Day on top of a Landcruiser

What a day!!!  Some of the simple pleasures here in Kenya seem to make a day.    Today was the last for the Kansas State team and the plan was to visit the Masai to measure out the foundation for a school CTC is building when the second summer team arrives in early July.  The ride is a good hour south of Maai Mahiu toward Tanzania and the Masai Mara.  We were already overloaded with people, 10, in the SUV so it was time to jump on the roof rack.  Sorry Mom if your reading this :)  But what a treat.   The Mara where we were headed is filled with acacia trees, zebras, impalas and spring bucks.  The Masai are herdsmen so there are also constant herds of goat, sheep and cattle along our drive.  Often the boys herding are young, maybe 10-15 yrs.  What trust the elders have in these young men, since to a Masai a head of cattle is often more valuable than human life.  Here I am cruising along on the top of  a land cruiser through some of the most picturesque land I've ever seen.  Wind in my non hair and dust in my eyes actually made for a perfect Wednesday.   There was a point on the ride when a herd of zebra zoomed by due to the speed of the truck and I thought "Holy shit I'm in Africa and those are zebra".....  One of those out of body experiences through which Kenya living expresses itself.   Every so often we'd pass one of those young herds boys and they'd peer in the distance.  A look of amazement "Look at the crazy Mazungo (white man) on the TOP of a truck"....  To locals why would a Mazungo ever ride on the top when that is for those who have been pushed out do to lack of space.   And there I was throwing up a big wave and a smile.  The reaction was always the same..... A arm shot up with an excited wave back and an instant look of joy.  I guess  we really are  just the same in the end.  Happy to see each other even if one is herding and the other is being free.  Both free I guess.  The worst part of the trip was when I had to give up the ride due to police on the road who surely would have asked for a bribe as we were clearly breaking the law with a Mazungo on the roof.  Ah well to another day of Landcruiser surfing.