Maasai Village

The Maasai are a semi-nomadic tribe of people that live in Kenya and Tanzania. They have realized that tourists love taking pictures, and have capitalized on this by charging for the privelege.  For $50 per car, tourists can visit one of their villages. I had mixed feelings about this seemingly intrusive practice, but my guide reassured me that the money would help the villagers pay for staples like clean water and school books. I was greeted by a young Maasai man who spoke excellent English. (The Maasai have their own language and use Swahili or English to communicate with those outside of their tribe.) Then the women performed a welcome dance for me. I was brought into the center of the group and encouraged to jump up and down with one of the women in a sort of dance ritual!

The men performed a welcome dance for some Asian men, 

who were encouraged to join along. (And they got sticks).

After the welcome dance, I was led through the fence made of thorny Acacia branches and brought inside of one of the traditional dwellings. The women make them out of branches, mud, and sometimes trash. In the rainy season they are covered with hides. There are no windows. The only ventilation was a hole in the roof for the smoke of the fire used for cooking and warmth. The entire hut wasn't any bigger than a king sized bed and would sleep an entire family.

Next came shopping! The women make pretty beaded jewelry and small carvings. I was instructed to pick out things I liked. I would be told prices after I finished (hmmm). I picked out a necklace and finally asked how much. The English speaking man, the woman artist and another man had a conversation that lasted several minutes. I could only imagine what they were saying in trying to come up with a price ;) I was able to bargain a little. Then I was shown a 'school', which was a small hut with a blackboard, teacher and several toddlers. All of the adults I'd encountered looked very respectable, but the children looked as though they had been rolled in the dirt. Was this an attempt to elicit pity? Of course I was asked to donate to the school. I declined (I mean I did just give $50 and overpay for some jewelry!) 

A friend told me that when she went to Africa years ago, she visited a village where the inhabitants had never seen a white person before. How different this experience was! The Maasai have seen plenty of white people and are skilled at profiting from their curiosity. The young man that guided me around the village could hold his own in any sales job in NYC! I don't mean to be overly critical - I felt I paid a fair price for a relatively authentic experience and I hope the money they make allows the Maasai to continue their traditional way of life. I would recommend the visit to other tourists, but maybe leave most of your money in the car!