Beautiful, Archaic Maasai
Maasai
The Maasai people are (somewhat) indigenous to the Serengeti area, in Kenya and Tanzania (I think there are around a million in each country). What I knew about the Maasai prior to my trip is that they were pushed off their land, and I had the typical picture of them in my mind – dressed in bright red traditional clothing, holding a herding stick, and jumping (really high) in place. It was nice to learn more of their history and also get to meet and talk with them.
maasai dance… the colors…😍
Somewhere there is a video of me dancing/jumping with them and getting really tired, really fast😂 They wear these clothes all of the time… sooo beautiful. So, when you drive by a field with a Maasai herding cattle, this is their dress. It’s really striking.
In the early 1950’s, the British / Tanzanian governments established the Serengeti National Park, and as a part of that, forced the Maasai off of all national park land, which was their land. They were pushed to the area outside of the Serengeti and the other parks. Forced Migration. Politics. And a constant theme of my trip is how many countries have been shaped by the British or other European entities colonizing and screwing with the locals. Amazing amounts of bullshit, of course. Marko told us the Maasai got better land out of the deal, which, if you look at the Serengeti land, appears to make sense, but at the same time, they’re nomadic and were choosing to be there and farming there for a reason. I’m sure it was easier to rationalize because they are nomadic, but still I would classify it as forced migration. Don’t know.
Beautiful
Either way, establishing the national parks has preserved these amazing spaces of wildlife that are unlike any other place on earth, and I am thankful for that part. It’s also changed the Maasai’s way of living. Despite this, they keep their distinct dress and many customs / ways of life (for better or worse). We had a chance to visit a small Maasai village (called a boma) because one of the girls on the safari asked to do this extra excursion – and I’m so glad she did! They danced, sang, showed us how the ‘make fire’, and gave us a tour of their huts.
making fire
making fire… beautiful
making fire
bed inside hut – cattle skin blanket
They make the huts from sticks and use cow dung on the outside to waterproof.
They took our cameras and were snapping pics on their own😆…
double selfie
the ultimate selfie… beautiful
Some other notable Maasai cultural facts:
- Both men and women, WHEN THEY TURN 18, get ‘circumcised’ (can you imagine the pain??!!)
- Yes, female mutilation. The reason for it?… As our guide so eloquently described (this is a quote, pronunciation and all): “The Maasai men believe the clitori of women make them prostute, make them nocturnal.” He was trying to be funny, but it is also pretty much the reasoning the Maasai use………..
- Many men have more than one wife, but that is becoming less and less common
- Their farming tactics are a model for sustainability
- It’s a thing to drink cow blood
- Lots of ear piercings
- They wear sandals made from tires
Next up: The Serengeti and Big Five😻
Safari :: Tarangire National Park
Tanzania! Safari!
Absolutely wonderful and amazing Tanzania. The safari was everything I dreamed it would be and more! I was never the kid who sat inside and read books… In fact, I remember the struggle of my parents trying to get me to read ANYTHING. To try and get me to read more, they even bought me a Sport Illustrated subscription with the condition that I had to read every issue cover-to-cover (didn’t happen). I didn’t read because I played outside! So, for a tomboy who grew up in Kentucky kicking around the tobacco fields and woods, looking for wild animals, caves, and adventure to relieve boredom every day, a safari in Africa is The Best Thing I’ve Ever Done.
Give me animals… Give me the Wild… Give me The Outside, sky, a full palette of stars, endless plains, strange trees, big birds, predators, prey, bugs, grass, sunrises…! Add to that the fact that it’s called “Game Hunting”, as our guide described, it is an actual game, where you are trying to find as much stuff as possible when you’re driving through the parks (think: Duck Hunt – meets – Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego – meets – Animal Crossing)… And it’s absolutely 100% The Lion King movie, which I must re-watch for the first time in 20 years as soon as possible. I mean, why haven’t I done this sooner!?
I was in a group with four other people, a Guide (who also drives), and a cook. I was lucky to have four really fun, cool people to be on the safari with😃 In this pop-top Land Rover:
big rig
cook, Jared + guide, Marko
I hadn’t heard of Tarangire before I was researching safaris in Tanzania, but it ended up being my favorite place I saw, with regards to the landscape. Green, rolling hills, and utterly beautiful.
this close
It is Galapagos-esque, in that the animals (especially the big ones) aren’t really afraid of the vehicles/people. There is no off-roading, and no getting out of the vehicle, for obvious reasons (except when Guide needs to pee..?). So, you have to keep your eyes peeled for animals hiding in the grass and trees nearby the road. It’s hit-or-miss: if the animals happen to be close to the road, then you get to see them, but if they happen to not be, then better luck next time. Tarangire was full of giraffes, elephants and impalas, some baboons. I was really impressed with the giraffes… they’re huge but also so graceful and beautiful against the backdrop of the field and sky.
baboons
baboon eating fruit from sausage tree😂
I couldn’t wait to see the baobab trees, with their enormous trunks and mysterious design. Each one is a work of art.
baobab tree!
The “Big Five” of the animal kingdom are: Lion, Rhino, Elephant, African Buffalo, and Leopard. The Big Five signifies the five most difficult animals in Africa to hunt and kill on foot. Ultimately, we saw all of the Big Five, every one up close and personal, except for the rhino (which, since I got an on-foot surprise sighting of an Indian Rhino in Nepal, I didn’t really mind). The Indian Rhino is in the ‘vulnerable’ threatened conservation category, so probably the rarest animal I’ve ever seen in the wild. On the first day of the safari, we saw one of the Big Five: elephants.
That night, we camped near Lake Manyara, at a campsite that is by the River of Mosquitoes……………. yeah, it’s actually nicknamed that. What a great place to stick people in tents and fight out the night. Actually it wasn’t that bad. After I spent 30 minutes searching and killing the ones I found with my flashlight inside, I had one mosquito infiltrate my tent, an it didn’t cause too many problems.
And the next morning, we got a nice breakfast and were tanked up for the day of game driving and heading into the SERENGETI! OH JOY😍
field + livestock + Maasai
Next up: Serengeti and Meeting the Maasai
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