September, 2017
A Glimpse into the magic of Maasai Mara
To the green spirit lying deep down in the heart, just a trivial mention of the wilderness of Africa, invokes a gush of emotions, sprouting and pouring out through imagination. For a person like me, whose sole purpose of living is found in the forests, Africa and moreso Kenya is unarguably, a home away from home. Maasai Mara, Africa’s most diverse and possibly the world’s top Safari big game viewing eco system had always been on the top of the charts since forever. This much awaited desire of visiting this dream destination came true finally in the month of September which was luckily the best time to visit Mara too.
My fervent journey to the whimsical kingdom of Maasai Mara started off with comforting glimpses of the clouds and the sun kissed skies, through the windows of many airplanes. It was from Chennai to Mumbai and Mumbai to Nairobi. The Maasai Mara is a 6 hour journey from the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi. The journey contains busy roads with haphazardly walking people, anxious to reach their destinations. While on the other hand, once we hit the outskirts, we experienced a remote silence, the sounds of the winds gently hitting our faces, the birds chirping, the quiet. There was a sudden moment where we felt aloof from everything else in the world. The sense of oneness with the wonderous wilderness of Mother Earth. That moment is when it dawned upon us that we have reached the majestic paradise, Maasai Mara.
The journey to Mara was one of the most treasured journeys so far. The contrast between the shinny yet scattered world outside and the unsung softness in the greens is what the journey held. It taughtme how life works, in mere 6 hours. This dissimilarity is what attracted us into our journey in the wild. The fact that it was my Father, my superhero, accompanying me through all the adventures we were about to embark in the course of this journey, made me feel like a kid again, up on my toes, waiting to witness the wonders. Having had a brilliant start to the journey, we couldn’t ask for more. Then it all truly began. We set foot in the welcoming gates of Maasai Mara, like infants, hoping to learn everything from the greatest teacher the world has ever seen, Nature.
Walking into the vast area of the Mara, sprawling its wings to over of 1,510 square km or 583 square miles, there was a peculiar sense of comfort we experienced. The trees, the smell of the mud, the endless expanses of greens seem to have their own charm which adds to the entire ecosystem. For, the Maasai Mara is just a miniature version of the greater Serengeti-Mara ecosystem. Every aspect of Mara seems to have their own anecdote to add, in which Nature is undeniably the unbeaten hero. Through our walks in the jungle, it was the stillness which captured my attention. The Mara is buzzing with all kinds of sounds. The birds chirping their morning songs, the bees with their signature buzz, the pride of lions, growling and roaring from afar, the footsteps of the elephants approaching. Yet, there is silence prevailing predominantly. This is the beauty of nature. If you merely hear, you find no amusement at all. Only when you listen keenly, can you rejoice every ounce of happiness, offered right at where you are.
Carrying this glee provided by the greens forward, on the first couple of days, we got the opportunity to witness and capture the frequent guests of the National park, including the pride of lions, the Cheetahs, the Hyenas and some well-known species of birds. Considering the Maasai Mara is illustrious for being a happy habitat to 1,300,000 wildebeest, 500,000 Thomson's gazelles, 97,000 Topi, 18,000 elands, 200,000 zebras,470 species of birds and the Great Migration, we knew we had a lot of blessed moments to wait for in this venture. The third day was the most eventful of all days, If I may add. That is when all the magic happened.
The third day began earlier than the other days at 4.30am, in the anticipation of capturing the promising sunrise with the skies filled with brassy orange rays subtly touching ourhearts, as a symbolism that the day is filled with optimism. The Maasai Mara is renowned for its golden sun rays which enriches the photo quality of the sightings. The golden rays, paired with the Canon 7D mark 2 and a Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM lens is every photographers dream come true. With the sunlight adding the much needed affect and the high end camera adding in the perspective, every picture is a masterpiece. It is on the third day we were blessed to witness the GREAT MIGRATION.
The great migration is an umbrella term for the migration of Africa’s most exotic beasts like the Zebra, Thomson's gazelle, and wildebeest back and forth the Serengeti every year. The Gnus as called by the local Maasai tribes or the Wildebeests, brought with them a million other companions. Tens of thousands of beasts, royally paraded through our path in their quest for a fresh green pasture. It was mid afternoon and hence they grazed with contentment and no stress of the predator. With each beast walking past us with the utmost grace and with great discipline,there arrives a dilemma weather to just gaze into the bold eyes of these beasts, seen nowhere else but here, or quickly grab the cameras and capture the perfect shot.
The joy of being there during the Great Migration is just an out of the world feeling that no word of the highest honours can describe. To just be a part of this inter twining eco system, to realise that we too are a small segment of it, is worth every second of life. All this made me realise how I am just a tiny drop in the enormous ocean called Nature. It feels like the beasts silently yet graciously added purpose to our lives. It is plain astonishing as to how these animals just unconsciously touch our lives, the depth of which is unexplainable.
The only thing that can come just close to what we experienced, is the picture, where it highlights the duality of nature and its contrasting dimensions. The vivid distinctions seem to yell at the divergence in life generally, of light and dark, of life and death and of every distortion between the reality and our perception of the same. The black and white filter spreads the uniformity the wildlife stands for, and feels unclear simultaneously. It all seems blur and yet somehow we can grasp each of these beasts making a strong statement at us. This mixed emotions and the deep connectivity with Mara is what makes it what it is today. All in all, the journey to Maasai Mara was the most reassuring ventures I have had, from where I walked out as a wiser person.
Maasai Mara, where everything is heart crafted to perfection.
