(TRADITIONAL) MASAI VILLAGE
We were taken to a Masai village which had agreed (for a fee) to be  viewed by visitors such as we. The village itself is not altered for the public and remains as it has been since being built there. They move a village every ten years or so. The only consideration given to the public is the large circle of crafts for sale just outside the village. The no-hunting law of Kenya applies to these people also and they rely on their herds of cattle and goats to support them. In the case of this village, they also look to tourist dollars.

The village itself is built in the traditional manner. The women are the builders and they build the walls of sticks and cow dung. bad place to be when it rains. They bring the cattle and goats inside the village walls each  night and the 'ground" becomes fairly rich with dung. Flies are very heavy. We went inside a house that seven brothers share and found out just how cramped people can be. But it's home to them. They typically will keep this village for ten years and then move it.

                                                         

We were welcomed by the women who performed two songs for us and by the men who did their dance which is actually taking turns jumping, He who jumps the highest gets the best woman in a courtship contest. On this day all of our women left in the Land Rovers.

             

The people of the Masai village are so colorful and so expressive. Enjoy these images.

                        

            

Having visited the village itself we walked outside the fences and shopped in their own crafts store which was actually a big circle of vendors. Several of the men stood in the center of the circle and they acted as business agents for all the vendors/craftspeople on the circle. Needless to say, it is all done by the barter system.