God's Great Creation

We were up and at it early today for a morning safari drive in the Maasai Mara. This morning the animals we saw were more spread out time wise, but when we saw them we sure saw them!

Gazelle, impala, giraffe, zebra, wilde beast, elephant, back of a rhino, warthog, kudu, lion, ostrich, hyena, and numerous birds are the animals we saw today.

I was amazed by the lions today. We were able to see a whole pride! At first I saw a mother and a few cubs, but as we kept watching we soon saw the mane of the male stick up on the grass. Lion are difficult to spot because they blend in to their surroundings so well. The cubs were adorable! They would prance right behind their mom, almost like they were learning how to hunt. The longer we stayed watching all the lions the more we began to see in the bushes. Throughout the day we kept referring to them as "Simba's" and "Mufasa's" (from the Lion King).

Early on in our drive we saw a few elephants here and there, but as we neared the end of our drive we came across a whole heard. Our driver was amazing and was able to take us to within feet of these stunning creatures. They walked along side and in front of our van slowly making their way across the road. There were also baby elephants; they're so cute!

On our way out of the Maasai Mara we saw a hyena literally right next to the road by our van. When we stopped it just kept staring at us. We soon saw there was another one hiding in the culvert under the road. When we least expected it, the both bolted running in the other direction. They were so close to us!

We did not see a whole rhino, but for a few brief seconds we could see the top/back of one. It was a long ways in the distance in amongst the brush. I would have been cool to see a rhino, but maybe next time!

It's simply amazing all of the great things God created. These days on safari has reminded me of all He has really created for us. The world is so huge that it hard to fathom that He put everything where it is meant to be. What a loving God we serve!

After the Mara, we headed back to our camp for breakfast and then started our way back to Nairobi. First, we stopped at a Maasai Village. This is a tribe of Maasai people who make their lives living off the land. Their homes are made of dirt, and the women make the homes. Men can have up to 6 wives, but each wife has to have her own home. 

At night, their livestock and sheep are brought inside a fence they have built to protect themselves. This is to protect the animals from predators, like lions. Two weeks before we visited them a lion killed one of their cows and injured two of their warriors. They really are ferocious creatures!

Maasai warriors are between the ages of 16-19 and the must kill a kudu to make it to becoming a warrior. The Maasai do not eat wild meat. Their tribes live in the same spot for 10 years. After that time the chief can decide where to move their camp to. It sounds like it could be far away or they could choose to remain close. They circumcise the boys between the ages of 12-15. It is a big event, like a wedding. Men from other tribes come to watch, and if the boy flinches, he is kicked out of the tribe forever.

Of course their was a gift shop area for us to purchase things. It was very uncomfortable because a warrior followed each of us in the group and pressured us to buy things. I found a salad fork/spoon server that is made from an olive tree. When I was done, another man came up to me and asked if I would trade them my watch for something in return. I didn't take him up on that offer.

This evening we ate at Carnivore. This is pretty much exactly what it sounds like, lots of meat! We ate ostrich, ox balls (disgusting!), chicken, turkey, lamb, pork, crocodile, and salad. It was quite the experience! Many of the meats came in different forms so we had lots of time to try things! It was weird to try some of the things, but definitely worth the experience!