Jambo from the Maasai Mara!!
June 21, 2024
Our first full day in the Maasai Mara began with us sleeping in and having a late breakfast. After breakfast, we had 30 minutes to chill and then we started on our hike up the small (but steep) mountain which was right behind our tents. The extra sleep was definitely crucial in helping us keep up with the Maasai pace! After about an hour of hiking, we made it to the top. The incredible view of the Maasai Mara Reserve made the steep hike worth it. After lunch, we had a few hours to chill and then started our soccer game against the Maasai warriors. We started off with a quick 5-2 lead with Willy, William, and Sarah all scoring goals. The Maasai came back and were up 9-7. Our whole team was gassed but we came together and rallied for a 10-9 victory! Wells scored the last 2 goals and we all had an amazing time. We then helped out the cooks in the kitchen and learned about the main ingredients the Maasai use in their food. Ella took the lead cutting up the veggies and Mackenzie was on the fruit. We ended the night by dancing around the fire and Loren Jane and Katie taught the Maasai cotton eyed joe!
Our next morning, we woke up early for some breakfast and headed over to the village. Upon arrival, we were greeted with some songs and dancing! The boys were even invited to jump with the warriors. After some singing and dancing, we then all gathered around and learned how to make some beaded bracelets! Reynolds seemed to make everyone laugh including some of the kids in the village with her bracelet making technique!
We were then shown how the women of the Maasai village makes the traditional dish of Ugali! Ella and Sarah each took turns in the hut stirring, which was quite the task due to the smoke from the fire filling the hut! Once it was finished, we were able to enjoy the dish with a glass of milk! Our next task was everyone’s favorite…. They lined us all up and gave us each some cow poop to cover the cracks on one of the Maasai huts. Even though no one wanted to do it initially, we were all glad when we did. Frances even was applauded for he technique! Finally, we got out our cash and attended the village’s market. The boys all bought awesome knives and everyone got some super cool stuff to bring back home, so be on the lookout! When we got back to our tents, we ate lunch and then got ready for another game of soccer. Bram and John were the stars of this game. Even though the warriors beat up on us pretty bad, they gave us the option of next goal wins. Wells came in clutch again and won us the game. We had a chill afternoon and spent another night dancing with the Maasai. The boys taught them a wave dance while the girls did the cotton eyed Joe once again. These have definitely been some of our groups favorite nights!
After a good night’s rest with some hyena sounds in the distance throughout the night, everyone came to breakfast eager to talk about what they heard! We then loaded up the safari cars and headed back to Nairobi to finish our night off with one last meal before saying our final goodbyes. We cannot thank you all enough for allowing us to spend these last few weeks with each of your kids. Each one of them has been so special to get to know and we could not have been more lucky.
All of the kids are now officially headed home from Kenya!
With love,
Willy and Mollie
Good Morning from Maasai Mara!
June 18, 2024
After spending another night at Wildebeest Eco Camp, the group split up into two safari cars and headed for Ol Pejeta! The drive gave the group a perfect opportunity to see Kenya. The 4 hours through the beautiful countryside and the big cities flew by, and before we knew it, we arrived at Ol Pejeta Conservancy! Right from the entrance we could see Zebras and Gazelles in a vast field. We knew right away we were in for a special few days while driving through the conservancy to our camp. When the kids got settled in, we headed out for our first game drive! The fields were filled with Zebras, Buffalos, Gazelles and Impalas all with a mountainous backdrop. Only 30 minutes in, we saw our first lioness! We spent lots of time observing it and Reynolds convinced the drivers to get within 10 feet! Later on we saw some giraffes which were Frances’ favorite. We had a delicious dinner after, and got to sleep in after the long day.
We all woke up to eat some breakfast and then walked a few minutes down the road to the Ol Pejeta office. There, the group learned about the past, current, and future plans of the conservancy. We learned about the conservancies’s work with neighboring communities and why Ol Pejeta, and similar conservancies, are so important. We then went on a community visit and met the mellow mushroom guy. Sarah and Mollie loved his puppies! He taught the group how he makes clay and uses it to craft energy saving cookstoves! Willy and Ella even used their feet to help him make some clay. We had some chicken and fries for lunch and headed back to our camp. In between meals, we played a competitive game of spoons. After an amazing pasta dinner, we went on our night safari! We immediately saw a family of elephants and the nighttime setting made it even more special. During the drive, we also saw Jackals, Hyenas, Cape Buffalos, and plenty of cool birds. After, we had a hilarious moon up and got to bed early.
