Safari

Learned from Paul Theroux that safari in Swahili just means “journey.”  When you drive to work in a way you’re on safari.

Learned from a guide that “mara” as in Masai Mara National Park means “spotted,” like spotted with thorn trees.

One thing we saw:  a mother cheetah had killed an impala, minutes or so before.  The mother cheetah crouched over the dead impala.  Waiting.  Scanning.  Watching.  She probably waited twenty minutes before she ripped into her breakfast.  She’d expended a lot of energy, she was spent.  And what if somebody else smelled the blood and came along to get in on it (and maybe you in the process)?  I wondered if this pause before eating is at all connected to the idea of saying grace before meals.  Primal need to have a pause and a lookaround before tucking in?

Then she chirped, and, eventually, found her six cubs and brought them over.  You feel sad for the gazelle but to see the six cubs playing around and licking blood onto their faces is… cute?