Mara in the Mara

Often when I introduce myself in Kenya, people ask me how I got my name. 'Mara' is a common word in many of the country's languages. It is also the name of a river that flows through Kenya and Tanzania, and the namesake of the popular Maasai Mara reserve. I just had the chance to visit the Maasai Mara, so now I can finally tell people that when they ask me about my name!

My parents just came to visit me for ten days, arriving in Nairobi on the 11th of May. I loved showing them around the city, and introducing them to my friends and colleagues. One highlight was when we visited a friend of mine from OAIC who lives with his family in Kibera, one of Africa's largest slums. I had been to Kibera once before, accompanying a social worker to do home visits to women in her support group. Yet it was an entirely different experience to visit someone I know very well, and the hospitality his family showed us (as well as the huge meal that they prepared) was very touching.

We also visited Nairobi's Giraffe Centre where we fed the giraffes, and it was amazing to see the beautiful animals up close and personal after having only seen them behind fences in zoos or in photographs. While in Nairobi we had several meals around town, both in people's homes and at restaurants, and of course had to visit a number of museums like many tourists do.

With Daniel in Kibera slum, Nairobi

Giraffe Centre, Nairobi

A few days after my parents arrived, we left Nairobi and headed southwest for the Maasai Mara! We flew there, which in itself was a new experience. Our plane was a ten passenger propeller plane with one pilot and no crew members. Thankfully it was a smooth flight, even when we landed at our safari lodge's dirt airstrip in the middle of an open field.

My parents and I stayed at a tented camp/lodge called "Kichwa Tembo" (meaning Elephant's Head in Kiswahili.) During our time there, we enjoyed the luxurious accommodations that included delicious food and comfortable safari "tent" rooms. Since arriving here last September, I have not really experienced the luxurious side of the country. Yet during our safari, I decided to just enjoy this different experience of Kenya for our two night stay.

We had an excellent guide named Sophie, who was one of only four female park guides in the entire Maasai Mara reserve. With her help we saw all of the so-called 'Big 5' (lion, leopard, cape buffalo, black rhino, and elephant) as well as many others.

Cheetah mother with 3 cubs

Sophie driving us through a pond that was blocking our path

Elephant herd with tiny baby

A stork eating a frog

Maasai Giraffe

The breathtakingly beautiful animals and landscape of the Maasai Mara really made it clear to me why tourists from around the world flock to the place in droves. The majority of people working in camps like "Kichwa Tembo" are Maasai, and they depend upon the tourism for their livelihoods. Unfortunately the recent post election violence in Kenya combined with the world-wide economic down-turn has severely impacted the tourism industry in Kenya, and the Maasai Mara was no exception. Things are looking up again now that more tourists feel safe and enthusiastic about coming to Kenya. Yet I question exactly how much of the revenue from Kenya's tourism goes to local communities, or whether it just falls into the hands of the fortunate few. Maybe this is my Anthropology of Tourism course background speaking, but it is an important question to ask all the same.

My parents flew home to the US a few days ago, and my life is getting back to its usual routine now that they're gone. We had a great time together, and I loved showing them around the city and country where I've lived for the better part of a year. Now I have only 2 months left, but having just visited the Mara for the first time, I realize that there are still many places I have yet to see and experience here before I go!