In February 2015, I had the wonderful opportunity to go on an amazing trip to Africa and a beautiful Safari from Kenya to Tanzania!
Spending one afternoon at a Maasai village was definitely one of the highlights of the trip! I really did try to understand the culture and blend in!
Masai Jumping Warrior Dance! I waited such a long time to see this!!
Women dance and sing too, when they welcome you to their village.
They tried to teach me how to, but I wasn’t very good at it!
Maasai are semi-nomadic people and their lifestyle centers around their cattle which constitute their primary source of food. They eat milk, blood and meat from their cows or goats or.. sometimes… ostridge eggs!
The Maasai traditional dress colors are red and blue.
At the age of 15 the boys pass from boyhood to the status of junior warrior through a painful circumcision ritual. They must remain in black or dark clothes for a period of 4–8 months and they wear white markings on their faces.
Scarring and marking their faces is also a way of stating to which tribe they belong to.
Kids play freely inside the village. Mortality is very high so they do not start naming them or counting them until when they have reached 3 moons of age. Upon reaching the 3 moons, the child is named and the head is shaved.
Their sandals are made with car tires! Indestructible!
Bead working, done by women, has a long history among the Maasai, who articulate their identity and position in society through body ornaments and body painting. Women make and sell their bead work at their village markets.
The best part has yet to come!
Something is happening inside that house…
Women and men seem very intrigued!
Wow! A white Maasai is getting ready for a “girl’s afternoon out”!
Now, I think, I did a pretty good job blending in! If I only could understand what they are telling me… hmm!
Oh! I also have got some goats… in case someone wanted to marry me!
Thank you so much to the Maasai people of Kenya and Tanzania that allowed us to meet them so closely and experience their culture as part of their family. Thank you for sharing the little you have to make me the prettiest Maasai woman ever and for making our time so enjoyable and unforgettable!
Thank you to our guides Stanley and Bosco for taking us to these villages and for your patience during the whole Safari! It is not really easy to travel with 2 photographers!
… And last but not least, thank you so much Cosmin Danila for this opportunity and for being on this adventure with me and of course, for all the beautiful pictures that you took of my Maasai look!
Life is good! Life is beautiful! Even if you do not have much, you can still have a hell of a great time!
Locations: Lemongo Maasai Village Kenya, Africa | Ngorongoro Maasai Village Tanzania, Africa
Tour Operators: African Memorables Safaris, Kenia | Nortern Circuit Adventure, Tanzania
Guides: Stanley and Bosco
Lidia Grosso Photographer, Lidia’s Travels, When incredible is not enough, Traveling is a must!