The following morning the group was filled with excitement. We were headed to see the last two northern white rhinos in the world. Upon getting there, we realized we’d have to work for our opportunity first… The guide educated us on the rhinos and handed the boys some shovels and the girls some wheelbarrows. We spent the next hour cleaning out poop and hay from the northern white rhino’s exhibit. As our reward, we got to feed the blind black rhino Baraka! Katie even got to feed him two carrots! We then got in the car and drove to observe the northern whites. It was a special moment for us all knowing the importance of the creatures in front of us. We headed back to camp for lunch and then went out for a group favorite activity, lion tracking. After being briefed on the technology being used, we set out in safari cars with tracking devices for the lions. Mackenzie was the first to try the device out and within 10 minutes we were hearing beeps, meaning we were getting close. The beeping got louder and louder and before we knew it, we came across two lionesses seemingly eyeing their next meal. They were unsuccessful in their hunt, but it was nonetheless an unforgettable experience and it left the whole group giddy. After, the group contributed to the ecological monitoring team by filling out a report on our observation of the collared lions. We had a break before dinner and had a great night.
The next morning we all woke up a bit earlier and got ready to leave from Ol Pejeta. We packed up and went on our last activity, a field visit to the livestock section. Most of the group wasn’t super excited for this…, but it ended up being an incredibly intimate and mind blowing experience for us all! We got to see a big part of how Ol Pejeta helps feed neighboring communities. Once we finished with the livestock, we got in our two cars and started the long drive to Lake Naivasha. The ride was filled with views of huge mountains and close looks into local lives. We stocked up on some snacks on the way as well. Once we got there, we all sat on a tree over looking the incredible lake and talked. Wells had some of his snacks stolen by the monkeys that were all over camp carnellys. We had an amazing dinner at the restaurant and decided to take a night off from Moonup to let everyone get some rest.
The next morning we got packed and went on another lengthy car ride. After the 4 hours, mostly spent napping, we arrived at Oseki Maasai Mara Camp. The workers here were extremely friendly and welcomed us with open arms. We went on a Masaii nature walk soon after arriving and learned a lot about Masaii trees, animals, medicines, and other ways of life. We also learned how to throw spears and shoot bow and arrows and even had a competition. William had the best form in the spear throwing and Bram had the furthest arrow shot almost beating the real Masaii warrior. We then got a chance to climb a tree where John got up the highest. We headed back to our tents and had dinner soon after. We then had a great Moonup talking about crazy stories we had experienced. Loren Jane’s blew everyone away! We are so excited for our last few days we have ahead with this special group!
Here’s some special messages from all of the kids:
Bram: Hey guys I will see you in 3 days I’m having a great time here. I just wanted to say thank you for letting me go on this trip and paying for it. Love y’all so much and I will see you soon.
John: Hey guys I’ve had a great time here and like no other trip I’ve ever been on. Thank y’all so much for letting me come. Love y’all so much and see y’all very soon.
Wells: Hey guys this trip so far has been unbelievable! I miss y’all so much and can’t wait to see y’all when I get back. I can’t wait to tell y’all about the trip when I get back. Once again thank y’all so much for this opportunity for this trip it was something special. I love y’all so much.
William: thank you guys so much for letting me go on this trip. It has been pretty fun.
Ella: Hey! I’m having such a fun time. Thank you so much for letting me come on this trip. It has been unforgettable. Miss and love you.
Sarah: Hey guys Im having so much fun here! Thank you for giving me this opportunity. My time here has been eye opening. Love y’all.
Frances: thank y’all so much for giving me this opportunity. I love y’all so much… See you soon.
Mackenzie: Hey y’all, having a great time. Thank you so much for this opportunity. See you so soon
Katie: Hey I miss y’all so much and I can’t wait to come home and see y’all. This trip has been so eye opening and it was exactly what I needed. Thank you so much for allowing me to come here!! See y’all soon love y’all
LJ: This trip has been so amazing and I could not be more grateful for this opportunity! Thank you so so much I miss you and can’t wait to see you soon! I love you more!!!
