Africa trip report (many photos)

Jumbo all comrades and kamradkam)) On air PL-geographic. A month ago, lucky me to go on the black continent, particularly in Kenya and then in Tanzania on the glorious island of Zanzibar. Driving experience not convey words or photos of any vidyuhi ... this is unreal !!! But I still try)) So, drove ...
Around day we took a flight from Moscow to Nairobi with a connection in Doha, where we have a nice almost nothing zatarilis strong drinks.
And here we are in the capital city of Nairobi. I will not describe in detail the city, I will say that I am in Kenya more cities in the form in which we are accustomed to see them, did not meet ...))
In the morning we moved towards our first safari ... drove in two cars, the first 4-ro Russian the second peppers from Lithuania to 6 persons and one guide for two cars. The roads in Kenya is another story ... or rather it is even a road can not be called ... come 4:00 shaking of dust, we are wrapping in the window and absorb what he saw ... outside the window savannah, spring, everything is green and gaining color ... occasionally we slip here are Kenyan cities ...) ))))





After 4 and a half hours, our suffering ended and we were safely housed at the lodge, which is located near the Kilimanjaro ... quickly ate and rushed its first in Kenya safari ... My friends, if you are ever thinking of a safari is highly desirable to carry binoculars for Search interesting living creatures, the camera down with good optics and filters must not interfere ... I'm not big picture, but the experience tells me that the soap dish can not cope in the hopes assigned to them ...

Flower for YaPovok)))

Kilimanjaro was hidden away in a dense haze and clouds, enjoy the sunset ... we are predators in the evening did not see, except that big-eyed driver pointed to a small dot on the horizon, and with a view N.N.Drozdova said it was a cheetah ... we could only nod and complain about the lack of binoculars ...

Rest of the evening was devoted to malaria prevention by smudging the gastric tract wonderful juniper drink stockpiled in Doha ...)))



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The morning greeted us all the same haze ... lazily chewing bacon and scrambled eggs, we reasoned that probably should not have to shove here, as living creatures especially there was not observed, and the main beauty was hidden from us behind the clouds ... and then once again glancing at screen porch, I stood with my mouth open ... in front of us, in all its glory appears Her Majesty Kilimanjaro ...



Then we waited for an 8-hour drive ... we were heading to the next stop at the park with a freshwater lake, to see the great hypo)))
On the way, we've got minisafari))

elephant with lyboy))



Mom fine))



ostriches ... also a fine))



headache Moscow drivers))



medic savanna))



even nurses))



And so we arrived at the Naivasha ... It was close to sunset, so our water adventure lasted only an hour and a half ... wearing spaszhYlety we boarded the boat and went to a meeting with the glorious gipOpOtUtAmi))))

in truth, I did not think that they are ogroOmnye ...



we photographed them from fifteen meters, because, as the classic stsYkotno ...



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Tigra how to edit the beginning of the topic ... I'm talking about foty?



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on the islands we met here a remarkable trio))



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handsome ...



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seemed giraffes ... we came closer and stood about 20 meters from the shore ...



nothing, as they say, no signs ...)))
and then ... between our boat and the shore with a deafening snort emerged hypo ...
what to say ... we kaknuli and pisnuli time ... our guide Kenyan turned into a white man brother and frantically wound up the motor to move to a safe distance ... and hypo meanwhile, plunged back into the water ... (Sori for the quality, photo made in the heat of passion)))) < br />


pelicans ...



From the Big Lakes African Rift Lake Naivasha is situated on the very high altitude - 1880 m above sea level - and covers an area of ​​about 170 square meters. km. Naivasha - fresh-water lake of volcanic origin. At the beginning of the last century it is completely dry, but a few years later refilled due to rain. Now the area of ​​the lake from time to time varies depending on the rainy season.



That came to an end of the second full day of our stay in Kenya under the impression ... we went to the lodge, located about 5 km from the lake, in order to have dinner, take medicinal drops for health and lay down to sleep ...))
He handed us the keys to the house, the administrator has warned that it is now dark, and when we go out to dinner, you must call by phone protection. The fact is, he said that the lodge is surrounded by only one side, the other side goes to the park with the animals is also not far from the lake, so that the visits of the animals here commonplace, and hypo are not uncommon here.
Our temporary shelter turned out sooo much even anything ... especially pleased panaramnym glazed veranda overlooking the park ...

view from the park (Twilight)



veranda ...



