Africa Experience - Tanzania - Day 7

July 2, 2014 - Maasai Boma visit (lots of photos)



Ready to go......

After our breakfast, we all made sandwiches for our lunch later on.  Our drivers from Nature’s Gift Safaris arrived at about 9am to pick us up and take us to a Maasai Boma. 

[Just a little bit about the Maasai people and a Boma……There are over 120 tribes in Tanzania.  The Maasai tribe can be found in East Africa (parts of Kenya and Tanzanian plains).  The men are herders and believe that cows are theirs by right. Cows come first, then women and children respectively. More cows equals more wives and implies a status for a man, thus they are polygamous.  A Boma is a group of huts in which a family lives. They are made by women using sticks, cow dung, mud and grass. Each wife has her own hut.  When you enter a Boma, you will be greeted by children who spend their days playing around while their mothers, gather firewood from the fields and fetch water for the family.  The men of the Boma take the cattle out to feed and are usually gone all day, catching shade while the cattle eat and drink.  The women prefer more wives in the tribe, because that means work gets spread out among them.]

Zebra and wildebeest on our drive

 

A bumpy drive

On our drive to the Boma (about a 45 minute drive), we saw a herd of zebra and wildebeest in the distance!  When we arrived, we were greeted by the men of the tribe and then the children.  They were all full of smiles.  We had asked if we could take pictures, and it was allowed.  At first, when we tried to take pictures of the children, they would raise their hands and shutter.  Once we showed them their photos on our camera screens, there were fascinated and wanted their pictures taken.  We had been told it would be dusty/dirty and there would be a lot of flies buzzing around.  We were prepared, and it didn’t seem too bad.



Brett sharing photos....

One of the girls wanted to see a picture of her doll.

We had purchased a goat as a gift for the people in the Boma, and it was a gift from them to prepare the goat for us to eat together.  There was a select group of men and younger men that would have the task of preparing the goat.  We followed them away from the huts to an area that was ready for the important ritual.  They cut the neck of the goat, drained the blood (to use for themselves later – it is mixed with milk and drank), skinned it, cut it in to select pieces and put the meat on skewers.  They built a fire and began roasting the goat for us to enjoy.  Every single part of the goat would be used in one way or another.  The goat meat was very good.  Some of the younger people especially liked to rib meat. 

The Maasai men let us participate in the ritual.

Almost everyone was fascinated with the process.



Every part of the goat is used whether it is eaten, used to
make soup, or clothing.

A young girl with the thorn of a
branch in her ear....that is how they
pierce the ears of boys and girls.
Over time, the earlobes are stretched.



The meal is cooking.....

 

The Maasai people have dogs, but they are not domestic pets.
They have to fend for themselves.  They usually roam
around to ward off animals or alert the people that
danger is nearby.

The men let us try on their shukas and pose with their weapons.

The men heated up water for us to wash
before the meal.

Enjoying a wonderfully prepared meal of goat

The elder men didn't eat with us.
The children did not eat until
everyone else had eaten. 

One of my favorite photos:
walking with Paulina

After the meal, we walked back to the huts.  The grandmother of the Boma (called Kokoo) was anxious to show us the inside of her hut.  She was so proud as she posed inside.  She had a large selection of cookware displayed.  Each women has her own hut, where she sleeps with all her children on one bed.  She also cooks in this same hut.  It’s nearly impossible to paint a picture of the inside. 

Inside the huts, Kokoo was very proud of her kitchen.
She had a lot of dishes and pans.  The huts are small.
The women sleep in the hut with all their children.
They also cook in that same hut, so it is smoky.

Kokoo - notice the cell phone around
her neck!  Technology has
made its way to the Maasai people.
To charge their phone, they may
have a solar panel or they go
to a duka and pay for power.

The Maasai men that cooked for us.

Near the end of our visit, we gathered with the entire family.  They thanked us for coming and told us we were part of their family.  We presented them with gifts of butter, oil, coffee, tea, soap, flour, sugar and salt.  They were very thankful. 






The Maasai people welcomed us like family.

 


 

We drove a short distance from the Boma to a nearby primary school.  We met the director and peaked into the classrooms.  From there, we walked to the church and then the ‘multicultural’ center.  We had been invited to visit the center by the local women.  They had their handicrafts displayed, and they were anxious to sell us their goods.  Many of us bought beaded goods, including necklaces, warrior stick (Connor), ornaments, bracelets, etc. 

It was a wonderful welcome!

A beautiful Maasai woman

a stick bug

 



shopping for treasures.....we bought some jewelry,
ornaments and Connor bought a beaded warrior stick.

 

 

 

 

Enjoying our lunch after the most amazing time!

 

 

Dinner - rice with sausage gravy.

 

 

We stopped under some acacia trees to eat our sandwiches and banana chips before heading back to the compound.  Dinner that evening was rice, gravy and sausages (cut up hot dogs).  It was a very busy day full of new smells, people, tastes, smiling children, animals, and cultural experiences.  It was an amazing day, and we all slept well!