This is the story of the long weekend just past. A story of the Masai Mara but not of the elephants, lions, hippos, bushbucks, hyenas, buffalos and crocodiles that we saw, the amazing vistas we photographed or the memories that will linger but instead of the relationships forged, the camaraderie built, the trust developed and the promise of future friendships.
I and a group of friends was in the Masai Mara over the long Madaraka Day weekend. We were actually 6 and a half couples out of a possible 9 couples in total and after a planning process of almost three months to visit the Masai Mara and view the wonders of nature at close range over 3 days and 2 nights. We knew it was probably too early to see the great migration when the wilderbeeste and zebra follow the tradition migratory patterns established by their ancestors millenia ago and which usually happens between mid-July and August.
We were headed to the Mara Serena (full name Mara Serena Safari Lodge) a good 150 kilometres distance from Narok town in a remote area and based in the Transmara side of the Masai Mara and located atop a hill with a stunning view of the Mara River and vistas of the sprawling Mara Plains out in the distance. With a good pair of eyes you can just make out families of giraffe, buffalo and other plains game as they go about their business in the area surrounding the river eco-system as well as the hot air balloon soaring above the plains in the early morning mist. Groups of baboons often make their food gathering trips near the lodge as do the occasional impala, thompson gazelle and buffalo.
We travelled in two 4x4 Toyota Landcruiser vehicles and decided right from the outset that we would separate ourselves into the guys in one vehicle and the gals in the other which did not sit right with one of the couples only recently married and still on honeymoon. This decision proved fruitful for reasons that will be clear shortly.
The group comprised of the gals, fast friends who had been associated together in a "chama" for many years and their husbands. The gals (actually middle aged mothers with mainly grown up children and a sprinkling of younger children too) had been on many trips together over several years and were very close knit and met every month.The guys were their husbands who occasionally met when the wives had organised family outings or get togethers and while we were familiar with each other we had never really bonded as a group inspite of our wives relationships. The decision to separate ourselves in two separate vehicles therefore proved crucial in establishing and cementing the bond between us guys.
The sharing of a drink, the communal meals, game drives and games played also brought us closer together given the different professions and businesses that we all represented. As expected all common bills were split equally for all to share including that for a delicious but rather late nyama boilo/choma and bread lunch in a decidedly dingy joint in Maai Mahiu organised by a cousin to one within the group.
I have a feeling that this will be the beginning of a long and fruitful relationship between us guys after the baby steps that we took in the Masai Mara, exchanging stories and anecdotes as only men are able to do secure in the knowledge that among men all things discussed in the privacy of a vehicle remain privy to only those in the vehicle including the ribald and dirty stories and jokes.
We guys also made a firm commitment to meet early in July to move this relationship to the next level and also involve the other four husbands who for whatever reason were unable to join us on that eventful and fun filled weekend in the Masai Mara.
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