Farewell to Megan

I knew this day was coming, but I still wasn’t prepared for it. Megan decided it was time to return home and subsequently left the rest of us behind! Despite living 10 hours apart and only getting to hang out on the rare occasion, I still feel like I’ve lost a limb. Countless times I’ve started to text her about a ridiculous “only-in-Ethiopia” event that we could commiserate over or laugh about, and then realized that she’s thousands of miles and several time-zones away consuming gallons of ice cream and surfing high-speed internet without me! Ugh!

This type of crazy experience forges strong friendships. I’m glad to count her as a lifelong friend regardless of which continent she currently resides on!

Miss you Megan!

A bunch of us gathered in Bahar Dar to wish Megan a fond farewell. (From left to right: Straw, Megan, Me, Anna, and Nicole)

Ok…this photo is totally staged. This is how we wanted her to feel leaving us. In reality, she was busting at the seams with excitement about returning to the States and merely humored us with this sad face.

The Real Deal

I walked into Gigi’s shop the other day and discovered two buckets packed full of beautiful, long-stemmed red roses. I haven’t seen fresh cut flowers since moving to this country. Needless to say I was excited, but also curious. Why?

Well, this past weekend marked the first graduation ceremony for DebreMarkos University. In anticipation of the event, a few aspiring entrepreneurs arranged to have a truckload of flowers shipped up from the South. (The South is home to numerous Dutch-owned flower enterprises.) The irony is that the flowers didn’t sell well. People here are practical and like a lot of bang for their buck…or more accurately birr. They want something that lasts…they want ARTIFICIAL FLOWERS. The artificial flowers sold like hot cakes and I’m sure will adorn tabletops and bicycles for decades to come.

I, on the other hand, love the real deal. Flowers aren’t meant to be dusted! Regardless of the price, I knew I was going to buy a bunch. I nearly fell over when Gigi quoted me the price of 5birr for 10 roses! For less than 50 cents, I walked home with a bouquet of long-stemmed red roses and a big smile on my face. I so love a GREAT deal!

Ava’s 1st Birthday

Wearing more eyeliner than a runway model and an oversized gown befitting a bride, Ava celebrated her first birthday in style. Between the yards of lace and satin, the unwieldy birthday hat and the large machete-like knife she was given to cut the birthday bread, she didn’t know what to think. And, neither did I. When the knife was brought out and she started waving it like a sparkler, I hesitated. Do I intervene and use this as a teachable moment on the hazards of sharp instruments and toddlers or do I photo document the moment? Obviously I chose the later. I figured nobody would believe this particular cultural idiosyncrasy without proof.

It’s never too early to learn self-sufficiency and how to wield a large, sharp, machete-like knife.

Ava and her mom, Genet.

Just A Typical Day on Safari

Being on safari was not the relaxing and restful trip that I imagined. We generally were out for our morning game drive no later than 7:30am, returned for lunch by 1:30pm and then rested for a bit before heading out again. Our afternoon game drive started around 3:30pm and we would return by 7pm in time to clean up for dinner.

Riding for hours in the Land Rover was much like an endurance event. We returned stiff and sore from being jostled about as the vehicle rumbled over rutty dirt paths and splashed through small ponds and branches of the Mara River. It felt like exercise, unfortunately, not the sort that burned any relevant amount of calories. And, of course, the comfort breaks didn’t help with the calorie burning, but did provide a much needed stretch for the legs. Kitchwa Tembo camp did the comfort breaks with finesse. As we padded into the bush for our own personal comfort break (but not too far into the bush), Sofie would construct an elegant mini-feast on a cute folding table dressed with a red and black checked cloth. We snacked on dried plantains, toasted almonds, sugar cookies and our choice of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate. We safari’d in style!

I could have passed on a game drive now and then and spent the afternoon soaking up the rays at the infinity pool, but it is addictive. I didn’t want to miss anything. Our staying power paid off. I can proudly say that I have been in the presence of the “big 5” (lion, cheetah, leopard, elephant, and cape buffalo) and many more of God’s magnificent creatures.

One of our twice daily “comfort breaks”

The Desert Date checkers the Masai Mara

One of my favorite spots for our late afternoon comfort break was this stretch along the Mara River. At first glance, I thought the river was filled with large boulders and then those boulders started shifting. Nope not boulders….just a ton of hippos. Hippos make the most amazing sound. The best way I can describe it is like a deep woofing. The sound carries for miles.

I’m not a lover of birds, but this one caught my eye. What brilliant coloring!

Perhaps not your typical “safari animal,” but isn’t he great. His coloring reminds me of Spiderman.

Sofie, a Masai woman, was a fabulous guide. She grew up with the Masai Mara as her backyard and knew it and its inhabitants intimately.

More of the Masai Mara

A picture is worth a thousand words. I thought you might like a few more photos and a lot less words. Enjoy!

The Wild Kingdom—Up Close and Personal

I don’t even know how to describe our encounter with the wildlife that calls the Masai Mara home. Any single adjective would be the equivalent of the tip of the iceberg. I’m not sure what I expected, but I have to admit that this was beyond my wildest imagination.

The quantity and variety of wildlife was phenomenal, and we weren’t even there during the Great Migration. In retrospect, we had to laugh at one of the questions that we asked our booking agent: “will we see hippos?” Absurd. We saw droves of hippos, herds of elephants, a gazillion giraffes, and tons of gazelle, waterbuck, and topi. It got to the point where these magnificent creatures seemed almost pedestrian.

