NAROK is the funnel through which almost all road transport enters the Mara. It's the last place to get fuel, a cold drink or almost anything for over 100km before you enter the reserve. First impressions aren't encouraging. Afrikano , on the left as you enter from the east, is a tourist trap of the first order, charging exorbitant prices for curios, food and drinks. In the same vein, over the road, a brassy atmosphere pervades the Kobil service station and snack bar which, being the first petrol station on the way into town, waylays most of the minibuses with its big-game cut-outs, reticulated sunshades and cluster of souvenir shops selling very expensive Maasai paraphernalia (the same stuff is half the price in Nairobi). If you need petrol, the Total station on the far side of town is cheaper and less hassly. When buying petrol, watch the pump counter carefully. If you're hitching , the Kobil station is probably the best point to wait and ask. If the direct approach doesn't appeal (there'll be plenty of refusals), try the bridge over the Engare Narok River on the west side of town.

 

Petrol rip-offs, tourist bazaars and touts aside, Narok is actually quite a lively little place, full of Maasai out shopping or doing business at the market. There's also the small but perfectly formed Narok Maa Cultural Museum (daily 9am-6pm; PO Box 868 Narok; provisional tel 0305/22095; Ksh200), on the right as you come in, which is an excellent introduction to the Maasai (and Samburu) way of life. The walls have a fascinating collection of photographs taken by Maasai women, using disposable cameras given to them for the project, depicting important parts of their daily lives, such as water carrying, milking cattle, and raising children. Considering that it was the first time that any of the women had ever held a camera, the compositions are extraordinarily well judged. The captions, too, are great: "This photo is showing a bad thing. The women have to carry the heavy water containers all the way. They have to walk for 30km to get water from the wells, because there is no dam in the neighbourhood of their enkang " and "This man is milking a cow that has just given birth. Normally I should have done that. It is uncommon for men to milk - they only do it when there are no women around." There are also black-and-white portraits of Maasai taken by Joy Adamson in 1951, as well as helpfully labelled everyday and magical artefacts (look out for the ovine chastity belt, used when there's not much grazing, which puts a solid leather barrier between the ram and his desire). For researchers, there's a storage room containing many more artefacts, though it isn't officially open to the public. There are advanced plans to move the museum to a purpose-built site over on the west side of the river, which may include a campsite.