Tag: Maasai Mara

PhotoPOSTcard: Maasai Rite of Passage

As we drove toward the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, we passed through Maasai tribal land once again. We often passed by groups of young boys hanging out by the side of the road, covered in black cloths and wearing white paint on their faces. We learned that these boys were undergoing their circumcision ritual. Boys in a village between the age of 12 and 15 are circumcised during a special ceremony. Part of the challenge for them is to undergo the procedure in complete silence (and without any anesthetics either). While their body heals for the next 3-4 months, they spend the day on their own out in the bush, dressed in black with their faces painted with white chalk designs. This rite of passage is supposed to take them from being a boy to becoming a warrior. The boys expect payment in exchange for being photographed, and our driver haggled a reasonable price ($2). Presumably, that was why we tended to see them on the routes frequented by the tourist vans.

Thanks for visiting.

Rose

PhotoPOSTcard: A Visit to the Ololaimutia School

Our Africa tour company (Africa Adventure Company) recommended that we bring some basic school supplies to give to one of the local schools. When we first arrived at the Ololaimutia Primary School near the Masai Mara Reserve, the boys that met us were a little reserved in their greeting. But they quickly lost their shyness once I started handing out some of the pens I had brought. It was amazing – and humbling – how eagerly they accepted such a small and trivial item as a pen, mumbling a quick thank you as they quickly grabbed hold of it. I never expected that the few dollars I spent on packets of pens at Costco would have such a large impact.

Thanks for visiting

Rose

PhotoPOSTcard: A Traditional Maasai Dance

Our tour in Kenya’s Masai Mara Reserve included a visit to a typical Maasai village. Since the Maasai live in the areas around some of the most visited parks and reserves in Kenya and Tanzania, they are one of the best known tribes in East Africa. Our visit started with a traditional Maasai dance demonstration by the young men of the village. During one portion of the dance, one or two men would move forward and jump straight up in the air as high as they could, while the rest of the men continued their chanting. We later learned that the purpose of this jumping dance was to demonstrate their ability as a warrior and attract a bride. As the adult men danced and jumped, one of the village’s small boys joined the demonstration, attempting to mimic the movements of his older role models.

Thanks for visiting

Rose

 

This is Africa: On Safari in the Masai Mara Reserve – An Experience of Many Firsts

Our first trip to Africa started with a safari in the Masai Mara Reserve in Kenya. The game drives in this vast landscape provided the first views of many of the classic African animals we were hoping to see, along with many other memorable experiences. Continue reading “This is Africa: On Safari in the Masai Mara Reserve – An Experience of Many Firsts”

PhotoPOSTcard: A Symbiotic Relationship

The African cape buffalo and the yellow billed oxpecker form a symbiotic relationship. The oxpecker eats the tics and other insects that are attracted to this large wild bovine. The birds will also eat out the diseased portion of a wound on the buffalo, allowing it to heal. In addition, the oxpecker will start to hiss when it becomes alarmed, which alerts its host of potential danger. Not that this huge herd beast has many natural predators other than humans. With its big horns and unpredictable nature, it is a dangerous animal and can hold its own against Africa’s big predators. It takes a whole pride of lions to try and bring down one animal.

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Rose

PhotoPOSTcard: An Attractive Male Agama Lizard

I discovered that Africa has creatures both great and small. We found this little male Agama lizard near the Mara river in Kenya. During mating season, the males become these bright, almost neon colors. The rest of the time, they are a drab tan color like the females. This little guy may have had one too many mating territorial fights since his tail looks chopped off.

Thanks for visiting.

Rose

PhotoPOSTcard: The Queen of Beasts

Our first really good sighting of lions was from the heights of our early morning hot air balloon flight over Kenya’s Maasai Mara Reserve. We were able to quietly trail these two female lions for a little while before they went into the brush and out of sight. Even from far away, it was easy to see that they were healthy and powerful and quite well fed. Clearly the top of the food chain.

Thanks for visiting.

Rose