Travel to Tsavo

Travel to Tsavo
Megan and Rhonda dancing with Masaai women.

Wednesday was mostly a travel day, to get from Ambroseli National Park to Tsavo West National Park. The distance was only about 60 miles, but much of it was on very rough roads, and we stopped at a Masaai village and a Masaai school, so the journey took several hours. Then after we checked in to Kilaguni Serena Lodge, we took a drive around Tsavo West, including a stop at Mzima Springs.

Leaving Amboseli

We were planning to visit a Masaai village in the Kimana area, so we stopped at a small roadside market and Willie picked up some pencils and candy for us to give to the kids.

Masaai Village

The village we stopped at was home to about 60 people, all descendants of the chief and his four wives.

Masaai men coming out of the village to greet us.

The traditional Masaai greeting for visitors involves singing and dancing. The men do a high-jumping contest when they dance.

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Megan and Rhonda dancing with the women.

The doctor showed us a plant he called "the Masaai Viagra," and then he asked me how many wives I have. When I said just one, he said that his sister is available for marriage and she has six children. Megan told him our house is big enough for his sister and her kids, and he must have thought that meant we have money, because he said I would need to bring 20 elephants to the village to marry his sister. I said I'd get back to him.

A Masaai man showing us how they start a fire each morning. It was impressive how quickly he started a fire by spinning a stick in a hole in a piece of wood. One man starts a fire each morning, then they carry burning twigs to each hut to share the fire with everyone who needs it.
When it was time to leave, Rhonda and Megan danced us out.

Visiting a Masaai school

The chief came with us while we drove a short distance to the school that three of his kids attend. We met with the administrator, and he showed us around, then we visited a classroom.

I was in the Land Cruiser holding my phone to take a photo, and this boy thought he was sneaking up on me because I was looking down at my phone instead of toward him. He touched my wrist, and I tried to grab his fingers when he did, which surprised him - he yelled and leaped backward, and all his friends laughed.

Into the Bushland

Mzima Springs

Before dinner, we took a drive to Mzima Springs. This area is where water surfaces after flowing underground from a natural reservoir under the hills to the north.

Tsavo West

This grouse in a tree was making a shrill call, and Wille stopped and turned off the engine so that we could hear it. The sound it was making is an alarm to let other grouse know that there's danger in the area: either a leopard or a snake, because those are the only two threats to grouse that can climb trees.