Part 3
We had to be up early on Friday to catch our flight out from the Loldia Naivasha airstrip which is about a two hours drive away from camp. The first part of the drive was done on the same roads we used a day earlier to get to the lake. We then turned right and went off-roading. I’ve never experienced such a violent drive in my life. It was bumpier than a camel’s back. Thankfully thought, it only lasted half an hour.
We arrived at the airstrip and waited for our plane to arrive. Our scheduled departure time of 10:15 came and went and there was still no plane in sight. We were in Africa after all, and thus the realization that the possibility of the plane not showing up at all was real and that we may be forced to develop alternative Plans for Shabbos.
Our fears evaporated when a few minutes later a gleaming airplane came in for a landing. Flying time would be twenty five minutes to the Masai Mara Oleski airstrip. It was nice to experience a plane making a special pickup just for you. The gate was locked, so we had to wait for the gate keeper who arrived by bike to open the airport.
Our gate
First class lounge
He loved his toy
Our ride
Check-in
Upon arrival in Masai Mara, we were greeted by our safari driver, Scentura, who would drive us the 45 minutes to the grounds of Encounter Mara where we will spend the duration of our trip. We chose this camp because of its location and size; there are only 10 tents. It sits in the Mara Naboisho conservancy. They only allow a select amount of people and vehicles visit a day in order to preserve the wildlife. This allows for the guides to get really up close to the animals and give you the best experience, whereas other safaris are simply congested with traffic. Additionally, the moment you leave the camp you are already in the wild. Some of the other options we looked at would have required a 25 minute drive just to exit their premises and reach the perimeter fence.
Our guide on the inside and spotter on the outside
After dropping off our things, we went out for an afternoon drive. We let our guide know that we needed to be back by 5:00, so our drive would a bit limited. We were pleasantly suprised by how much we would get to see. Our guide was exceptionally knowledgeable and had great skill in finding the animals.
Wildebeest
Buffalo
Lappet faced vulture
We let the staff know that we would not be able to go out on a drive the next day, but we happily took up on their offer to go out with an armed guard for a walking safari. They obviously steered us clear of any wildlife which wasn’t a bird. We learned a lot about the environment and the culture.
We gave them a pan of food to warm up before Shabbos. I even brought a bottle of wine with me which I totally though would break en route. They set up a table right outside our tent with a warm fire. There are no words to describe how amazing and beautiful our Shabbos was.
We met a very nice non Jewish family on Shabbos afternoon. They were very knowledgeable and knew a lot about Judaism from growing up and we spent many hours discussing various topics.
I am not yet done!