Maasai Village

We left Amboseli Saturday morning at 8:30 am to return to Nairobi. We opted to stop along the way to visit a Maasai village. When I was told we would need to pay 2,000 Kenyan shillings each to visit this village, I must admit this started the wheels turning in my jaded American mind. How authentic would it be? Turns out, it was the real deal, complete with fresh animal dung to step in and sufficient flies buzzing around to drive us to distraction.

The chief of this village, with about 115 inhabitants, spoke very good English. He is the one who gave us the tour. It started out with a native song/chant with both men and women doing a bit of jumping. The chief explained this was part of the ritual for young men and had something to do with scaring away lions. Or maybe it was evil spirits. I didn't have the pad and pen I was using to jot down travel notes and of course can't recall his exact words.

This is one of my favorite pics (seen below) because the Maasai woman is carrying the baby on her back. Plus it gives you a good view of the cattle and goat pen "walls" behind the gathering folks. In order to protect their highly valuable herd of goats and cattle, they keep the animals in the center of their little village at night. They use these bushes and limbs to build a barrier to keep the critters in the center of the huts that surround it. Then around the perimeter of the huts is another wall, of sorts, made from more branches. This protects everyone from animals like lions, cheetahs and hyenas that might harm them in the night. If you look closely, you can see the fresh piles of cow dung on the ground here in the animal pen where the native song/chant was performed.

The animals are herded out during the day to graze the adjacent land and be driven down to the nearest watering hole for a drink. There are no fences and so drivers have to constantly be on the lookout for Maasai, mostly men and boys, minding the animals as they herd them along the side of the road or move them across it. 

After this ended, we sat down with the tribe's medicine man, for lack of a better term, so he could explain the natural remedies he uses for his people. This is a skill passed down from father to son, generation after generation. I don't recall the uses for each item pictured below on the mat he spread out before us, but I do remember they were used to treat things like stomach aches, tooth aches and head aches. 

It's something I had a hard time processing, something I couldn't even imagine. Our senior was born with a tumor that required immediate medical intervention and there was absolutely nothing on this mat that would have helped her. We complain about the costs of prescriptions or how long we have to wait to see the doctor at the A&E (ER in the US). We refuse to go to our local hospital and will drive to a better facility in a different city because we want the best care our insurance and money can provide. There is no 911 to dial if you have a medical emergency. There is no car to take you to the hospital in a life or death situation. For all of our bitching and complaining about the faults in our first world medical system, we really are blessed beyond measure in comparison to these folks in Kenya. It was truly a count-your-blessings moment for me.

After the session about their homeopathic medicines, the chief told us that they don't have matches. Three of them then demonstrated to us how they use these simple materials in the pic above to create a fire. And they did so in about 2 minutes right before our eyes. The chief is the one in the middle and the medicine man is on the left. They explained to us that boys are taught this skill and it's their responsibility to start fires, when needed.

Next, the chief explained their huts, constructed of dung, mud and elephant grass over the course of about 2-3 weeks. There is just one entrance that curves around to the left to keep out rain in the wet season. Allowed to go inside and take a peek, it was very dark because there is only one small opening in the wall behind the fire (laid right on the dirt floor) in order to provide a place for the smoke to escape and let in a bit of light during the day.

Along the wall opposite the fire and the end opposite the entrance there were two small beds made of stretched cowhide and raised about a foot off the floor. The chief described how this is necessary to keep them safe from any crawling bugs or reptiles that might find their way into the hut. Plus it keeps them dry during rainy periods. We also learned that the Maasai are a polygamous society and men are allowed up to five wives. However, only the wealthiest of the tribesman can afford that many wives. The chief said each of his wives has her own hut and when he visits the wife, the children are sent to spend the night in one of the huts belonging to another of his wives. 

After this, we had a special treat and out of respect for the occasion I didn't ask about taking a picture. The chief's daughter had given birth just 14 hours before and we were granted permission to enter the hut where the baby was born and see the Maasai woman who serves as midwife holding the baby. It was swaddled in cloth, very peaceful and absolutely beautiful. No fetal monitor, no epidural, no emergency c-section as an option if something had gone wrong. Truly a gift from God.

Finally, our last stop on the tour was the Maasai version of a gift shop at the end before you head to the car park. The tribeswomen had spread out cloth on the ground and were displaying their handicrafts for sale. 

I brought way more than I should have and actually ended up leaving some things (extra shampoo, toothpaste, hand sanitizer and body spray) in our hotel room in Nairobi before departing for the airport the next afternoon in order to fit these items in my carry on sized suitcase.

If you look at the close-up above, you'll see the groups of book marks I bought, tied together with a length of dried grass. I'm thinking I probably have around 50-60 of them, created on strips of leather and hand decorated by the Maasai there in the village. Since I plan to return to teaching once we get back to Texas, I was thinking it would be a good way to share my touring experience in Kenya with my students.

