A three day trip to Maasai Mara National Reserve. In total, it was about an eight hour ride from Nairobi to the western border of Kenya. We stopped at an overlook to see the Great Rift Valley.
We checked into our tents at Manyatta Camp before going to a Maasai village.
A 10 minute walk down the street and we were greeted by a group of Maasai men. We paid 2000 Kenyan shillings (about $20) to visit their village. Hindsight 20/20, the entry free was too expensive for the experience but whatever.
Men greeted us with song and dance. Most of joined into to jump along. Occasionally the village has competitions to see which man can jump highest. The winner pays a lower dowry for his wife. (😒).
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Then I held a baby goat. The HIGHLIGHT for the day. I’m gritting my teeth because it was so cute.
The men then gathered to make a fire. One volunteer even got a traditional tattoo.
We toured their houses. Our guide, Aaron, said 160 people in 10 families live in this village. They’re all related. Also men are allowed to take multiple wives…so that’s a thing there. In Maasai tradition, houses are built by women using cow dung, wood, and leaves. They last about 10 years.
In the evening, they bring calves and kids inside their houses to protect baby animals from predators.
The Jam 