Virgin Masai Village

Early to bed and early to rise. By 6 AM, we were up and ready for breakfast – pancakes! First up was a 2-hour game drive, and then we managed to convince our guide to take us to a virgin Masai village. This meant it was a real village, not one set up for tourists. After that, we were headed to Lake Nakuru, another national park where we’d be spending the night. During our morning game drive, we spotted two lions sneaking up on a herd of wildebeests. It didn’t take long for the wildebeests to notice the lions. Instead of running away to safety, the herd moved a little further ahead, stopped, and turned around to see if the lions were following. Then they ran back a bit, almost as if to say, “Ha ha, you can’t catch us!” As the lions got closer, the wildebeests would run again, stop, and wait for the lions. Eventually, the lions gave up the chase, knowing they needed to be in a larger group to succeed. Normally, they surround their prey to prevent it from escaping in any direction. We also passed by a group of cheetahs and vultures that were busy eating. It was hard to tell what animal it had once been. After bouncing around the savannah for a couple of hours, we set our course for the virgin Masai village. What a ride it was! The roads, or lack thereof, were indescribable. It’s no wonder that a safari Land Rover only lasts about three years on average. Once we finally arrived, feeling pretty sore from the journey, we were at the virgin Masai village. It was a very poor village made up of two families – a total of 60 people. The village was circular. The outer circle consisted of bushes, thorny branches, and towers to keep animals out. Then there was a section at one end that served as the pen for their cattle. In the middle of this circle stood a tree meant to bring good luck and many calves. At the other end of the outer circle were the homes, which consisted of two rooms: one for the calves and one for the family. The family room had a small fire in the center and a shared bed for all the children, with another bed for the mother and father. A Masai village moves every six years because the houses can’t last any longer. So, the entire village relocates, and the rebuilding begins. The tree in the middle of the cattle pen is moved each time. An Australian guy had brought balls for the children. Their faces lit up when they saw the toys. Around 5 PM, we arrived at Lake Nakuru, where we’d be camping in tents again. We were a bit nervous about the wild animals since there was no fence around the camp. The other camp we had stayed in the previous nights had previously been visited by elephants, which had resulted in the death of a careless tourist. One morning, a guy woke up early and took a walk outside the camp. He ran into an elephant and wanted to take a close-up photo. The elephant didn’t like that and charged at him. The poor man was trampled to death and actually torn in half when the elephant grabbed him with its trunk. Later, they found him under a pile of leaves, as elephants cover their dead. Yes, it’s important to remember to respect the animals. Many tourists also think they can just hop out in the middle of the savannah to get a closer look at some of the wildlife. We got a lovely surprise for dinner. A nice hotel was just behind our camp, and that’s where we were having dinner – a three-course meal, no less! After eating so sparingly for the past three days, this felt like pure luxury.