The Masaai

The warriors wear red to scare away lions. They stretch out their earlobes. They still live and dress traditionally. They live off blood mixed with milk and meat, sometimes corn. They are the only people allowed to kill lions (if they are attacking their herds). Killing a lion is like earning a degree. It's the ultimate in bravery. At night when you are sleeping outside with your herd you put your spear straight up into the air so when the lion jumps on you, the spear gets him first. I met a man who killed 2 lions this way. The woman is the one to choose the man she wants to "date" and the man can't say no. She chooses based on how high he can jump. Multiple wives are normal. Female circumcision is still practiced. And however many little scars you have on your upper arm is how brave you were when they were burning you with sticks when you were 14.

For about 30 dollars you can tour a Maasai village and take as many pictures as you want. The money goes toward school fees and I really wanted to take those pictures. It was totally worth the experience. The warriors welcomed us with a welcoming dance where they ran out yelping and grunting then formed a semi circle and switched off jumping in the center. When they jump, they move their head back and forth like a chicken. One little 2-year-old boy was jumping right along with them! We danced with them, jumping, holding hands, not knowing what the heck was going on. When they dance with the women, they also run at them, yelping and then flick their long fake braided hair on the women. Apparently the women like it. I didn't. Now that we had danced, we were Maasai and could enter the village.

The women greeted us with a song, always doing the same neck thing. They were gorgeous! Bright blue, orange, yellow, and red fabrics tied around their necks, beads everywhere, ear lobes stretched out and decorated with more beads. They wanted us to stand with them and sing with them. They are so beautiful with their black black skin and brilliantly colored clothes and beads. The contrast is captivating.

They made fire by rubbing a stick on wood (don't try this at home!) and gave us a tour of the two room mud houses; the fam sleeps in one and the calves sleep in the other. I must admit I was in heaven taking pictures of all the gorgeous people, especially the really old and wrinkly ones.

On the way out we met a herd of cattle on the road and were surrounded before we knew it. That was a throw back to my childhood on the Cox's ranch. For all I knew, I could have been in Texas at that moment. J