The Circle of Life

Tues., Sept. 28, 2010

Today was a relaxing day. We went out for an early a.m. safari and ate breakfast "whilst" (tee hee) sitting under an Acacia tree. Sarah and George were leaving on Tuesday, and Sarah wanted to see a close-up of a baboon and a leopard before she left. Her wish was Vincent's command (the safari guide). Even before we could start safari, several baboons were sitting on and near the road. A half hour later, we spotted a leopard. Sarah said, "O.k., if it's THAT easy, then I want to see an animal kill another animal."

We drove to a location where the wildebeests migrate and have to cross the Mara River to make their way to Tanzania--with crocodiles just WAITING for those wildebeests' legs to grab and drown under the water. The wildebeests all line up at the bank of the river and then turn around in fear. Then they returned to the riverbank and we thought they were going to cross. They all turned around again. Then they all went back to the riverbank (for the third time). Once one starts crossing, then they'll all go in--and suddenly, they did!! But then, once they got to the other side, several of them didn't find their Moms or siblings, so they crossed BACK over the river, and you guessed it . . . In the blink of an eye, we saw a wildebeest being snapped by crocodile and went completely under way. I almost cried seeing that--It was like watching my dogs being eaten by a croc in the water.

Later that afternoon, we walked from our camp with a Masai tribal member up to a Masai Village high on a hill. We learned that only men wear shoes because "ladies" do not wear shoes. We saw cow hides being dried that will be used for mattresses, and we learned in both Samburu and Masai that their main diet consists of meat, and a mixture of milk and cow's blood--Ewww! David tried, in vein, to make a fire w/two sticks--with no success--so much for being a Boy Scout. We shopped in their "market" and have lots of fun things for our peeps at home.

We're leaving on Thurs. morning to fly to Nairobi, and then on to Cairo. Pyramids, Here we Come!!! :-)