Walking Safari and a Visit to a Village

We started the day early.  Today we had planned to do a walking safari and visit a local Massai village.

The walking safari was very cool as it felt totally different when we saw the animals.

We were escorted by a Massai warrior and an armed guard from another village and we had to sign a waiver.  Perhaps it is more dangerous than it felt.

The bones of an animal are quickly eaten by hyenas, bugs, larvae until there is nothing left.

This is a temporary pen for cattle when a Massai brings them into the area to graze and needs to store them overnight.

This is a termite mound.  The chimney (hole) moderates the temperature.

There was a volcano long ago so all the rocks look volcanic.

Armadillo hole.  They are nocturnal so we didn't get to see one.

Cattle

Then we went to a small circular grouping of houses called a Boma.  We didn't know what to expect.  Most of the people have never gone to school and do not speak English.  The Massai people are known for maintaining their culture.  The homes have no electricity or running water.  It was quite a startling visit given the sharp contrast in culture.  As soon as they came out to greet us they were dancing and chanting.  They were all very nice but it was very startling.

Then they grabbed Jen to dance with them.

We were told repeatedly that Massai do not hunt, which is why the safari areas are in areas that they inhabit.  However in the boma, our local guide told us the ostrich feathers are from an ostrich that the man killed and each warrior got his status by killing a lion (they do so after circumcision and before getting married)--it is tough to know who to believe.  They also said they kill small animals for food.  They do raise cattle which probably reduces the hunting for Massai significantly.  I don't think there is a written history.  They have no calendar and do not know the date they were born.

Then they had me jump with them.  The women choose to marry the one that jumps the highest.

The man to my left was very aggressive grunting at Jen and me.  His job is to protect the village so perhaps he was making his presence known.

His name is David and he was our guide.  Most Massai are Christian so they have a Christian name and a Massai name.  He spoke perfect English.  He is saving to go to Medical School to help his village.  We have been exchanging emails.  I was shocked when he said he had an email address given there are no phones.

Seeing the children was horrifying.  They seem happy and healthy but they are covered in flys probably because they are dirty from playing and there is no bathroom other than the river 1KM away to clean up.  The old woman watches them during the day.  She, I think, is their grandmother.

They then showed how they create a small hot coal to make fire in each home.  It was amazingly fast an efficient with just two pieces of wood.

These pictures are disturbing and we took out the ones where the child had even more flies on her face.

This is David's mom's house.  Women continue to live with their mom until they get married.  When they turn 9 they get a separate bedroom.

The homes are very simple.  They are made out of buffalo dung.

They lock their calves behind the metal door at night in case a lion gets into their house as they sometimes do.  We have been told before that lions do not see people as food and will not attack unless to defend themselves.

Kitchen.

They carry water from 1KM away.

They had a little shop outside with crazy high prices ($25 for small bowl) but we bought stuff.

Overall the village was upsetting.  Something has gone terribly wrong when children who are not homeless are covered in flies.  I want to befriend David over email to get to the point where I can tell him I think he does not need to go to medical school to help his village, that there is some basic things he can do to improve their life.

We saw a baby buffalo that had been born likely 20 minutes prior; you could still see the afterbirth.

Then we saw a cheetah.

Sitting giraffes.

Baboons.

The cheetah was still not doing anything.

Lots of buffalos.

This one is feeding.

Another cheetah.

Then we saw lions on top of a hill about 100 meters from our camp.

We drove to the top of the hill to enjoy our sundowner drinks right next to them.  They did not seem to mind at all.  Apparently they grew up with cars near by.

That's the camp right behind them.

Overall a very eye-opening day.