The Great Rift Valley from Northern Turkey to Mozambique. The greatest valley on earth on a fault line. On these savannahs between Tanzania and Kenya is one of the greatest migrations not destroyed by the blight of humanity. The savannahs are a more hilly ;and disjointed form of the prairies in North America. There too was mass migration of buffalos almost wiped out from 1880-85 by Buffalo Bill and the fellow slaughterers hired by the railroad barons to starve out the indigenous peoples and make the "west" safe and free.
On the savannahs the zebra and wildebeeste still roam by the thousands. The migration follows the grass after the rains. First the zebras eat through the tall grass, and then the wildebeestes finish off eating the short grasses left by the zebras; they live in harmony with the Masaii Mara. (Ma is the language, and Saii is the people, and Mara is the savannah; the people speaking ma of the savannah) This is the Masaii Mara of Kenya. These people with their distinctive long lobed ears and bright coloured dress are also migratory, they herd cattle and goats, their status symbols. They drink the blood mixed with milk and eat almost no vegetation, much like the traditional Arctic Inuit. They seldom eat the meat as the precious cattle are a man's wealth.
Into this idealic Masaii Mara come we, the tourist safaris. At over a hundred dollars a day per person the pop-up roof trucks of 6 people armed with binoculars and cameras are common on the mara. Radioing sightings the guides roam the massive park and give exceptional information on the habits, age, and grouping of the animals of Africa.
The first hour out a rare and exceptional sight of a leopard with his kill, a wildebeeste. Just 4 meters away we watch the magnificent cat rip the inside of the carcass unaffected by the vehicles surrounding him.
Next, two lions, mother and older daughter, by a waterhold wait for dusk the preferred hunting time. We return to camp through the herds of zebra and wildebeeste stoping to admire a familyof African giraffes, whose hearts are so large, heartattacks are their main killer.
The next day starts early with three lionesses sleeping about 10 meters from their fershly killed zebra. They lay on their back strateching their legs in the air like huge housecats. One awakens and return to the zebra for a wee breakfast, ripping, chewing and looking at the tourists with a bloody moustache. We saw so many animals on our full day it makes you want to re-write the song....."there were green alligators......" some hipppos too, elephants with babies, warthogs and baboons, silverback jackals and rhinos. The antelopefamily from the smallest dik-dik (weighing just 5 kgs. and mating for life), the thompson gazelles, impalas, tpis, waterbucks, reebucks, grand gazelles and the largest the eland. Lots of food for the big cats!!!! And of course hundreds of buffalo, considered the most dangerous to humans as they charge unproboked. The sighting of two male lions brothers, with two females again resting, sated from the nearby zebra. While close all the young lionesses and cubs awaited their turn at the feast. About a dozen lions altogether.
The wildlife in the Masaii Mara is overwhelming. Definitely the highlight of 12 years on the road. The park had several places with ample water in the rivers and streams. The Masaii have to get permission to graze their animals in the reserve....while the lands alotted to the Masai are suffering from the severe Kenyan drought we hear about on the news. Their treasured animals are dying of thirst. Another climate change nightmare in process.
We drive from the Masai Mara up through the highlands -- the agricultural belt where amazinglyit is lush and green. We are heading to Lake Nakura, pne of three, inland salt water lakes, and are rewarded with the sight of a sea of pink --- pink flamingoes. These lakes are the habitat of the flamingo and they too are evidently shrinking by the large white salt ring visible around them. The back side of the lake we spot the rare white rhinos basking in the sun with a nursing babe!!! Absolutely amazing -- Africa. We feel so privileged to enjoy the "hunting with the eye"!
We are now at the beach Malindi enjoying an apartment, a pool and yoga.....and an interesting local article from the national
newspaper.....Malindi, Oct.9/09 "School shut over claims of evil spirits' attacks....Ganda Primary School in Malindi was closed yesterday after pupils claimed they had been attacked by evil spirits. Trouble started last week when some pupils collapsed and started showing sign of "being possessed". Another group of girls developed seizures yesteray, claiming they saw people dressed in white robes coming after them. Education officials said pupils were sent home following the incident.
it's a strange, strange world.....
love to you all, darryl and dale
a mixed bag of vintage art collectables and some traveling stories.
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