It was interesting how I "checked out" of this Maasai gift shop. A group of men all gathered around while one of them wrote down all of the different things I had gathered up to purchase. It was all inventoried and even though it was in a language other than English, I imagine they were making sure all of the village artists/vendors would get their share. Nothing had a price on it and so I knew what was coming. It's common practice in most countries on the continent of Africa to haggle and agree upon prices. However, I didn't care what the expectations were. I had seen how they lived and my heart was touched, so I had every intention of paying whatever outrageous price was initially presented to me. I knew my money was going to a good cause.

After the impromptu accountant had recorded every item in a pad, the chief pondered for a minute and then scratched out the sum of 32,000 shillings in the red dirt just below the red cloth. To paraphrase him, he said that this is where we would start. He was taken aback when I immediately agreed to the sum. I asked him if he would take some British pounds because I was loathe to part with all of my remaining shillings since we still had more than 24 hrs in the country before leaving for England.

He asked me at least twice more if the price was acceptable and I assured him it was. I imagine he was probably thinking that I was a gullible rube and a disgrace to my husband with my total lack of bargaining skills. Or maybe he was grateful for my generosity. Whatever the case, I walked back to the safari mobile to collect my backpack in order to pay for our purchases. 

I didn't dig them a well so they would have a source of fresh water. I didn't bring them vaccines to protect them from disease. I didn't plant them crops so they could enjoy fresh vegetables to improve their nutrition. But I like to think that the amount I paid for my trinkets, a large sum to folks in such meagre circumstances, will go a long way towards an investment in more cattle or goats or anything else that will help improve their daily lives. And the first thing I did when I got home to England was go online and make a donation to Heifer International to help other people around the world just like the Maasai. You, too, can make a difference in the lives of truly needy people by clicking on the link below.

Heifer International

A Bored Housewife's Best Friend

Ollie just left for doggie daycare. The minute Michelle pulls into the driveway to pick him up for the ride to the center in the doggie daycare station wagon, he knows it. He starts barking and races to the front door, jumping straight up and down to the height of the door knob. The minute I swing open the door, he hauls butt to hop in and go for a ride with his doggie friends for a morning of play at the center. I need to record this scene that occurs every M-W-F morning.

This morning, it was in the upper 20s but has warmed up to 32 on its way to 34 for the high. Snowflakes are falling intermittently, but thankfully not sticking. Therefore, I put Mr. Man in his jumper (Brit speak for sweater) because the wind is blowing at gale force. 

It's just me in the big ol' king bed since the husband has been working at HQ in Texas for years. Oh wait, it has just felt like forever when it really started in December. So anyhoo, Ollie likes to come upstairs and hang out with me in the evenings when I'm reading the US news apps on my iPad. We keep a gate at the landing to limit his access since he tends to nibble on things he finds on the floor... socks, earrings, pencils. The senior's room is a treasure trove of her belongings seldom put back where they belong and thus fair game for canine thievery. When I do allow him upstairs, he hops up onto my bed and is typically well behaved. His favorite trick is to snuggle up under the covers with me.

Like most dogs, Ollie would shun dog food for people food. One of his favorite people treats is popcorn. The 6th grader enjoys microwave popcorn a few times a week as a snack. As soon as the timer on the microwave dings, Ollie goes into a dither, dancing and prancing around her feet looking for a handout. Here is a video of him performing a couple of his tricks for a bite or two.

Kenya's Amboseli National Park

We left Lake Nakuru at 7:30 Thursday morning and arrived at Amboseli at 3:00 in the afternoon.  We did stop once for lunch and a toilet break.  The lodge at Lake Nakuru had packed us a boxed meal. It included a baked piece of dark meat chicken and the 6th grader fed it to the resident cat that came over to meow and get some petting. Our spoiled American cat would have no doubt turned up her nose at the offering, but the African cat ate the whole thing, bones and all. I wasn't particularly hungry and so we incorporated what was left of the daughter's lunch with mine and gave it to the man who appeared to be the attendant at this roadside picnic area. It's an important lesson learned in Africa - nothing of worth should be carelessly tossed in the garbage or thoughtlessly wasted.

This resort was owned by the same parent company of the Mara Fig Tree where we stayed at the beginning of our tour. It was nice, but due to the topography we had little shade and thus it seemed much hotter to us. However, I couldn't complain about the accommodations or amenities - really lovely.

Below you'll see three exterior pics of our fancy schmancy tent.  

We took the pics of our tent from on high when we ascended the center lookout tower of the open air dining room to get a better view of the surrounding area and Mt. Kilimanjaro.

This resort is only four years old and it was very nice. We were pleased it included an oscillating fan in the tent because it did get pretty warm in the middle of the day with the ever present African sun beating down on it. The sixth grader was very displeased with the lizard critters that liked to sunbathe on the tent railings and exterior sides of the tent near the door - way too close for her comfort and produced a lot of shuddering and shooing and arm flapping to try and scare them away.

Below are the views from our tent. The resort very cleverly created two watering holes just beyond the electric perimeter fence so we could watch critters come up for a drink. Unfortunately, all we saw were elephants one evening.

Since we were hot and dusty upon arrival, the daughter decided to go for a swim.  It was lovely, though there weren't any umbrellas and so the employee manning the bar moved my sun lounger beneath a nearby tree for some shade. And that's how I got bombed with bright green bird poop on my shirt while reading my Kindle.

