched him stalk a gazelle. In the end the gazelle got away, but was it exciting. We were the last to leave the cheetah and as we were driving along, our driver stops and says there are lions. And so there were, only about 10-15 yards off the road sleeping. The other 3 vans had driven right past without seeing them. Edward called on the cell phone and we were soon surrounded by vans. Other than the cubs there wasn’t much action, but just seeing them was great. Soon after we had to leave because you cannot drive in the park with your lights on, and we just made it out. Once back to our camp we had supper, got ready for tomorrow and hit the sack, because we had to get up at 4 am for our balloon ride.
Up at 4 got dressed in the dark because the power isn’t usually on until 5 am, only to find out the power had been put on for us early risers. We had a chance to get a cup of coffee and off we went. This time it was in 6 passenger Land Cruisers. And boy did they go, it may have been the roughest ride yet. They took us to another camp called Fig Tree, and it was even better than ours. After a bit they put us through, believe it or not, security before taking us to the balloon site (short walk). It takes a lot of people to get a balloon off the ground and recovery. Our pilot Kim has been in 15 countries the last 3 years piloting balloons, including Winnipeg. Quite neat to watch the balloon being inflated first with air then with hot air. Once the balloon was full and the basket upright, they split us into groups of 3 and we climbed into the basket. The pilot kept applying heat until the basket just left the ground and about ½ dozen men moved it into position and up and away we went. It was fantastic, the only sound was when the pilot added heat to go up and when we were talking. Didn’t see any cats on the plains, but the ride was worth it. We flew about `10 miles and our height above ground varied between 1000 feet and 3 feet. Super. Landing was smooth, and we climbed out, took pictures and then boarded a 4 wheel drive bus to take us to breakfast. Had breakfast our on the savannah, wonderful experience, and Champaign to boot. Once breakfast was over we headed out to meet up with the rest of our group for another game drive. On the way back we came across 3 cheetah brothers lying under a tree. The trucks are not allowed off the roads, but this tree was only about 10 yards from the road so it was real close. Only problem is they just layer there and hardly moved. Once we met up with our group we started another game drive for about an hour and then stopped for a picnic lunch again on the savannah. Too much food and for some people, not us too many ants, but again it was pretty cool. Afternoon game drive gave us lots of animals, but nothing new or exciting. Back to camp by 4 PM and started typing this note. It will be early to bed for us…..
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