More on the Masai

I have been thinking about how interesting the Masai are and thought you may like to know a little more. As I think I told you in the last post they greet visitors with a dance. It's quite exuberant. The men jump as high as they can from a standing position. All the man want to jump high. This is to enable them to see a lion from far off. Young boys have to kill a lion as a sort of rite of passage. I think they are about 10 when they do this.

The women are very colorful with beaded necklaces and earrings. Many have holes in their ear lobes that hang down quite far. At first I thought they just wear the jewelry when they are celebrating but I have seen them come out of the bush or they are doing their work and they have it on. They are simply clothed like the men with a red cloth wrap. Sometimes it's red and purple. No dilemma on what to wear each day! They have plain sandals. Some of the men have sandals that are made from car tires. I'm sure they last a long time. They have no vehicles and walk everywhere.

Before we entered the compound a prayer of welcome was prayed over us. Not sure what or who they believe in.

Once inside their compound they showed us how they start a fire. They used a stick, some loose leaves or brush and donkey dung. By applying friction with the stick against a wooden beam they quickly started a fire.

Our Masai guide took us into his hut. At first I couldn't see a thing. We were led to the bedroom and sat on what felt like cow hide strung between posts. Our guide explained about their huts, how they keep in warmth and keep out heat. There are only tiny slits for air, hence the dark. He further explained that they are polygamous. The man decides on which wife to spend the night with and then non verbally communicates his choice by placing a stool outside her hut.

In the next room we were shown where the woman cooks. It's over an open fire with very little space for the release of smoke. They eat only meat, drink blood and milk. Doesn't sound appealing but I did not see any obese Masai.

As we left the hut I heard a small baby crying somewhere in the recesses. Can't imagine how you care for an infant in the dark.

At the end of our tour they took us by their handicraft market but we have been so inundated with requests to buy we declined this time.