You're quietly floating just above the ground, sometimes 200 feet, sometimes 50 feet, sometimes 5 feet and all the while you're able to observe the wildlife on the ground without so much as a second glance from the creatures below. The first balloon in our three-pack saw the big five (lion, leopard, cheetah, rhino, buffalo) during our ride - I'll put it into perspective for those of you not completely in awe about their sightings - that was the third time it's happened in 35 years. So yeah...it's kind of a big deal. Our balloon saw tons of great stuff, including a lion roaring to scare off about 15 hyena from his kill. It was so cool to see this lion emerge from an overgrown area and then to see all the hyena scatter back to a bigger perimeter. So that was a nice $400 trip that I didn't spend a dime on. :)We saw a fresh cheetah kill where three males had taken down a waterbuck and were proceeding to devour every piece of meat except his stomach. The vultures waited patiently in the background. We went to a Masai Village to see the "local culture". The village chief spoke to us and welcomed us while wearing his "I love Jesus" hat. No joke. Phil had a special treat planned for the big wig from the company (he's also Phil's longtime client). Phil had the local guys do a special-only-for-Masai blessing for the main man in charge. The Masai bled a cow in front of us to create their staple sustenance for long days out with the cattle - a mixture of blood and milk. Then they gave the gourd to the head man to drink - he took three big gulps without so much as a second thought. They then brought him and his wife forward in front of three elders sitting on little stools. The elders then took moonshine and spat on the heads and feet of the boss and his wife as all the other people from the company looked on in horror and amazement. It was a VERY special ceremony.
That evening around the camp fire, the partners gave the head guy a special gift for all his guidance and service. In his "acceptance speech" he eloquently, thoughtfully and humbly taught us all a lesson. He said that in their line of work - management consulting in the middle east - it's very important to remember where other people are coming from and to keep culture in mind. He said that earlier in the day, not only was he spat upon, but he had to sit and watch his wife get spat upon. And while it was the biggest insult to him and his wife, it was the highest honor for the Masai people. I've clearly not even begun to touch on how well he brought it all full circle, but it was an incredible speech.~EKY V.
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