The proximity of our interaction with these majestic animals was extraordinary and palpitation worthy at times. Some of the pictures that you’ll see below are included to demonstrate how close we were. What amazed me is that the animals didn’t seem to be bothered by our presence. We learned from Sofie that they didn’t see us as 7 humans riding around in a vehicle, but one large, harmless creature.

Our timing, thanks to Sofie, was impeccable. We drove up to a pride of lions standing guard over a fresh Cape buffalo kill. We managed to spot (thanks to Dad’s eagle eye) a leopard lounging in the crook of a tree. We passed a pond as 3 gigantic hippos bounded out and stopped in surprise to see us parked there. We watched as 2 lionesses and 2 cubs feasted on a fresh warthog and then realized that the remaining 2 lionesses and the 3 littlest cubs (who had been left out of the hunt) were scampering through the tall savannah grasses toward us and their lunch. And, we drove into the middle of the fray as a cheetah patiently stalked, chased, and ultimately missed a Thompson gazelle …which I lovingly coined a “cheetah nugget.” We truly experience the daily drama of the Masai Mara up close and personal.

A male waterbuck

The kind of roadblock that you don’t mind being stopped for.

Perhaps this encounter was a bit too up close and personal. This lioness walked within 2 feet of the vehicle, which I just happened to be hanging out of to get a better shot. With palpitating heart, I quickly got all appendages back into the vehicle.

Just after she missed her “cheetah nugget”

Hanging with the Masai

When I dreamed about a safari I only ever thought of the wildlife we’d be seeing and not the opportunity to interact with the people who also call this paradise home. The Masai are a beautiful people…lithe, dignified, colorfully adorned, and welcoming. Over the course of the week, we had an opportunity to visit a Masai village and school, dance with Masai warriors, and help support a local women’s art and craft cooperative.

Did you know:

-Young warriors try to impress the local girls by winning the jumping contest (vertical jumping…it’s impressive to watch!)

-For the Masai, the number of cattle one owns equates to one’s wealth.

-Traditionally, the Masai are nomadic people who follow the grass and water needed to sustain their large herds of livestock

-That this is the first generation of Masai to live in settlements. We have the Masai to thank for the establishment of the Masai Mara National Reserve—a place where the king of beasts and other magnificent creatures are protected and available for the world to see.

-Historically, the Masai diet consisted only of milk, meat, and blood. Recently, development organizations have introduced gardens and veggies are beginning to populate the dinner plate.

-Masai men and women are missing their bottom, middle tooth. Both the baby tooth and adult tooth is pulled in order to provide access for “tube feeding” in case of severe illness and is also considered a sign of beauty.

-Masai villages consist of a double circle. The outer perimeter consists of a dozen or less circular huts that protect an inner, circular perimeter where the livestock are kept overnight.

I danced with Masai warriors! How cool is that!?! Three of the six nights we were at camp, the Masai provided us with interactive entertainment before dinner. I love the Masai music and by the end of the week I was singing along.

This warrior, John, was crazy…so much fun. He could make the best animal noises, which I attempted, but failed to replicate.

The Masai women we visited

Mom standing in front of a Masai hut

Laura, Mom, and I joined the ladies as they sang and danced upon our arrival to their village.

The women developed an art and craft cooperative and proudly displayed their handiwork. It was hard to not buy one of everything!

Welcome to Kitchwa Tembo

As a kid, we would spend Sunday nights sitting around the television watching National Geographic. With rapt attention we’d take a bite of our toasted cheese sandwich and watch a cheetah stalk its prey and frantic wildebeests plunge into a river filled with ravenous crocs. Since childhood, I have always dreamed of going on “safari”--- of experiencing the drama of the animal kingdom firsthand. I’m a firm believer in dreams realized, and I’m happy to say that this one was.

I’m not sure how we stumbled upon this particular outfitter, but &Beyond enabled the three of us to have the safari of a lifetime. I would change NOTHING about the experience. From the moment we flew out of Wilson airport on a 12-passenger charter to the moment that same plane bounced down a rough dirt strip in the Masai Mara to pick us up, our time was magical.

Our 7 days were spent at Kitchwa Tembo tented camp. Nestled in a grove of trees just ½ mile from the Oloololo entrance to the Masai Mara National Reserve, it was a perfect jumping off point for our twice daily game drives, and a luxurious retreat for a mid-day rest.

After 18 months of living Ethiopian-style, I was ready for a bit of pampering and luxury. I was not disappointed. Our accommodations were luxurious…and yes, they were TENTS! The mouth-watering food was abundant and the staff went above and beyond to ensure we were well taken care of. Each evening we were escorted to our tents by a bow and arrow wielding guard who took his leave with a soft “lala salama” (sleep well) and gently woken in the morning by our tent steward Simon who would call “Kristi, Kristi, wake up” as he set down a thermos of hot cocoa and a plate of cookies on the porch table. After unzipping the tent flap, I’d stumble onto the porch to find my morning mojo and a friendly giraffe munching a nearby tree. Heaven on earth!

&Beyond has done a fantastic job of creating a utopia that perfectly complements the wonders of the natural environment…this breathtaking place known as the Masai Mara.

At the entrance to Kitchwa Tembo with our fellow travelers. We were placed with the nicest group of people…Carol from London, and Matt and Laura…an American couple currently living in Bahrain.

My tent. I seriously could have lived here forever.

Mom and Dad enjoying a quiet moment on the porch of their tent

The staff was truly exceptional. I asked for peanut butter once, and never had to ask for it again. A small bowl of it was waiting next to my place setting each morning. Chef George was one of my favorites. He made dining an event. On the particular evening captured here, he whisked me behind the counter, plopped a chef’s hat on my head and gave me creative license to whip up my own tasty meal.