My Little Log Book

  Banaste Dakila Gaja,  Barasa Ke Thare Asichi Raja, Asichi Raja lo Gheni Nua Saja Baja... so the old Odia folksong on Raja goes. The Raja festival is upon us. We know it and celebrate it as three days of fun, joy, celebrations, new clothes, home cooked pitha, preceded by days of shopping for new clothes and ingredients. The Raja festival  is the day of the year when the earth weeps tears of joy as its dry soil is drenched with the first monsoon rains.  It is during the time of Mithuna Sankranti, which is when the first rains of monsoon strike Odisha. There is also an allusion to the menstrual cycle of young girls of age in the festivities that occur during Raja. While girls have their periods every month, Mother Earth has hers every year. The festival is a tribute to mother Earth and she is given respite these days and not allowed to carry any burden. The traditional Odia family jobs of "kata", bata", "randha", "badha", "boha bahi" are spar...

Day 3 On our third day at Masai Mara, we woke up  to see two Hippos fighting, out of the water and a baby Hippo amongst them. The Hippos loved the water so much it was difficult to see them out of it. They are called "jalahasti" in Odia (translated to water elephants) for a reason, I guess.  Dik Diks (little deers) roamed around the camp leaving their traces in between and marking their territory! The robins, starlings and the swallows accompanied us as usual at breakfast. The chef Julius at the camp was a genius and provided us with amazingly well prepped meals every time. That required some commitment since we were the only guests at the resort as it was the middle of the week of an extremely lean rainy season. The rains ensured that the grass was long, which hindered game viewing. Cheetahs were harder to spot this time of the year. The staff wished us luck in spotting the elusive Rhinos and Cheetahs as we started on the third day of the drive.  The drive took us to the...

Day 2 Our second day at the Masai Mara was dedicated to a full-day game drive. Starlings, swallows, robins and even a couple of bats gave us company as we took our breakfast overlooking the river. With a packed lunch we were ready to spend the day out in the wilderness. We traversed different terrains, from open plains to riverine forests, looking out for the Mara's diverse wildlife. We were not disappointed.  Our first stop was the Masai village. We were treated to songs and dances by the villagers. The rhythmic tunes and dancing without the benefit of karaoke or tracks in full throated deep voices told of ancient tales of people at one with nature. They showed us how to make fire from flint, took us around the round of huts. the women of the village had speedily laid out colourful wares made of beads, clay, ivory, wood, leather for us to view or purchase. After the colourful interaction and a bit of shopping we continued with our game drive.  Next, we came across the showsto...