polukrugomom houses located in the center of the park, which goes to the lake daaaleko ...
Having dealt with the things that we have decided to relax a little before dinner, and poured himself at 20 grams, which is located on the porch ... dark, the park was illuminated only by three spotlights and here, as in the cinema began to emerge from the local fauna ... first came three gazelki and began peacefully pinching pot near the houses, and then tightened giraffes ... and all this with us))) Unfortunately photograph this idyll could not ... flash is not dobivatsya ...
A little drunk and sober reasoning, we decided that about Hypo here certainly bent, in order to encourage tourists and did not call protection ... moved for dinner ... arrived without incident, a delicious supper with local house wine and zasobiralis way back ... had come with a security guard who followed us like a shadow in the middle of the road, he waved his arms and began to bulge your eyes and build some rzhachnye faces, probably malaria, we thought, and went on ... but he vehemently pointed in the direction of the park, and waved his arms, made their way between houses and embarked on edge of the park ... in the weak glare of the spotlight was hypo ...
Up in the morning, we were treated to a magic potion looked at the animals, walking next to our attics ...

morning, our chamber's))



In the morning we left the hospitable roof and went to the National Park Masai Mara ...
The wealth of fauna from the Masai Mara can be compared only to the Tanzanian Serengeti and Ngorongoro reserves. The reserve is home to about 80 species of mammals and over 450 species of birds.
In the language of Mao (the Maasai) "Mara" means "spotted". Indeed, when viewed from the air, it looks plain spotty because rarely standing small trees. And once a year during the migration season (July to September) Mara rolling plains are the black stripes of the movement of huge masses of ungulates from the south, from the neighboring Serengeti spaces. This grand spectacle during the great migration in the country moved about 2 million wildebeest, 200,000 zebra, 500,000 gazelles Thompson and other herbivores, which relentlessly accompany predators: lions, leopards, cheetahs, African Wild Dog ... and vultures - hyena vultures, jackals, marabou. During migration season, predators in the reserve is much easier to see, they become fat, lazy and often sit back in the sun.
Masai, who transferred 20% of the fees from the park, live outside the reserve. These people are nomadic herders managed to preserve their traditions and culture. You can visit maniattu - Maasai village. This is very interesting: it is possible to make great pictures, visit a traditional dwelling, archery and even get it as a gift, if you like the owners. In general, white men - welcomed guests to the Maasai village. The fact that the cows for the Maasai - the same thing that the money for the white people. And when the Masaai girl marries, the groom's family pays the bride's family a ransom ... cows. No cows - no wife. A lighter skin than women, the more cows for her produce. That is why white men - welcomed guests to the Maasai village.
Masai Mara National Park - a unique place. Here one does not threaten anyone. A life and death are in the proportions that are set from the beginning by nature. Maybe that's why everything here seem happy: both people and animals. ©

It blackbirds blackbirds ... know that poluuuuchat piiii, and so black we live, and here they are ...



Crowned crane ...



Some "neptitstsa»)))



Marabou and vultures at work ...



rodstvennichki ...))



somewhere bursting giraffes ... we counted heads 40 to ...))



running giraffe - a fascinating spectacle, a feeling that you look slow motion ...
especially in a hurry this))))



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Who is there? )))



and here and Pumbaa))) shy nimble Pts assholes ... it was hard to photograph ...



Ushastik))))



lone elephant ... dumb thing ...



sly, Alla you with what area? Mabila have to tinkle?



Gopnik sight of the buffalo, we drove briskly pulled into the thick of things ...
to roll among the flocks of goals in 500, we went in search of predators.



and predators themselves, and not hide ...)))



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and a little zhEsti ...



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head of the family ate so that he could not say "kysh»)))



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During one of his trips to the Masai Mara reserve guide suggested visiting Masai village. It is necessary to chip 2,000 shillings from the nose (about 27 dead prezedent), otherwise they will not let the Masai in their homes - that was a prerequisite trip voiced our course we have agreed ...
Brief infa from internet:
"Under the pressure of civilization in Africa is smaller tribes that have managed to preserve their culture, identity and ancient way of life. One of these tribes - the Maasai. The Maasai are the most beautiful among the aborigines of eastern Africa. Tall, muscular, with expressive faces, the Masai believe that they are favorites of the gods and to other inhabitants of Africa are quite contemptuous.