Reynolds: Hey y’all thank you so much for letting me have this amazing experience. Can’t wait to see y’all and share about everything!
Nitakuona hivi karibuni!
Willy and Mollie
Jambo from Africa!
June 12, 2024
We all successfully made it to Nairobi, and ate a late dinner provided by the Wildebeest Eco Camp. We saw a monkey at dinner and it made everyone’s night. We ended the night with some much needed sleep before we jetted off to Zanzibar!
Before we left for Zanzibar, Willy, Bram, William, John, Ella, and Sarah all went on a successful “Monkey Hunt” around camp! We then loaded up into the safari cars and made our way into the city to the airport! Our group was finally complete when Reynolds and Mollie were able to meet us at the airport! Once through security, we played some ‘Uno’ to pass the time and before we knew it we were all walking out to load up onto our plane. Our flight was filled with amazing views of the Kenya countryside and even the top of Mount Kilimanjaro!
Once we landed, we met our amazing guide, Saif, and hopped on the bus to our hotel! He is a fan favorite, that is for sure! We ran into a pick-up truck with a couple of locals on the back who played some music for us all to enjoy while in traffic! Frances, Mackenzie, Loren Jane, and Katie kept us all entertained with their a-cappella version of Hakuna Matata.
Once we arrived, we had a yummy dinner and got settled before ending the night with a crab hunt. Frances led our group with the most caught crabs! We even found a one legged crab!
The next day was our diving training pool day! Our LODs Bram and Reynolds helped get everyone going for our first official breakfast in Zanzibar, right off the beach! Frances, Mackenzie, and Mollie went on the boat for a fun dive while the rest began their first pool day dives! We saw some blue spotted stingrays, an eel, and lots of colorful fish! Once everyone finished their pool dives, we all came back together and ended the night with a competitive game of soccer and some volleyball! Safe to say, this group is enjoying our time together on the beach!
The next day was our first real dive as a group. We all were able to join each other on the same boat and experience the Indian Ocean! Ella loved all of the fresh fruit and hot tea that we all were treated to after our first ocean dive! After lunch, we spent the afternoon on a spice tour, learning about all of the spices on Zanzibar! William has earned himself the name of the best photographer of our trip, as his pictures capture the moments perfectly!
We ended the night with a walk through the market in a local village. Many of the kids have said this was one of their favorite experiences we have had so far! It was an intimate look into the lives of the locals in Zanzibar. Our LODs, Katie and John made us all laugh to end our night with their elaborate stories.
We then spent the next morning on the boat all together for two more dives! Willy, William, LJ, Frances, Mackenzie, and John played a couple rounds of wavelength! It’s been so fun to watch our group come together! We then ended the night with a sunset boat ride, along with some local live drum music and dancing! Mackenzie and Sarah even joined in on the fun and before we knew it, we were all dancing! LJ and William then led us in a fun moon up, where we all got to hear about everyone’s takeaways from Zanzibar!
It has been a really rewarding few days and we now have a group full of certified divers! Ella even saw a crocodile fish on our final “fun dive” of the trip! Our last night in Zanzibar was really special! We went into Stone Town and toured the East African Slave Trade Museum! We walked around looking at all of the beautiful architecture, markets, and even did a little shopping. Wells bargained his way into two bracelets for the price of one! We then ended the night with a delicious sunset dinner on a rooftop overlooking all of Zanzibar! Our last day in this beach paradise was bitter sweet, but the kids were able to sleep in and enjoy one last lunch by the beach. We played a silly game of “3 on a couch” where we all got to learn new fun facts about one another and test out our storytelling skills before heading to the airport!
After an afternoon filled with traveling, we have made it back to Kenya and are headed out for Ol Pajeta Conservancy tomorrow morning! Our group is filled with excitement for what lies ahead!
Till next time!