Our daily ritual of game drives continued bright and early the next morning, right around sunrise. I guess I wouldn't ever get tired of this sight.

Its top shrouded in clouds the day before, we finally got a good view of Mt. Kilimanjaro. It's just across the border in neighboring Tanzania.

The game wasn't as plentiful in Amboseli, but this is definitely the place to visit if you're mad for elephants. It was the only time I kinda felt ill at ease, when a really large male did this ear flapping move, stomped his feet and acted as if he was going to approach our safari mobile. A bit of a you-looking-at-me moment when I would have responded "No, sir!" and averted my face. David, our safari guide, cranked up the vehicle and was ready to haul butt away from the threatening pachyderm when he knocked off with the bluster after proving his point - he was the big man in the game park.

The pic above isn't one of my better shots and probably shouldn't have made the cut for the blog, but we sat and watched three elephants play around in a small pond for about 15 minutes. It was some distance away from the road, which we were unable to leave due to the park rules, and so we had to use our binoculars and zoom on the camera to fully appreciate it. Our guide pointed out what appeared to be a rock nearby, but it was really a lone hippo watching their antics. 

The crested something-or-other birds, seen below, were hilarious. The male bird danced around the female while she studiously ignored his come hither routine. My favorite was this butt in the air move he did. Maybe she gave him her number after that stunt.

There were several times during our photo safari when I did my cheesy American asking a goofy question shtick. Usually it involved something I've watched on TV about Africa. I've seen faux termite mounds in zoos - see Houston's really nice example below. I was expecting something really impressive, so the ones we saw in the park were a bit of a letdown. Of course, they were still bigger than the largest fire ant mound I've ever seen back home in Texas and so who am I to complain. Maybe these Amboseli mounds are home to the underachievers and slackers of the termite world. 

We saw baboons again, in a low lying rather green area of the park where the rangers have homes and there is another lodge for tourists. This fellow below cracked me up, checking out his foot.

We were enjoying the fence sitters, above, until the older one on the left used his perch as a toilet and did a big poo.

I love the contemplative aspect of the shot above, with the baboon perched atop the crude water tank. Do you think he's trying to figure out how to get a drink?

And I had to try and snap a shot of the moving target below, a momma baboon with her baby clutching her stomach as she walks through the grass.

After learning at Lake Nakuru that a darker coat on a giraffe means it's older, we were looking for a granny or grampy giraffe at Amboseli. This is the darkest one we spotted on our game drives.

On our final game drive in Amboseli, I took two pics. The first is of a bleached animal skull. We saw quite a few bright white bones strewn across the grasses alongside the road, including vertebrae and leg bones in addition to skulls. They weren't placed there to enhance the ambience or make it more realistic. It was a reminder to us that the whole Lion King, Circle of Life theme is on display all over Africa.   

Last, but not least, is one of my pics of several different dirt devils we saw on our afternoon game drives. David told us they are common in this area.

While the Cat's Away

In this case, cat refers to the girls and so that makes me the rat.  Figures.

Later this month, the senior heads to Paris for a long weekend with her humanities class. That same weekend, the sixth grader heads to Seville with her Spanish class. I figured out they would both be gone at the same time just recently and decided it couldn't hurt to take a little trip of my own, some place I've never been. I'll be back in Texas soon enough, hopefully teaching full time but unable to hop on a plane and fly to Europe for a long weekend at the last minute. And by last minute, I mean more than a month out because that's how my neurotic planning, slightly OCD mind works. Those fab last minute travel deals you see advertised for cruises and other fun things? I'll always end up paying more for my boat ride or flight because I'm not a spur of the moment sort of gal.

I'm an experienced traveler, but I didn't want to head to some country I've never visited on my own. Thankfully, a Texas friend that has lived in Holland for years (and her Dutch bff) could also use a break from the kids and pets and partner. And so we're all flying to meet up in southern Portugal, Lagos in the Algarve, for a relaxing little ladies weekend.

It looks really pretty in pictures. There are a plethora of house hunting type shows in the UK and one of my faves is "Home or Away". They follow house hunters who are considering two options - buying a house somewhere in the UK or relocating to another part of Europe. That's where I first saw the Algarve and realized it's home to some beautiful beaches.  

Virtually every trip we've taken since moving to Europe has involved a daily itinerary and touring schedule that allows for no R&R because we've always got a lot of ground to cover. You can't go to Paris without seeing Versailles. It's unthinkable to visit Munich without riding over to Neuschwanstein Castle. And you can't tour Naples without also hitting Pompeii. You understand this predicament, right? We can sit around and be lounge lizards by the pool at our Texas house once we've taken advantage of our travel opportunities in Europe.

The reality is that I'll no doubt con my travel buddies into poking their heads into a couple historic churches. However, the rest of my time I plan to spend strolling around the old city center with no real destination in mind other than an outdoor cafe that serves glasses of chilled white wine beneath an umbrella so we can people watch. Or down by the beach with my toes in the sand and Kindle in my hand, taking it easy. And that will be a lovely change of pace for me.