Destinations Magazine

Maasai

By Catswalks
One of the highlights of our Kenyan vacation was meeting the Maasai people. The Maasai are semi-nomadic people living in Kenya and northern Tanzania. It's difficult to miss them. They are usually tall and thin and dress in a distinctive red cloth. It is also usual for them to have piercings, stretched ear lobes, and to wear beaded ornaments.
The video below is a Maasai dance presented in our hotel. I don't know if I understood correctly but it is supposed to be a courtship dance. The Maasai warrior that jumps the highest wins.

We slept in tents during our safari. The camps we stayed in are inside the reserve. There was always the danger of wild animals accosting you when you go out of the room. Imagine, our tent in our first camp (picture below) was only a few meters away from a river full of crocodiles and hippos.  At the camp, we always had our Maasai warrior escort when we leave our room. They were armed only with spears and knives. I was really impressed because the Masai warriors were the real deal and not merely dressing like one for the show.  Afterall, the national park full of lions, leopards, and other dangerous animals are the natural habitat of the Maasai and I can't be more confident that  they would not allow the lions to eat us.
Maasai
All the Maasai that we met were very sweet and gentle.  It is strange to think that these same guys can kill a lion armed only with a spear!

Back to Featured Articles on Logo Paperblog