Visiting Maasai Village

 The Maasai tribes live near the wild parks and reserves and have distinct customs and dress, so they are pretty famous in Africa. They never condoned the traffic of human beings and stood against slavery. Outsiders looking for people to enslave avoided the Maasai.

Traveling out past the boarders of the park we saw lots of cool animals. The Maasai use their cattle as status and money. Their lifestyle is centered around the cattle. They are considered rich and of high status if they have lots of cattle and lots of children.

We were greeted and absorbed into a big line dance

We came into their village compound (after paying $20 each - half for the village, half for the school)

They danced and sang for us, then showed us how to dance with them

The two ladies I danced with

The men showed us how they made fire with rubbing sticks between their hands, igniting tiny grass balls, then twigs. They made the fire that they could take into their homes when needed.

They laid a steel knife down, then a piece of board with shallow round holes that they would put this long straight stick in and quickly rub between their hands. Three different men spun the stick before it caught fire and they caught fire to the little dry pile of grass.

These homes look small but you step down inside and they are actually over Jeffrey's head size.

The ladies we danced with sat in a big circle with all of their goods to sell on blankets. We were expected to go around and buy things. The men who spoke English would negotiate with us.

I bought six bowls because it was expected that we would buy. Life is hard for the Maasai, but they looked happy.