Safari!

We went on safari last week!  It was just a day trip (since we live a couple hours from Maasai Mara, where the animals roam freely on the savannah), but it was incredibly worth the long day in the car and the horrendously bumpy road to get there.  It was simply magical.  There's no better way to describe it.  Here are some of my favorite snapshots:

We didn't tell the boys we were going on safari until the night before, right as they were going to bed.  To say they were excited would be an understatement.  They were gasping and giggling and literally bouncing on the bed with joy!  Caleb went to sleep fine - excited but weary.  Kai, on the other hand, was completely wound up.  He had napped earlier, which always makes bedtime a bit harder, but the anticipation of safari served to stimulate him into a state of utter zeal.  He did not go to sleep well, he woke up a few times overnight, and crawled in bed with us around 5am.  He did not go back to sleep after crawling in bed with us.  He wiggled between me and Eli and waved his stinky snuggle blanket around.  When the alarm finally went off and we said it was time to get up, Kai popped up and exclaimed, "When the sun comes up we can go on the savannah!"  Apparently the excitement of going on safari was too much for him to handle - he couldn't even sleep because of it!

Our driver arrived early and we were on the road before 7:30.  After leaving the main road, it was approximately two hours down a dusty and very bumpy road to Maasai Mara.  We waited until the rainy season was over before going on this adventure because we've heard how particularly horrendous the road can be when it's wet and muddy.  It was pretty bad even when it was dry, but we made it all the way to the Fairmont, a nice hotel/restaurant where we took a bathroom break before getting back in the car for a "game drive" for a couple hours.  The first wildlife we saw were zebras.

There were many of them on both sides of the road.  Our driver stopped and opened the top of the van so we could stand and watch from a higher vantage point.  As I said, it was simply magical.  Caleb's face describes it well!

We drove on and found warthogs and wildebeest and ubiquitous antelope.  They were completely unconcerned by our presence, pausing to look at us briefly and then continue on their way.

At one point we saw a Maasai man with his herd of cattle.  It was such an iconic picture, like something you'd see in National Geographic.  He, too, was unconcerned by our presence and even waved back when we waved a greeting.  The Maasai live in many parts of Kenya but are strongly associated with inhabiting this corner of the country, and many of them still live in traditional ways.  This man was wearing the recognizable red cloth of the Maasai, the archetypal garb of his tribe.

It was a warm and sunny day, but a breeze perfected the temperature.  We spent two hours driving around the savannah, stopping whenever there were animals to see.  Only Asa couldn't keep his eyes open :)

Eventually we found the bigger animals.  This giraffe was by his lonesome in the middle of the grassland, seemingly doing nothing better but soaking up the sun.  He was rather stately, surveying the open plains before him.  Kai asked, "Is that a real giraffe?"  We assured him that yes it was, but it felt surreal.  We had to pinch ourselves at times to make sure we weren't dreaming!

And then we came across a herd of elephants.  We counted ten of them, but some were hiding in the bushes nearby so we might have missed some.  When we drove close enough for the boys to realize what was in front of us, Kai instantly started trumpeting like an elephant!  Our guide instructed us to be quiet to avoid startling them, but it was priceless yet again to see our son so excited!

And then we stumbled upon this lone hippo, far from the river.  Our guide said it was rare to see one that far from the river but they are known for traveling long distances to eat grass.  In fact, we were following a "hippo trail" for part of the drive so we saw how far they can stray from the river to eat.  Caleb was very excited to be following a hippo trail :)

We passed this giraffe on our way back to the Fairmont for lunch.  Again, I couldn't help but think of how stately these creatures are.  While we admired this fellow, a helicopter flew by.  It seemed odd since we were in the middle of nowhere and there was nowhere for anyone to be flying to.  But our guide said it was the rangers, keeping an eye on the elephants to ensure they were safe from poachers.  It sobered the moment, but at the same time we were thankful for the initiative to keep track of such majestic wildlife.

We built up quite an appetite after so much excitement and we were delighted to find burgers and pizzas on the menu at the Fairmont.  Better still, our table was outside overlooking the river where hippos like to hang out!  At first there weren't any hippos to be seen, so we dove into our bread and butter and waited for our burgers and pizza.  Before the rest of the food came out, however, the hippos began appearing and all hopes that our children would eat a good lunch quickly vanished!  Caleb in particular could not be bothered with food while the hippos were within view.  "Mom!  Mom!  Look, Mom!  Did you see?  It went underwater!!!!  Ohhhhh!  Now it's coming back up!  Mom!  Mom!  Did you see?"  For about a half hour straight our boys were just as much entertainment as the hippos themselves!  Eli finally called a "Hippo Break" and made both boys sit in their chairs and eat something.  It was hysterical!

We took so long eating lunch (and watching hippos) that we didn't have time for another game drive before heading back to Tenwek.  We opted not to stay overnight on this first trip, so we needed to get on the road in order to get home before dark.  We saw more animals on our way out of Maasai Mara, and even saw a giraffe bending awkwardly to drink from a water hole, and our hearts were full and happy.  We needed a fun adventure and a chance to get away from the hospital for awhile.  We've been stretched a lot as we continue our transition to living and ministering in Kenya, and going on safari enabled us to take a deep breath and reorient ourselves for the days ahead.  We're so thankful for the chance to have such a magical experience!