Masai is perhaps one of the most colorful tribe of East Africa. They roam freely on the savannah from place to place, from country to country, in spite of the customs rules and national boundaries. Over the centuries, unlike the Masai Luo, Kikuyu and other tribes were able to preserve ancient customs and way of life that existed for centuries their ancestors.
According to one version, the Masai come from areas of Upper Nile, ie Upper Egypt, which was located between the lands of modern Sudan and Eritrea. The inhabitants of those places Maasai women borrowed the custom of shaving the hair on his head and tear the two lower front teeth. Probably the Romans conquered most of North Africa, the Maasai men have adopted short swords, sandals and togas of red cloth.
Masai people consider themselves to be the highest in Africa. They do not relate to the case of the lower tribes - Luo, Kikuyu, or some sort of newly arrived Europeans. Since ancient times, they respect only those tribes, which could give them a decent resistance.
They live at the expense of livestock. They do not know agriculture or crafts, but are confident that the Supreme God Ang gave them all the animals in the world. And because the theft of cattle from other tribes for the Maasai - a common occurrence.
In the parking time they build homes, obmazyvaya round frame made of branches with manure. These cabins have no windows, and the center is located inside, next to the bed of the skins of animals. These houses are built mostly women. They're in transition, when there is no pack animals carried on the backs of simple belongings and skeletons of huts.
Around the village in which they live is usually five to seven families, the Masai build a fence of six or thorns - kraal to protect themselves from attacks by lions, leopards or hyenas. Eat Maasai milk or animal blood. Meat - in exceptional cases. In times of famine, they pierced the carotid artery cows short boom and drink still warm blood. After that obscure the wound fresh manure to use an animal again.
Starting from 3 years of their children graze cattle, and in the age of 7-8 years they pierced earlobes splinter horn. Then expand the hole pieces of wood. Over time, heavy jewelry of beads or beads retard the lobes to the shoulders. And the more Masaya drawn earlobes, the more beautiful and respected.
The number of wives a man-Masai depends on the size of his herd. Wives should be enough to take care of all animals and children, fetching water and wood for the fireplace. This is probably why women live much less than their husbands, who, as warriors in times of peace, spend days talking and wandering the savannah ... »©

Sign up for all of the above, except for the use of blood ... he did not see, I will not lie ... and the Masai this modestly)) I'd add that the Masai can marry only after 25 years, until that time, he is considered a warrior, and is obliged to protect the village, girls can marry from 13 years ..))) If a lion or other predator attacks the cow or a goat, the Masai gather his megabandoy, track down the offender and wet ... wet, as far as I understand, with the help of arrows, spears and sticks, For nikakova Drugova weapons I have not seen.

Masai men at work))))



Kindergarten ... these bugs apparently still quite small, though about the same we've seen in the savanna, grazing goats ...



After the greetings of the Maasai men mug people's initiative, we performed a war dance with a guttural howling gykanem and ... generally left quite nice and melodic. Yes, we also had the great honor to participate in this enchanting action, we enthusiastically jumped and howled so as not to shame the great power that we represent in this matinee. This part was shot on video, so no pictures, zvinyayte, and the video is not for the faint of heart.
Then, as usually happens after the dance, the men decided to compete hammering sorry ... to find out who lengths so shozh such shorter decided to find out who is the coolest zhOnih. To do this, all rise in a semicircle and a rollicking song come out one by one in the center and start to get someone to jump ... jump higher, and that women ...



they do not really jump Hilo ...



Naturally Masai want to compete with the guests ... a representative of the Lithuanian public, weighing a kilogram that way for 110 with his performance drove to the paint legendary countrymen of Kaunas Zalgiris ... but here on the scene we came))) After our performance, all members of the local community feel the need to step up and shake hands with us, quietly tambourine himself - this is a photo muzhikiiiii our performance too, will not spread, so as not to create not a healthy excitement among the ladies ...))

Then we were invited to the village itself ... each family living in the village, his entrance in the fence, just beyond the fence of thorns are placed at home, lined up they, like the fence around the circle ... then comes another fence that encloses a large circle inside the village . The circle drive the cattle at night.

Brides)))



Dance of the bride ... as you can see there has not been without our participation ... mom so famously sang a song and annealed in a dance that neighbor stared at her, trying to understand why this masayka does not look like they are)))



Little beauties Maasai closeups ... if you look closely, the majority of Maasai missing lower front teeth - is a tribute to tradition. In ancient times, the Maasai have been spread any infection from which they drove the jaw and they could not eat here in this hole them and fed-watered ...



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shpanenok)))



one)))



that is the house of the Maasai? I will say this, a bunch of twigs, plastered with a mixture of cow dung and red clay ... no windows, instead of the door - hole)) there is an impenetrable darkness and all the smoke from the smoldering coals.
The house is divided into several parts!
1. zagonchik for sheep, calves at night and take kids to the house so they do not drink mother's milk.
2 children, there is a bed for the kids flooring
3. living room - the center of the house, there is the hearth where continuously smoldering embers
4. adult bedroom ...

DomeG



and here is how it looks inside the ...
long-range plan - children, our children studying in kitchen, close to our living room with fireplace)))))))



Bedroom adults - hostess considering the strange people who pay money for something to go in this mansion ...



apparently this dressing ...



hospitable host presses lybu and already is, tomorrow it explode on the market and loot white morons buy a couple of goats to make ransom for the new wife)))



steadfastly held out in the smoke until the end of the story, we flew from this penthouse, zatarilis souvenirs, warm farewell and departed to collect little things ...))




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