Safari day 2

posted 22nd September, 2008 category Africa

Our supposed 6:30 am start was delayed by a few minutes while we got ready. The animals are most active just after sunrise. We still had our 2wd Toyota Hiace Minivan (imported from the streets of Japan) to ourselves but we were also joined by a spotter.

Bhav fell asleep a few times during the 7 am – 4 pm safari and at one point uttered the words “you woke me up for some elephants” as if they were a common sight. We did manage to see quite a few other animals including hippos which had eluded us for almost the entire trip.

We’d arranged with our driver Odis, to go to the nearby Masai village to look around and meet the people. After 4 pm we were dropped off and the first thing the Masai that greeted us wanted was money. This we expected, having already asked what we should expect to pay. Odis had said US$10 was fair but they wanted rather a lot more but unlike other things it’s difficult to negotiate with someone’s culture.

The man that took the money left us with our new guide, the chiefs son (what with the entrance fee I was almost expecting a ticket) and we entered the village of 200 people. All the inhabitants were relations due to it being founded by one man, our guides grandfather. That rather strange thought in our heads we were treated to more jumping up and down (dancing) and a tour of their village. After that we were taken down the road to the school, where after a brief tour they asked for more money. Considering that part of the rather large original fee was to go to the school it was fair to feel a little cheated and refuse but it was the kids and their education which I wanted to help.