It has been awhile since we returned from Kenya. Honestly, it feels like a lifetime ago. This new world makes it seem like it was a dream, and it further emphasizes how grateful I am that we even got to go at all. I've debated whether I can bring myself to keep writing about it - out of slight sadness for this situation, uncertainty if travel will ever be a thing again, and because it feels so bleeping irrelevant now. But, I love writing and I love reminiscing, so months later, here we are.
When I left off, we were enjoying a
Maasai-run lodge in a reserve next to Lewa. Following our two nights there, we were dropped off at the Lewa airstrip for our flight to the Maasai Mara. We had encountered a few people in Lewa that had come from "the Mara" and raved about the plentiful wildlife sightings while cautioning that there were a lot more tourists. So we were relatively prepared when we touched down on a bustling air strip (still dirt) and were met by James, our guide from
Elephant Pepper Camp. A refreshing drink and snacks followed before we climbed into the jeep and made the short trip to camp.
It became clear in the first minutes how very different this place was. Flat, grassy landscape with a tree here or there and animals
everywhere. They didn't care that we were there, barely moving as we drove extremely close to them. Over the next few days, we got within feet of cheetahs, lions and their cubs, a mating pair of lions, hyenas, elephants, topis, hippos, giraffes, baboons, warthogs, jackal, these crazy jumping birds, cape buffalo, impala and other antlered creatures, mongoose, vultures and sooooo many other kinds of birds.
But I got ahead of myself. The first thing we saw as we left the airstrip was a hobbled zebra and a wounded wildebeest sticking close together, perhaps hoping that their co-misery might boost their survival chances. A rather quick reminder of the realities of nature. After getting so close to a grass-eating elephant that we could almost reach out and touch him amidst the sounds of the grass ripping from the ground and him chomping, we settled into our "tent."
Over the next few days we enjoyed numerous game drives and some absolutely incredible scenes. On day one, we watched two cheetahs stalk a warthog then lazily recline on the side of the road. Again, it was shocking how close the jeeps got to the animals and they must be used to it because they were unfazed. Two lionesses and their 4 cubs were the next treat as they frolicked around, batting each other with their paws and tousling in the grass before trailing after the adults in a little lion parade past the car.
On day two, we witnessed baboons, yes, baboons successfully chase away a small group of cheetahs. This was perhaps the most surprising part of this entire adventure. Apparently, leopards, which look similar to cheetahs, often steal the baboons' young, so baboons have become quite good at fending off cats. Um, never expected that balance of power. But then we watched the same cheetahs tear a little rabbit limb to limb and make quick work of their snack. Nature!
We also witnessed A LOT of lion mating. We parked near one lion couple laid around, mated, laid around some more, mated, yawned, walked in a circle, laid around, etc. etc. for hours. It was amazing to see them so close. Huge. And terrifying. One walked, what seemed to me, almost into the freaking car and I nearly had a conniption. They're big. Their teeth are big. Their heads are huge. Their jaws are enormous. It's hard to understand the majesty of these creatures until you see them like this. Plus, I never thought I'd enjoy a 6pm glass of wine overlooking a lion couple lounging in the grass. Truly once in a lifetime.
As was the hippo charging our jeep on the last day of safari. But alas, the guides know how to handle these things, and James revved the engine before said hippo could reach full-on charging mode. I'm not sure who would've been the victor in that situation, but I was happy to see him fade into the distance as we zoomed away.
I could go on and on, and I already have (I didn't even mention the giraffes!!!!!), but it's hard to put into words how insanely special this experience was. I didn't expect it. I didn't know how awed I would be at seeing these animals in their habitats or how beautiful the landscape would be or how profound it would feel to put those two things together in a land with people and culture and life so different than my own. While it has faded a bit with time and the current virus climate, I savor the memories and that feeling of knowing how exhilarating every moment of discovering these places was.
