A VISIT TO MAASAI MARA

HOTHAIR BALOONS ADVENTURE

At times, several groups join to create herds that work together to keep watch for predators. "When a predator is spotted, the stallion of the herd snorts or barks to protect his harem,” he explained.

It was now late in the evening. The sun was rapidly setting over the western hills with its cool rays wishing good will to the approaching night. The tour guide asked the driver to take us back to the hotel. On the way back, we chatted happily about the animals we had encountered during that day.

The teachers were not left behind, they joined in elaborating on what the tour guide had told us about the animals. The tour guide was pleased with us for memorizing all that he had explained to us.

The day was ending like any other with the sun's rays fading reluctantly on the western horizon. The birds perched over the trees seemingly saying good night through their glorious evening melodies.

The rock owls were hooting as if calling on the darkness to take over. Along the main path leading to the hotel, trees were swaying to and fro, corresponding to the evening wind’s breeze. We arrived at the hotel where we were received happily and served with super.

On that evening, the cold breeze that announced the approaching night was missing. In the cloudless sky, the moon was shining its light on the motionless night.

Mosquitoes have started their daily routine. Bats were seen flying in different directions. The atmosphere was cool and peace could be felt all over the place. In the twilight of the moon, we rushed into our boardrooms for a rest.

Early on the next day, we woke up as usual and prepared to tour the game reserve for the third day. The chilly morning wind had died down. Far from the eastern horizon, the sun peeped from its cloud pillows, spreading its bewildering rays.

Like a mono-eyed monster, it gazed down, melting the light stubborn clouds mercilessly scorching the already heated landscape. That morning's atmosphere was favorable. I took in a deep breath of fresh air and exhaled it slowly just to feel relaxed.

As the sun gently caressed my soft skin with warmth, I closed my eyes and let my body soak in the good feeling. It was rising steadily over the horizon. In the nearby shrubs, birds jumped in turns as if they meant to perform a dancing competition. The sun blazed with its flickering rays, making the morning dew appear like pieces of a broken mirror exposed to some light.

When everyone was ready, we boarded the truck and entered the park. Since we had seen most of the animals, the tour guide said he would take us to a place where vultures would be seen hovering high above.

When we arrived at the place, we fluttered and flickered our eyes open in dislike to what we saw. With my hand in my mouth, my legs lost their strength and were hardly able to support me. All mouths were left wide open as if we were pronouncing the letter 'O'. Gosh! Vultures were devouring a carcass of a rhino.

We witnessed with dismay as we memorized the ghastly horrifying scene. The carcass of the freshly killed animal was bleeding profusely. The guide, looking very disappointed, explained to us that some poachers had just killed and extracted its horns.

He pulled his mobile phone and called the office about the matter. Around its carcass were different predators; hyenas, wild dogs, eagles among others.

“In the Maasai Mara, apart from the Big Five and the Big Nine, there are other unique and interesting mammals roaming this part of Africa,” he started. Aardvarks are small burrowing animals with long snouts and powerful claws.

These nocturnal animals are native to Africa and feed on insects such as ants and termites. They are hairless, have short legs and thick claws for burrowing and digging.

The aard wolf is a yellowish animal with black stripes and a bushy black-tipped tail that looks like a small striped hyena. It has a very coarse ridge of hairs along the length of its back, and it has longer front legs than hind legs. They are solitary animals and are active at night.

Also, there is the African hare, which is found in wooded savannas and grasslands throughout Africa. They are solitary creatures, but at times of feeding, they most times pair up in twos or threes to keep safe from predators.

The banded mongoose is a type of mongoose most commonly found in central and eastern Africa. They live in savannahs, forests and grasslands. Their homes include termite mounds, and they generally live in colonies. "They are either brown or gray and have dark bands on their back,” he said.

Without much to do, he advised the driver to drive towards the field of hot air balloons. When he asked us if we were aware of a hot air balloon, including our teachers, everyone was silent. No one knew about the hot air balloon. Without wasting time, he began to explain it.

“There are several exciting activities one can enjoy in Maasai Mara,” he said. “The most thrilling of these is the hot-air balloon safari, taken at the break of dawn and ending with champagne bush breakfast, fully exciting. This is a truly unique adventure activity and the Mara provides the perfect backdrop for the amazing excursion of the balloon.

The flight lasts for about an hour as you glide gracefully over the African savannah watching the magnificent wildlife below. The pilots are highly experienced, and the activity boasts of an exceptional safety record.

Another exciting popular experience is visiting a traditional tribal Maasai village which allows visitors a fascinating insight into the unique way of life of the famous Maasai, a nomadic warrior tribe found in Kenya and parts of East Africa.

"There are also nature walks, bush meals and sundowners as some of the other popular things to do in Maasai Mara as a tourist visiting this reserve,” he told us.

At that time, the sky was gradually filling with patches of light white clouds. When we reached the hot air balloon station, people from all walks of life, men and women, the old and the young, were present. We could see young children giggling and running around hither and thither in joy as their guardians were busy concentrating on the balloon tour.

After the pilots highlighted how it works, we joined the rest of the balloon tour and all enjoyed it to the fullest. In turn, we toured several areas on the hot air balloon. It was frightening at first, but the balloon excursion was very fantastic.

High above, i could clearly see a scene of scattered bushes, wildlife, cloud shadows, and umbrella acacia trees. We all enjoyed the flights. For the rest of the day, we spent time exploring the Maasai Mara game reserve on hot air balloons.

Since touring is one of my hobbies, I managed to secretly board the hot air balloon three times. Unfortunately, Eric the language teacher noticed it. His eyes turned red and watery as he held me by my hand. He was furious, but I definitely knew that he couldn’t flog me at that moment.

I raised my head and our eyes interlocked as i smiled at him. Since he was friendly and caring, he just pinched my left cheek and left me alone.

Although the experience was interesting, the time didn’t allow us to remain there. We were forced to leave by the approaching night as darkness was creeping in vividly.

Without wasting time, we drove back to the hotels, picked up our bags and packed them into our school bus. Time was not on our side, the language teacher gave a vote of thanks to the Maasai Mara staff for their commendable hospitality services. He commented on Maasai Mara as the best visiting site for both pupils and teachers in our nation. He promised them that we would spread the rumours to the rest of our surrounding schools.

At that moment, the sun was bidding us a farewell with its beautiful cold evening rays spreading over the land. The birds were singing their monotonous songs to the tired sun. Flocks of weaver birds crossed over us, flying back to their nests. Some young shrubs around swayed merrily as if in a dance.

By the time we were through with refreshing, the sun had just set and darkness held a vague terror. Outside, the insects had begun to chirr and whistle, striking their dusk songs.

We all boarded the bus and waved goodbye to the Mara staff. The tour guide waved back to us as our bus drove towards the Maasai Mara gate. His mouth curled into a pleasant smile as our language teacher gazed at him with shining eyes. Tears of joy welled up in his eyes with a delight on his face which was mixed with surprise.

Within the blink of an eye, we drove off the game reserve’s gate. On our journey back to school, we sang songs of joy as the bus moved at constant speed. We all made comments throughout the visit with some telling jokes. The visit to Maasai Mara will remain inscribed in the deepest nerves of my heart as it marked the most interesting visit in my life as a student.