A trip to the Masai Mara... For me, the eighth marvel of the world!!!!

The dream of a life is not easy to tell ... so amazing ... too many emotions, too many colors, landscapes, animals and people encountered in my career ... I'll try a few words and some pictures!

 

1° day

I chose to reach the Masai Mara by air from Malindi as usual but rather drive the minibus! My wish was to be able to see the most 'can this wonderful land this time having a bit' of days left ... my travel companion will 'Francesca (another crazy in love with Africa like me!) That Rafiki !
Picasso and "President Giorgio Napolitano, our guides have organized everything to perfection, path, step, nights ...
It starts on 1 October and our trip will last 'five days ... five days of real Africa, sunrises and sunsets breathtaking, five days of dry land, villages, huts, animals, bizarre encounters, landscapes so far only seen in movies, five days of polenta, chicken, goat, chapatis and coca cola, streets without street lights and no lanes .... 5 days with a heart full of life!
We left at 4.30 am .. Malindi transport a bus safari, travelers me and my Rafiki, Picasso and Giorgio Napolitano guides, drivers and the mythical Stem Child!!
The road that process will be 'the only asphalt that links Mombasa to Nairobi and the miles that separate me from my dreams are about 700!
Once past the city 'of Mombasa homes and commercial buildings fall more and more' giving way to vast stretches of dry grass, acacia trees and agave until you reach the road that runs along the Tsavo East and Tsavo West later where gazelles, zebras, baboons and giraffes grazing not far from us waiting for the right moment to cross.
For lunch we stop in the town of Amal, near Amboseli ... and to our great fortune, the blue sky over the mountains, gave us a chance 'to enjoy the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro!. Capra, polenta, and a fantasy starts to Nairobi ... the impact of the capital is traumatic for everyone ... even for Georgie and Picasso! We broke away from traffic and again towards the Rift Valley! Malindi from the thermal shock and 'impressive, without even hardly noticed we reached an altitude of 2200 meters and shows a performance in front of our eyes! We go down to admire the immense earth plunged into the mountains and we talk with local craftsmen selling sheepskins and hats and do not finish photo!
Beautiful fresh start again right on time on the road map that provides a stop for the night shortly after sunset. Reach the town of Narok and .. 'already' dark, we see nothing but we trust our guides and we reach the Shield Park Hotel!
No tourists, only local visitors but we are welcomed with kindness by the staff that accompanies us in our rooms for a shower waiting for supper.
I remain astounded by the order and the cleanliness of the room!
Cooked but we are all happy and hungry shortly after the dining room!
Dinner of polenta, chapati, chicken, goat, vegetables and potatoes! Even some talk on the day and the program dell'indomani then all to bed!

2° day

Wake up at 7.30, breakfast and all the bus!
The Masai Mara is close and the landscape around us is constantly changing ... we begin to see the Masai with their cattle, their red dresses among the pastures and villages seem to bring them back in time ... Picasso and the President always ready and patients to all our questions.
Even two hours of road and we finally!!
We start the game drive my mom ... how exciting!
The sky is a bit 'covered and the animals are hidden unless we are lucky ... ... even after 10 minutes of street kids sighted a herd of giraffes!
It 's crazy like them to see animals so far, in safari I did with them I always wondered how it was possible over the distance .. the colors are mixed with those of earth, bushes ... but once in Savannah become hunters, poachers but hunters like lions, cheetahs in search of their prey .. luckily not to kill but only to take pictures! .. .. and their eyes are not like ours .. and you will understand! !
We continue our tour enchanted landscapes from the Mara offers us a bit of 'sun and some clouds ...
And 'the period of the Great Migration and the show at some point before us we can not' describe ... hundreds of buffaloes, with their small and the birds are left to carry on their backs, huge herds of zebra and wildebeest moving water and looking a little 'grass ....
For lunch we leave the park and we reach what will be 'for two days our field .. Acacia Camp belonging to the Masai community. Located just minutes from the park entrance, is run by Masai just, orderly, clean and composed of tents.
To expect incredible lunch of noodles cooked in savannah ... ... ... cooked by Masai terrible but appreciate the effort!! ;))))) 10 and praise but 'stew with green beans and carrots !!!!... there was polenta .. Picasso skipped lunch!
Half hour nap and start again!
Even for the afternoon will not stop 'never thank my two guardian angels and the great legs ... elephants, giraffes, vultures, jackals, gazelles, antelopes of all kinds and many more groups of zebra, buffalo and wildebeest that seemed to form a carpet golden grass of the savannah! And the pearl of the day ... on a rock a family of lions stalk us crazy ... just below the male and female are neighbors, the more 'young doze in the shade ... say that the lions of the Masai Mara are those with more mane 'great ... I do not know if this thing is real or not but I assure you that his head was really magnificent, mahogany and golden ... proud looked away. We stopped to watch in silence for about twenty minutes then we left!
Not only do the animals in the Masai Mara a wonderful place .. but the shapes, colors, the changing landscape, the clouds above the expanses of savannah create drawings and direct sunlight arriving on earth ...
Here comes the sunset and we head towards the Acacia Camp.
The tents are little girls but clean and the beds are comfortable and equipped with blankets for the night .. do not forget to bring batteries or sweater for the evening .. freezes !!!!!
The bathrooms are not far from our tents .. it's cold but a nice hot shower will do 'everything go!
For dinner, rice, meat, chapati, vegetables, soup and fruit! Then a nice evening all together ... the company has made a difference!! Among African stories and anecdotes Italian it's time to go to bed!

