as
we approach the launch site in the
pre-dawn gloom, I’m downplaying
expectations. After all, it will be nice
to see the plains from above even if
there’s no wildlife. It has been my dream to balloon over the
Maasai Mara, looking down to see a herd of elephants or a lion
stalking its prey, and finally the day has arrived.
Our pilot is Vincent Dupuis, a larger-than-life Frenchman
who has ballooned all over the world (including Byron Bay) and
holds two world titles. His mastery of the craft is excellent and,
once we’re airborne, he almost immediately takes us down to
tree height to watch a black-backed jackal on the prowl.
“would you like to do a slalom through the giraffes?” Vincent
asks as we approach a group – the option looks like a distinct
possibility. The giraffes ignore us and graze unhindered.
My fantasy is realised: we fly over elephants that raise their
heads to watch us. In the distance, we see the ridge that marks the
finish line of the Great Migration. By now the wind has picked up
and we’ll soon need to land. we brace ourselves. As we’re bouncing
over grass and termite mounds, I discover an appreciation for the
shock-absorbing qualities of heavy wicker baskets.
The traditional champagne breakfast includes pancakes
cooked on an old balloon burner. As Vincent entertains us
with tales of ballooning over the ice of the North Magnetic Pole
another herd of elephants strolls past.
life everywhere
“Maasai simply means ‘my people’ and Mara means ‘land
of dots’,” Daniel, our Maasai driver, tells us. This simple
explanation brings our Kenya safari into sharp focus. He goes on
to explain that Maa Sai is the derivation, so his people prefer to
use the spelling Maasai, even though it’s often written without
the double-a.
After many visits to southern Africa, this is my first time in
East Africa. It’s surprising to discover just how different it is.
while many of the animals are familiar, the landscape is unique.
Open plains with a smattering of isolated acacia trees produce
a very dramatic and photogenic backdrop to the creatures that
live here.
The Maasai Mara is best known for the annual migration of
wildebeest and the predators that gather to feast on them. In
fact, the Mara, as it’s universally known, is much smaller than
the Serengeti across the border in Tanzania, so the migration is
concentrated here. It’s also the end of the trail: a ridge beyond
the reserve (the one we’d seen from the balloon) acts as a natural
barrier where the animals must turn south. The Mara River
crossing is crowded with death, destruction and photographers
in September each year, and is instantly recognisable from the
many images that appear in magazines all over the world.
“Do you see those lions lounging around in the rocks on
that hillside?” Daniel asks. “well, there are buffalo on the ridge
above.” He drives us over for a closer look at the confrontation.wINTER ISSUE 2018 87Elephants watch a
balloon overhead.