We were lucky to spot two cheetahs snoozing in the morning sun, probably after eating their fill during the night. The wildebeests just beyond them seemed to sense that their bellies were full and that there was no eminent danger. There is a large concentration of elephants in Amboseli National Park, and we saw a lot of them. They are really interesting to watch.
After the game drive, we went back to the safety of the electric fencing around the lodge for a bush breakfast, complete with champagne. A Maasai tribesman was there to chase the monkeys away, but they still managed to swipe a few tidbits from the buffet table.
All of the Maasai we encountered on the trip were wearing shoes made of car tire tread. I asked one of them how long they lasted. He said that his were 10 years old, but he has to replace the straps about once a year.
After breakfast, we had some free time to rest and watch the monkeys patrol the area outside our room. A monkey even got inside one of the rooms and had people all fired up, but no damage was done.
At 3:30, we took the short ride to a Maasai village where we saw how they lived. There were 49 houses in the village. The men and women sang and danced for us - and with us! We went inside a house and went to their market place. The houses are made of cow dung. One room of the house was where baby goats and cows are kept so they can get special care. The flies inside the village were "thicker than flies." We visited the school where the children sang for us. Marsha and I gave them the school supplies we brought and made a small contribution to their building fund.
Actually, several people said that the village was depressing and they felt sorry for the children, but one must realize that this is their culture and their way of life. They don't know that there's any other way to live. They all seemed happy.
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