A little solitude, a few curious peacocks and three days of doing absolutely nothing at Mara Maisha.
“Why are you sitting alone?”
Someone asked me this while I was on a trip to Mara Maisha.
I found the question rather interesting. Why wouldn't I be sitting alone? Had I missed a memo somewhere that travelling meant you had to be in constant conversation with someone? Was there a minimum number of people required to enjoy a chair? I know introverts right now are nodding their heads in agreement .... but the extroverted side of me would ask you that question and annoy you!
I was perfectly happy where I was.
There is something quite beautiful about sitting alone, especially when you are somewhere that gives you very little reason to get up.
Mara Maisha is one of those places. It has a rather unhurried personality. Peacocks wander about with the sort of confidence usually reserved for people who own property. Ostriches go about their business, ducks seem to have formed their own little social circles, and every now and then, zebras and antelopes make an appearance. You might even hear a lion roar somewhere in the distance, a gentle reminder that while you are enjoying your peaceful afternoon, somebody out there is having a considerably less peaceful day.
The whole place is wonderfully chilled. Beautiful gardens, open spaces, wildlife drifting in and out of view, and an atmosphere that doesn't seem particularly interested in rushing you anywhere.
Even the tents seem to understand the assignment. They reflect the surrounding landscape, giving you that lovely feeling of being immersed in the wilderness without having to negotiate with the wilderness directly. There is a certain comfort in knowing that you can enjoy the bush, hear its sounds and still have a proper bed to return to. One day, not today, we will have to address those swan towels on hotel beds. The ones that sit beak to beak, kissing or just gazing into each other’s eyes.
Over the next two nights and three days, you will leave behind a small trail of evidence that someone has been thoroughly enjoying themselves. Dirty towels on the bathroom floor, an unmade bed with sheets tossed in every direction, half-empty cups of tea by the bedside. And if you are anything like me, you will try to retain some dignity by folding the clothes and leaving them on the ottoman (Do you know its use btw? I was travelling alone, don't judge!) and yet, a pillow always somehow finds its way to the floor.
