Enkong’u naipang’a eng’en
It is the eye which has traveled that is clever
Massai Proverb
Day 02
Seventeen hours in the air and one to go. My lower back was burning bright like a well-stacked log fire, and my legs were begging for mercy. Through the aircraft porthole, I saw the tail end of the beautiful shores and mountains of Mulungu Beach, Uganda; to the east began the YInMn blue of the mighty Lake Victoria. I felt my heart rate increasing so I closed my eyes and began my breathing exercises. About a minute in, I imagined what Nairobi would look like. My first trip to the “Motherland” after years of dreaming of this moment. Before even arriving, I knew I would leave a changed person yet I couldn’t even begin to know the how. Thirty minutes later, I looked back out of the airplane window and could see the southern rolling hills of tea farms and the western section of the Maasai Mara National Reserve. Four breaths in, pause for 3 seconds and exhale for a 6 count. Repeat. Our guide Lincoln welcomed us and shared a first surprise that awaited us shortly. As we were leaving the airport grounds, I heard my first “Oooww, look at that.” To our left and just over the fence separating the landing strip from the main terminal, we saw a giraffe and Cape buffalo looking at us. To think, a real safari at the airport. Once on the Nairobi Expressway, that beautiful and diverse landscape just kept coming. We were excited about the surprises to come. As we passed one of the many tea fields, I put my headphones on and pressed play. The trombone section from John Powell’s “The Moon and the Superhero” put a smile on my face.
Day 16
I adapted to the late night sounds of hyenas and lions hunting in the shadows of the Mara. We all enjoyed watching lions turning it in for the day after hunting and feasting all evening but it was finally time to travel the savanna on foot. Oh the delicate balance between man, land and beast. I was more excited than nervous. At least that’s what I told myself. I was letting my fears take the best of me when I remembered our main guide “Safari Steve” educating us on this powerful symbiotic relationship and his brilliant explanation put us all at ease. The Mara is so large that from the east we could see this huge storm cell in its entirety as it shot lightning like a Greek God. We literally watched this Monmouth of a storm slowly pass by without wetting us and just behind it was a rainbow that would make any Leprechaun envious. To the west, we stopped to watch the beginning of a breathtaking sunset. With the sunset was a cloud of dust coming right at us followed by a jeep at high speeds. Our local cultural experience host, a Maasai elder named “Emmanuel” jumped out of the jeep with this big smile. I could immediately tell this guy commanded respect and while we shook hands, I could imagine the look on his face when he killed a lion in his youth. He welcomed us and shared that we would be walking to his farm to meet his family. He then turned to the west and said ‘But first, here come two of my young sons.” The cloud of dust that was coming our way though it got smaller but the visual of what was coming at us was both seen and felt. The rumble of the over one hundred cows could be felt a football field away and as they got closer, Emmanuel encouraged us to walk the path of the herd. We all shared concerned looks but no one said anything. “Safari Steve” and Emmanuel laughed and told us to just trust the path. With each gingerly step, the cows got closer and once upon us, they charged right around us as if we didn’t exist. We could feel the wind coming off their bodies as they charged right past us and at the moment, I thought “So this is what Batman must feel like in the cave when the bats are flying by him.”
During the chaos of “running with the bulls” Kenya style and avoiding stepping on or running into an acacia thorn tree, we couldn’t help but enjoy God’s beautiful color combination in the sky. The mix of cosmic dust and sun rays in that part of the world produces colors beyond imagination. I’m talking about a fashion designer’s dream palette. We continued our walk and in the middle of a conversation with one of our college students, I saw four grape size rocks about twenty five yards away. My vision is considered “okay” for age 46 but not good enough to single out those rocks at that size and distance. As we approached, the rocks were actually eggs for a very small bird that has mastered the art of survival in a harsh and large animal-friendly environment. “Safari Steve” came from behind us and squatted down for a closer look. He explained the species of the bird that I don’t remember the name of and I said “Cool.” He then looked at me and said “Moise, how did you spot these eggs?” I replied “I don’t know. I can’t say that I really saw them and I definitely didn’t know they were eggs. But it was something about the pattern that caught my eye. It just didn’t look natural.” He shook his head and said “Wow, impressive.” Outwardly, I was smiling but on the inside I said “I just impressed a real Maasai Warrior… Yessir!”
Day 21
My goal, we leave no one behind. The thought of taking calls from angry college student’s parents was plenty of motivation. Our Kenya program director Roseanne gave us a great sendoff but she didn’t expect all the genuine hugs from students. That tear she was fighting back ended up winning and she too expressed her gratitude for the shared experience. As we were cruising back down the Nairobi Expressway, I could feel and see the familiar look of deflation and loss. I’ve experienced after such amazing and long trips. Without a thought, I announced “Right now, we are going through the “‘Leaving Kenya Blues” but that’s normal.’” Those slight smiles looking back at me in the rear view mirror were telling. “As you look out the window and listen to your favorite songs, the Kenya movie you created in your head is playing at a fast pace. One day, they will all fade. But, you will never and I mean NEVER forget this feeling so hold on to that forever.” I put my headphones back on and chose a fitting song for my mental movie. I decided to be as unoriginal as possible and settled on Toto “Out of Africa.” Hey, don’t judge. A classic is a classic.