Mollie and Willy
Shoutouts:
Wells: This trip for only so far being a week has really opened my eyes on how grateful I should be for everything u have and not to take anything for granted. I love y’all so much and also happy early fathers day dad. Tell Sally and Baker I said hey. Love y’all 🧑🏿❤️🧑🏿🧑🏿❤️🧑🏿🧑🏿❤️🧑🏿🧑🏿❤️🧑🏿🧑🏿❤️🧑🏿🧑🏿❤️🧑🏿🧑🏿❤️🧑🏿🧑🏿❤️🧑🏿🧑🏿❤️🧑🏿🧑🏿❤️🧑🏿
William: Thank you guys for sending me and paying for this trip it’s has actually been a great experience. Happy early Father’s Day to you dad I love you and I look up to you and you are my rock. Hopefully the rest of the trip will be awesome and tell my sister that I hope she had a good time with general Shelton. 🇰🇪🤑💵🅿️🐘
Frances: Hey fam doing so good in Africa. I miss y’all so much and hope that y’all have the pantry stocked when I return. Happy early Father’s Day dad I love you and hope you have a peaceful day. ☮️✌️🕊️
MacKenzie: Hello all, I miss you so much. We are having a great time in Africa!! Fran and LJ say hey, and they miss y’all so much. Happy Father’s and birthday Daddy; I hope we can exchange words of wisdom upon return ♾️. See y’all soon, and keep it classic. 🪬✌️♾️🩵
Katie: Hey guys I miss you guys so much! I can’t wait to see y’all I hope Jack had a good time at TCU and has a good bday and happy fathers day dad, and James I hope Tennessee was good. Mom I hope the interns are going well and I ate all the snacks you packed (so thanks that was a good call). But it’s so fun I am having the best time ever and the people are really nice I really like them were on the way back to Kenya from Zanzibar now I am so tan!!!. Love y’all so much. Love Katie ❤️❤️
Bram: Hey guys I miss you so much! I hope y’all are having fun with Gigi. Thank you so much for sending me on this trip. I just got my scuba certification and it was so fun. I saw so many animals and new ones I have never seen. And the food here was amazing. Now I’m heading to Kenya. I will tell you all about it when I come home. Sorry I’m going to miss fathers day but happy Father’s Day. Love you guys so much and I’ll call you on your birthday mama. Love yall❤️🅿️❤️🅿️.
John: Hey guys I miss all of y’all so much and love yall. We are leaving Zanzibar right now and we had so much fun. I have made friends with all of the people on the trip and they are all really cool. Happy Father’s Day dad and read my card that I wrote you. Mom I hope you are getting bored at home without me. George hope you are having a good summer and hope your job doesn’t suck. Also, tell Finley that I miss her. Love all of y’all
Loren Jane: Hey y’all I am having the best time in Africa but I miss you so much!!! Mom, I hope camp is going awesome (I know it is) and tell all the Hollymont girls I miss them and can’t wait to be there soon! I’m so excited to tell y’all about everything- this has really been a once in a lifetime experience. I have made such amaaazing friends and have learned so much. I hope you’re not too bored without me and we’ll compare our tans when I get back❤️❤️Love y’all so much!! Roll tide.
Ella: Hey! I’m having so much fun! Miss you guys so much. Thank you for giving me this amazing opportunity. Can’t wait to tell y’all all about it. Tell Toby I miss her. Love you. Hakuna Matata. 💗💗
Sarah: Jambo father I hope you are well. You’ve been in my thoughts. I am having such a joyous time on my excursions in Zanzibar. Matter of fact I got scuba certified? Give los perros y el Gato attention please. I am looking forward to sleeping in my bed again. Love yall.
Reynolds: Hey Mom and Dad I finally made it to Kenya after a day late but I am having so much fun in Africa🦧 I miss y’all so so much and looking forward to seeing y’all ! Tell Winslow, Crawford and Sara I said hey and I can’t wait to see yall! Dad happy Father’s Day, I look up to you everyday and love you endlessly! Can’t wait to have bojangles on the way home! This trip has showed how grateful I really am.
Safe arrival in Nairobi!
June 6, 2024
Hello Kenya + Zanzibar Families!
All students have landed safely in Nairobi and the group is headed to their first activity! The trip is off to a great start and we can’t wait to share more updates from their adventure.
-Moondance HQ
