The Masai

Just outside of the gate to the Masai Mara is a village of Masai.  These are the natives of the area and they still maintain their lifestyle.  The shoulders of the men walking about ar wrapped with red blankets.  We were given a tour of the village.  The village was surrounded by a fence made of sticks.

The warriors of the village greetd us with a welcome dance, which involved lots of jumping and running around.  There were covered in beads and small metal discs that caught the light.

The women's welcome dance was less energetic and consisted of clapping hands and singing. Their ears are huge holes in them. The lobes were completely stretched out.

The warriors showd us how they start fires by rubbing sticks together.  I gave it a try, but wasn't as successful.

The houses are small and made of cow dung, they last 6 years.  They are very cozy on the inside.

The Masai eat only what they get from their cattle, milk, meat and blood.  There were no gardens because that would attract elephants.  When they want to marry they used to kill a lion to prove their strength. Killing lions is no longer allowed, so they pay a dowry of 10 cows.  It's a polygamist society, a man can buy as many wives as he pleases.  I imagine that would cause a lot of headache