My home for the next two days would be a tented camp in the Masai Mara, a vast game reserve owned by the Masai people. I was lucky to visit in October, since the weather is mild and the rainy season has just ended, leaving the vegetation green over the vast plains of the reserve.
Now, too put it mildy, I am not the first person in line when someone suggests camping, but as it turned out my tent was a brilliant mix of rustic luxury with polished wood floors and a handsome raised bed, curtained by a swath of billowing white curtains. Okay, I can camp like this!
During our afternoon game drive I did see elephants as well as these gentle giraffes, foraging for leaves right next to our jeep. It was astonishing to see them so close and in their natural habitat.
We visited a Masai village and were given a traditional welcome by the elders of the tribe. Clad in bright red robes, they chant as they perform an intricate sequence of steps. The culmination of the ritual is a series of jumps - feet side by side and legs together, they jump straight into the air, rising higher with each jump. Despite their reputation as fierce warriors, the dance felt full of both power and joy to me.
That night I had another unusual experience, which was a bit unsettling to a city dweller like me. I've lived in Manhattan long enough that I dont hear the sirens or the cab horns anymore. However, the group of hippos wading in the river nearvby, I heard. And it made me a bit uneasy. It all turned out fine and I woke to another beautiful morning on the African plains.
Now, too put it mildy, I am not the first person in line when someone suggests camping, but as it turned out my tent was a brilliant mix of rustic luxury with polished wood floors and a handsome raised bed, curtained by a swath of billowing white curtains. Okay, I can camp like this!
During our afternoon game drive I did see elephants as well as these gentle giraffes, foraging for leaves right next to our jeep. It was astonishing to see them so close and in their natural habitat.
We visited a Masai village and were given a traditional welcome by the elders of the tribe. Clad in bright red robes, they chant as they perform an intricate sequence of steps. The culmination of the ritual is a series of jumps - feet side by side and legs together, they jump straight into the air, rising higher with each jump. Despite their reputation as fierce warriors, the dance felt full of both power and joy to me.
That night I had another unusual experience, which was a bit unsettling to a city dweller like me. I've lived in Manhattan long enough that I dont hear the sirens or the cab horns anymore. However, the group of hippos wading in the river nearvby, I heard. And it made me a bit uneasy. It all turned out fine and I woke to another beautiful morning on the African plains.
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