We got up this morning at 6 a.m., a far cry from 5 a.m. yesterday then we ate a hearty breakfast before going with Alfred at 7 a.m. to a Masai village on the eastern side of the crater rim.
We were slowed by a lorrie driver who hogged the road, driving in the middle of it so the jeeps couldn't pass until finally one of the drivers - at an opportune time when the lorrie had to stop because there was an oncoming jeep - ran ahead and spoke to the driver, and it wasn't much longer that the driver FINALLY pulled over to let us pass.
We got to the village about 9:30 a.m. The bouncing and bumping were a little too much today, probably because we've had so much of it that it seems so fatiguing but we knew it wasn't going to be all day.
Mauru met us, greeted us and welcomed us to his family's compound then we walked through a gulley back up to where he and his brothers lived. Each of the wives have their own manyattas (homes) where the husband stays, rotating among his wives.
Anywho, the first place we went was into the cattle pen to meet Mauru's some 175 Braham cattle that were enclosed in a traditional wood pen. He explained how they use the cattle, how they brand them so everyone knows the owner and who herds/shepherds them (Mauru herds his cattle except he sent his older son - probably about 12 years old - to herd because he wanted to stay with us.
Then we headed to the goat pen! I was so excited because I love goats, and there were probably about 50 goats in the pen including many baby goats. As he was explaining the goats, some of them escaped but the children quickly herded them back into the pen.
Mauru's children greeted us before we visited the cattle and goats. Albert advised us about the culturally appropriate way to greet them. The children approached us with their heads down to show respect, and we were to place our hand on their heads to show respect and sort of bless them. The words we used to greet the men and women were different, and they would respond differently (we're talking Masai now, not Swahili).
The children followed us around, and after we visited the cattle and goats, they were very curious. I felt someone touching my camera, which was over my shoulder, so I took it and photographed the children. They were interested in seeing their photos. I have to say that it wasn't until I was preparing the photos for posting that I realized that one of the children had put a finger on the lens so that's what you see on the left side of the photo is the smear he left.
Some of the other children were interested in Beth's glasses and her glass case with a large orange clip.
Mauru then took us inside his manyatta, Masai for home. It took a while for our eyes to adjust because there are no windows and no light. The structure is made from wooden sticks, cow dung and mud. The roof is thatched with reeds, and he described how they do it so it is rainproof. There are two compartments for sleeping (one for the husband, the other for the wife and her children). There is a large area onto which the compartments open and where the fire is located. There are some small food storage compartments but then there is a compartment to the left of the entrance in which the baby cows are secured at night and to the right, there is a similar compartment where the baby goats are secured. That way, they are protected from any predators.
They sleep on cow hides, on the dirt floor.
I've got to say, it's very comfortable. It's warm in winter and cool in summer. I could probably stay there for a while except for sleeping on the ground.
We stayed in the manyatta for quite a bit while Mauru explained a lot of things to us: the procedure for men becoming heroes (the circumcision I explained previously), what tasks women are responsible for completing (finding and hauling firewood, hauling water, hauling grass, taking care of the children, cooking, wash - yep, the "traditional" division of labor - I digress).
He also explained the procedure for getting married. The first wife is an arranged marriage by the parents but the second wife is of your choosing or perhaps your first wife might choose a friend. Of course, more wives mean more children, which means labor for the many tasks. He said the marriage ceremony was a day-long party, 24 hours.
We then went to view a manyatta that was being built for his brother's wife. While there, Mauru and Baracka (his brother) and a friend showed us how they make fire. It's simple - a hardwood stick, generating friction in a softwood. It didn't take them long to achieve a fire.
When we emerged, two women (one of whom was Mauru's mother) were sitting and making jewelry so we joined them and watched them bead. Beth got to bend the wire around the beads, and then she bought an awesome pair of earrings.
After her purchase, the women got up and lead us around to the side of the cattle pen where the entire compound - or so we thought - were there. The women had laid out everything they had to sell but there was no hard sell like in the other places we've visited (the touristy spots) but they and the children all hung back and watched, I guess to see whose stuff we would buy. I got some photos but we also purchased a set of salad servers with zebra handles and a little blue beaded basket. Then Mauru's mother gifted each of us. I got a blue beaded necklace, Beth got a beaded bracelet, and Alfred got a beaded collar.
It was one of the highlights of the trip - meeting Masai people, being welcomed into their homes and informed about their culture.
The remainder of the day was ours. We shared lunch with Alfred, then he helped me identify the birds I've photographed, I uploaded the three blogs I had prepared, and we sat by the pool for the remainder of the day until happy hour and supper.
We fly for an hour tomorrow to the Serengeti mobile camp. We should arrive there before lunch. We suspect another safari might be in the offing for tomorrow afternoon.
In the manyatta learning about Masai culture. From left is Mauru's brother, his mother, Mauru and Alfred, our guide (who also is Masai).
A Masai woman making jewelry. I didn't get her relationship to Mauru.
The men showing us how they. make fire.
Mauru explaining all things goats. He's pointing to a goat condom (it's a shield to keep the goat from breeding. :)
Mauru telling us how a manyatta is constructed. This particular manyatt is for his brother's wife.
Success in getting a fire started.
Some of Mauru's children, who were very curious about my camera.
This is just a portion of the merchandise the Masai women laid out for us to consider purchasing.
This is just a portion of the many people in the compound who watched us as we perused what the women had to offer.
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