Maasai way of life

My trip to Tanzania has brought me many cool adventures and beautiful memories. But nothing will be as memorable as the time I was lucky enough to have spent in the Maasai village Orkisima. I was invited by my Tanzanian friends Matthew and Kizito to come to the village to experience the Maasai way of life and sleep over. Not knowing what to expect, Matthew picked me up for the trip to the village, one hour by local (of course fully packed) bus and one hour on the back of the motorbike into Maasai territory; a very good start of a new adventure. Wanting to fully experience their culture, I could borrow some clothes from my new friends to not stand out too much and this soon landed me the nickname ‘the White Maasai’ once I set foot in the village. I got incredibly lucky since it happened to be the day that a generation of boys officially became Maasai warriors by undergoing an age old ritual. This gave me the incredibly rare opportunity to get a real glimp of this beautiful and authentic culture. Beautifully dressed women, Maasai warriors performing their dances and everybody in a good mood eating a special meal and drinking some home brewed drinks. I was welcomed very warmly by the owner of the Boma (group of houses where the ceremony took place) taking me in as an important guest  and showing me around and introducing me to many important people in the community. What an incredible experience!

Before showing you the photos, my Maasai friend Matthey sent me a story that characterises the Maasai culture; I hope you’ll enjoy it:

“Once upon a time there was a woman called Naiteru – Kop, who lived in the Garden of Eden. She had many children without a mate. Much of her time was spent in a blissful life, admiring the moon. One day, Engai, the Maasai God, declared that Naiteru – Kop had to choose between one of her many children and the moon. Knowing that she could have more children, she chose the moon. Her foolish decision made humans mortal and subject to a final death. She condemned them by uttering:

Lapa tua, ni itu,

Tung-ani tua, ni lotie.

Moon die and come back.

Man die and go forever.”

 

Matthew and Kizito showing their Maasai land

Introducing me to the owner of the Boma and his family

Walking through the beautiful Maasai land

And showing me around the Boma

Maasai faces

A festive lunch was prepared!

My host during the ceremony, the owner of the Boma

My host during the ceremony, the owner of the Boma

Many families came to visit and brought gifts to celebrate a new generation of warriors

Young girl peeking out of the Boma to see the ‘White Maasai’

The guests performing some dancing

And posing for a photo!

Dancing and singing all around!

Young boy clinging to his mother

Traditional dancing

And more guests arrived with gifts

More singing and dancing

Hello there!

All the women showing their moves

And discussing the latest gossip

Traditional dancing

Everybody gathered to see the spectacle

And the dancing went on for hours

A group of warriors arrived to the party!

Getting welcomed by the women

The guys performing their dance by jumping as high as possible

And the girls picking the boys that made the best impression!

So much cool interactions

Young warrior participating in the dances

The girls waiting to be impressed

And guys singing and dancing with all their heart!

I also got picked!

What a beautiful sight

A Maasai in the setting sun

While the ritual continued until late at night

Walking the cattle the next morning in the early morning

Beautiful scenes in Maasai land

Matthew and Kizito showing me around and teaching me a lot about their way of life

Morning walk

And making friends for life

 

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