The ride out to the Masai Mara comes west out of Nairobi on a paved highway. This is the main road west to Uganda, and full of all types of traffic. After two hours we drop down into the Rift Valley, a hot, arid DUSTY road along the flat pan that extends for hundreds of miles south. The road is black-top, or at least it once was. The van twists and swerves to avoid the potholes that put Winnipeg to shame.
The terrain at times reminds of Arizona, but then slowly changes to a landscape not familiar at all. After about 5 hours we arrive at camp. Right next to our camp is a Masai village. They still live in traditional stick and dung huts called 'enkaji' which they abandon every few years and relocate.
For us, we are in canvas tents on cement slabs, with thatched roofs overhead. the beds are very comfortable. At the back of the tent the canvas zips open to a semi-circle lower pad of concrete enclosed by a semi-circular concrete wall. This is the FLUSH toilet and shower.
There are other tours joining us in this camp; some are in expensive Land Rovers and Land Cruisers, but most are like us. We head out for a quick look for animals at sunset, then back to camp for dinner. The next morning we leave for 7:00 to catch the animals before the heat of the day. It was cool at night, about 14c. During the day it gets up to high 20's, but the sun is almost directly overhead so it seems hot. We come back for breakfast at 9:30.
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