Rozzies Travels

We woke st 4:30 A.M. for a long, bumpy ride to the sight of balloon rides. However, when we arrived it was raining and windy. The ride was canceled until the next day. Instead, we took a long game ride where we saw 2 exquisite cheetahs, a mother and a baby sunning themselves on a low mound. We saw many lions roaming the savannah. Several clans of spotted hyenas clustered around a new kill(a Wildebeest). Many vultures were waiting around them to finish the leavings.
The Widebeest along with the Zebra are the two main animals of the Great Migration. We saw thousands of them headed toward the Mara River crossing. In fact, the includes an estimated 1.4 million Wildebeests and 500,000 zebras. The wildebeest is a member of the antelope family. Unlike most gazelles, which are beautiful, they are very unattractive with long faces, thick horns, mouse gray or brown color and long straggly manes. The Great Migration was not like National Geographic showed it. It slower with fewer animals at a time or should I say splash. At first the animals seemed shy of the water but finally many just jumped right in and swam across the crocodile filled water.
After this great safari drive, we arrived at the Maasai village. We were greeted by a small group of Maasai men and women outside the round village.
The men can take many wives but must give the bride’s father 2 cows. The women build the round houses of wood twigs cemented together with cow dung paste. The houses are built in a circle leaving the center open for their herds of cows and goats. Dogs are the alarm system to notify the villagers of predators. The men lead the very large herd belonging to the village out to the plains everyday to graze.
The visit was lots of fun. Several of us were pulled into their native dance with beaded necklaces were placed around our necks as red paint was put on our cheeks. After the dancing, mostly jumping, we were led to a huge tent filled with native items to purchase.

Traveling down bumpy( this ride is so bumpy that it requires an athletic bra and many potty breaks), dusty roads in large Land Cruisers begins our venture into the brush. Massai tribesmen are seen herding the village cattle and goats onto the plains and children are playing soccer. This culture is very recognizable. They are very tall and thin. They jump very high, which is part of their dance, and run very fast.Red or red and blue checkered blankets are wrapped around their shoulders. They feel protected from wild beasts in red, the original tribal color.
The crater, about 1.600 feet deep, has many landscapes. The rim looks down onto flat plains of scrub, tall grasses, trees, cacti and several watering holes, one of which is a salt water lake. At first, we saw no animals. I thought to myself,”This is a beautiful sight but, maybe my kids were right, I could see more animals in the zoo!” Then, we spotted a lioness
blending into the golden grass right next to the road, Boy, was she difficult to detect. We got great views out of the lifted roof of the 4-wheel drive vehicle. After this first sighting, it got exciting. One large male lion and one female started to move around the vehicles, so close we could touch them (but we didn’t). After that we came very close to herds of zebras,
wildebeest, gazelles and wart hogs. They are all so amazing when you see them individually but seeing them in huge herds is breathtaking. We witness the mating dance of heavily feathered ostriches.The neck of the male gets red as he chases the flirting female before it becomes a pornographic demonstration! After that it became pretty mild.
Leaping gazelles and submerged hippos with above water eyes taking in all movement were interesting.
We headed off road to have a picnic in a naturally enclosed area not far from our lion sightings. Tauck Tours planned an amazing picnic. A long buffet of hot and cold foods, a separate bar for drinks and tables covered with red and blue checkered Masai clothes
were set with crystal, silverware and china. They even set up draped bathrooms to blend into the scenery. Lunch was delicious and it was fun comparing stories of our sighting, even though we all saw the same things, our impressions were different.
After lunch we finally saw huge eared elephants with ivory tusks. The older the elephants,
the bigger the tusks. One walked toward us before turning toward a watering hole to drink part of his 60 gallons a day ration!
ASIDE: Afican cabarnet and merlot wines are delicious.

I can’t believe that we’re almost ready to leave sunny California to go to the world’s biggest zoo. I also can’t believe how obcesssed I’ve become about a simple thing like packing. Do I have the right cloths, are they bug proof enough, are they all earth tones, do I have enough Malaria medicine and on and on. I have over analysed the entire trip to a point of exhaustion!
Nonetheless, I am thrilled. I will try to write each day to describe to you what I am experiencing so that you feel like you’re with me.
We will be in London for three days and than the real adventure starts. So, see you on August 21.

Sitting with my sweeties in San Jose!!!!!