Camping @ a Maasai Boma

We just got back from spending three days at a Maasai boma and it was culturally overwhelming , but at the same time unforgettable and life changing. The Maasai are usually nomadic and travel around to where there is enough grazing land for their cattle, but in the past years have started to settle more in specific places. The boma or village we stayed in had about 15-20 grass and mud huts on top of a hill with virtually nothing around in eye sight the view was amazing especially when the goats and cows came home right as the sun was setting! There was no air pollution or extra noise, it was real and it was refreshing. Our hosts for the weekend were Lesikar and Gemma. Gemma grew up in Britain and took a trip to Tanzania where she met Lesikar and they ended up getting married. Her story is so interesting and inspirational, because she has left everything she knew and was comfortable with to go live in a foreign land. Together they started an organization called Aang Serian in which they provide cultural experiences, fund schools, and help an organization called Dira (Some great things are happening there so check it out at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HQQf94jgIs) . The schools not only teach the curriculum that the government enforces, but they also have classes such as medicinal plants, folk tales, and other classes that are important for the Maasai so they do not loose their heritage.

During the first day we got to visit the secondary and pre-primary school they built and then walked the distance from the school to the boma to see how it would be like for a child to attend school. The journey took us about and hour and a half. We were greeted by the elders of the village and when we met Lesikar's father we had bow our heads to be greeted. This is something that I don't know if I could get used to. I understand it is a cultural difference and they do it to show respect to elders, but it made me a little uncomfortable when children would come up to me and do the same thing because I was older. After all the introductions we had lunch and then waited for the cows to come home . . . seriously right as the sun started to set you could hear the ringing of the cow and goat bells as they started getting closer to the village. Once they were all accounted for (Lesikar's father knows every single animal and if one is missing they have to go back out to look for it till it is found.) Then I got to help milk the goats and cows with very little success. That night the stars were amazing, the sky was clear and I saw more stars, planets, satellites than I have ever seen before!

The next morning we started preparing for our trip to Orpul, a sacred place where the Maasai go to heal spiritually, mentally, and physically. To orpul it was about a hour hike that turned into almost two hours because along the way we learned about the different plants and the medicinal uses. I got a toothbrush from one tree (I don't remember the name of the tree), and a leaf from a bush for good luck. Our purpose at orpul was to sacrifice a goat and make medicinal soup. It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be, we didn't have to do any of the actual butchering of the goat which was good. I passed on the eating of a fresh kidney, and the drinking of the goats blood, but I did try a piece of cooked liver. I also had a sip of the medicinal soup that included plants, the goats stomach, intestines, fat, and other parts that I don't really care to know. The taste was . . . umm well imagine what a goat or a farm smells like and that is what it tasted like. Luckily, I didn't have to drink a lot of the soup, because I didn't eat any raw meat. The soup is full of natural antibiotics that would kill off any ecoli, or other bacteria found in raw meat and blood. That night the people in the village got together to have a traditional dance. It was completely dark outside, the men were lined up on one side and women on the other. All I could see was the men jumping up and down and then all the sudden I could see the figure coming at me and then move backwards. At first this was so scary, I felt like I was in the middle of a horror movie. After a while the women were showing us how to dance and bringing each of us to the middle of the circle to try. I realized that I was among friends and when in the world would I ever be given another chance to participate and dance with Maasai warriors and their families. It was amazing how accepting everyone was and how much fun it was! There was a lot of laughing, chanting, and overall it was a great time.


We also got to meet some of the six Maasai warriors that ran in the London marathon to raise money in order to get a water source in their village. They ran the marathon in their traditional Maasai attire including the tire sandals, spears, and shields. (www. maasaimarathon.org)