Maasai Village

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On the way from Mombasa to Nairobi, we stopped by a Maasai Village for a brief visit. They are traditionally a nomadic tribe, but as their land has been progressively gazetted by colonialists, their traditional way of life is becoming harder to support themselves with. Tourism now provides them with a bit of income as many foreigners are curious about the "tribal culture" of Kenya. I think we all had mixed feelings about visiting the Maasai: while they openly invite tourists to see their villages and welcome the income they bring, we weren't sure if we were exploiting them a bit. We didn't want to treat the Maasai as merely a tourist attraction. They deserve much more respect than that. Anyhow, they encouraged us to take pictures and I'll share a few with you here.

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Photos

Maasai Mud Huts
These huts are made with mud and dried cow dung. They take about one month to build and are surprisingly cool inside.

Woman making a bead anklet
Their jewelry is quite elaborate and very beautiful.

More kids goofing
They just love the camera.

Lydia making fire
The Maasai taught us how to make fire with 2 pieces of wood and some wood scrapings. It actually doesn't take that long!

Traditional dance
The man chant and dance and the woman chant and sing on the side. Jayani and Lydia were pulled in reluctantly!

Jump!
Part of the dance includes the men jumping great heights.