3° day

Wake up at 6 am, breakfast at 6.30 and 7 is part of a new game drive .. this time Picasso and George had prepared a picnic lunch by the cook of the camp to spend all day in the park and go to the border with Tanzania! Is added to the group a Masai boy.
During the day full of emotions and moments when you're living inside of you must think "enjoy every moment because who knows 'if you'll' live again" ....
We follow narrow paths ... a family of cheetahs, and then the wonderful eyes of our guides sighted a lion under the trees ... but not just ... the whole family with children a few weeks!
There is only one animal really hard to see ... the rhinoceros! But thanks to them for their extraordinary vision and a lot 'of luck we managed to see it! The Big Five are full!
Continue towards the Mara River where we can get to stretch a bit 'legs and accompanied by a ranger ... admire hippos and crocodiles caught by a sudden storm on the bus all to do lunch .. potatoes, toast and grilled chicken! From there you continue towards the border with Tanzania and the Serengeti park. Still many animals in a little 'bit of rain and a' sun and again this time to the exit of the park with lots of cheetah struggling with just hunted gazelle! We return to camp for dinner exhausted but happy for the day .. Tomorrow we leave!

4° day

Wake up at 7 o'clock breakfast and everyone on the bus!
This time Sultanhamud lunch in a local bar that probably has never seen no white man seen entering the amazement of those who worked there and customers! Polenta, chapati, goat with sauce and peanuts! The road is long we leave now!
Yet many animals spotted in the grasslands bordering the road and fortunately being Sunday Nairobi is less chaotic ... arrviamo in the town of You, on the outskirts of Tsavo East in time for dinner ... this time dinner and overnight at the Leopard Lodge, sorted, very clean rooms and cute!
We spent another pleasant evening together, and I still Rafiki thrilled to everything 'we had the chance to admire, Stem Child and mulches from driving the van, the President always makes us crazy hilarious and always calm Picasso ... and placed a few words at the right time .. little pearls of wisdom!

5° day

The morning starts to lunch and here we are again in Malindi for a while 'Sea and elsewhere in the company of our trusty tour guides!
This trip I will stay 'in my heart, I hope to retain as much' as long as possible all the feelings that I had the chance to try ... thanks ... Rafiki excellent traveling companion, adventure and a shower in a bathroom in the middle savannah!
With legs, a really smart driver that I hope you have the chance to meet in your journey, prudent, accurate and available.
Thanks for having borne a child! He is a very good driver!
And THANK YOU for this adventure Picasso and Giorgio Napolitano, who have kept everything in every detail, thoughtful, attentive and always present! Thanks for everything each time managed to make me learn on your land!

This is the safari that Picasso and Giorgio organized according to my desires and my needs ... In general the Masai Mara is organized with aircraft departing from Malindi, you'll land directly in the savannah!
A bit 'of "My Africa" can be found here ... www.sognandoilkenya.com

Safari Njema!
between