3 hour bus journey to the Masai Mara today. On our way we stopped to pick up food for the next 5 days. Absolutely loved going through the market- so many colours and smells. Managed to haggle to get the food within our budget- it's amazing how much prices seem to go up when they see musungu!

Driving into the Masai Mara was a massive experience in itself, driving off-road to the village was terrifying, my knuckles were white!

Arrived to the campsite to be greeted by the most amazing sound, the Masai men were performing a welcoming dance- it was so surreal, by far the most emotional and fantastic thing I have experienced so far.

We stripped down our bags and got rid of anything unnecessary and put up our tents in the campsite. We then visited the Masai village where we again were welcomed into the village through song but this time by the Masai women. Apparently it is custom to be greeted by the women before you are allowed through the thorn wall into the village, again so emotional especially when the girls of the group were invited to join the women in their song.

We were then shown around the village by our Masai guide Sumat who told us that it was the women who made the houses which were made from cow dung and lasted for 15 years, whilst the men were away farming!

Our 1st day of trekking started with a "shower" Masai style which involved boys and girls splitting up and bathing in a small hot spring which looked like a pond- I did feel that I may have smelt worse after our bath but the experience of bathing whilst the sun came up out of this world. Once clean we gathered our belongings and tents and began our trek through the Masai Mara which tribesmen as our guides. Surreal.

Throughout the trek we have set up camp in a different place every night after at least a 16k trek each day. I must admit the first few days have been tough, getting used to the weight of the bag and the heat, (the sun cream is being used liberally!) but I have to keep pinching myself when looking around at the scenery and the tribesmen carrying our food in their colourful robes.

Morale at some points (usually before lunch) has dropped slightly but without a doubt the people and children when walking through villages has lifted our spirits massively. The Children run towards you shouting "Musungu! Musungu!" and grabbing hold of your hands to walk with you for a little while.

The evenings have been even more of an experience from watching the Masai in their warrior training involving throwing their deathly clubs at one another dodge ball style to arm wrestling and generally trying to "out-man" each other with the tribesmen proved that despite their culture, they really aren't that different to our men at home!

During the last few days of the trek we have crossed quite a few rivers, (I even washed my hair in one of them- cue green hair for the rest of the trip) and walked though some outstanding countryside- sometimes it's hard to believe we are in Africa- not what I expected at all! The last day of the trek was by far the hardest although it was the shortest. We had to climb down a rocky gorge using sticks that thankfully the Masai had made for us from tree branches. I can't tell you how miserable I must have looked after about the 7th time id slipped over! Arriving to the campsite to be picked up was a blissful sight albeit an emotional one when leaving the Masai and our guides behind ready to trek back to their village.

Easily this trek with the Masai has been a once in a lifetime experience.