Maasai land and a goat

September 7, 2008
7:13 PM
Sometimes I wish I had a little camcorder wired to my brain to replay those moments where I am too wrapped up in enjoying the moment to make sure I remember everything later. But then I also am probably too paranoid that the wrong person would find the tape and it would wind up on You Tube.

Well fortunately for me, there is some middle ground. I have this trusty laptop (thanks dad!) which I swear wishes it was still living in Barrie hardly being used, and its friend, my digital camera to team up and provide some visual sensory triggers.
So now we go way back to Friday. Rise and shine bright, excuse me, dark and early. Peter, my taxi man, picked me up at 6am to drive me to the Impala shuttle office. I was in such a rush that I was sure I would have forgotten something. For some reason I thought it would be good to get up at 5 and shower because I wasn't sure what the rest of the weekend would bring. Turns out that was a good idea.

The ride to Arusha was uneventful. The van wasn't full so I had two seats to myself to relax and enjoy the sunrise and sights. When we pulled into the Impala hotel in Arusha I was wondering what would happen but realized pretty quickly that it didn't matter if I wanted to know, the people running the shuttle company didn't know. I did find out that I didn't have to switch buses to get to Longido. The man who came around with Kenyan immigration cards got a good laugh when I handed mine back and said I was going to Longido. At the time I didn't really get the joke but I knew I wasn't crossing the border and that was good enough for me.
I had to move seats because the shuttle was full from Arusha to Nairobi, but it was ok because I wound up in one of the single seats between the window and aisle. I was diagonal in front of two girls from the states and we briefly chatted. They were from New Jersey and Washington and were confused as to why I was going to some small town called Longido by myself.

We probably sat there for a good half hour before the people that worked there figured out, a) that they couldn't squish 2 bus loads of people into one shuttle, and b) they had to figure out who was going where including the luggage. Thankfully I only had my small backpack so I wasn't worried about it getting lost in she shuffle from my lap.

The drive up north was nice. Different views of Kili and other mountains, me being paranoid I would miss my stop. Tim told me that there would be 2 police barricades and I would get off at the second one approximately an hour and a half into the drive. Ok. All along the road were small settlements of Masaai dispersed between massive chunks of what looked like dessert on the one side of the bus and some vegetation on the other side. At one point I even saw a couple giraffes.

Turns out there was only one police barricade, but it worked out because the driver remembered me and my funny immigration paper rejection and told me it was time to get off. So I grabbed my bag and probably to the horror of a few of the passengers, I got off the bus in the middle of no where, on a chunk of road with probably 20 small buildings at the bottom of Mount Longido.
Finally in town I looked around and took in the small village. But before I could start to panic I saw Corey drive up in the car with Katrijn. She is a student from Belgium doing research in Longido until December.

We drove over to the house where they are living and I met Anna, another volunteer from England who lives in the house as well. After brief prepping on their end, we piled into the car: An army green Jeep type all wheel drive with a regular roof, two seats up front, two in the middle and 3 across the back, small trunk. We stuffed our bags in the back and were joined by one of Corey's coworkers, who I wish I could remember his name! Ankar? I hope to remember before posting this, if not I'll have to do some research.

Off the main road we turned in to a national park type road, all dust and bumps from here on in. The bumps got so bad that Katrijn hit her head on the roof and decided it would be better to sit on a wood board held between Anna and my seats.

Along the road we stopped to see a gazelle, then Corey pointed out that there was a baby with it and it was struggling to walk, indicating that it must have just been born. We sat in awe as the baby attempted to walk a few times then got the hang of it and was off! Unfortunately they were a bit too far away and the baby was shorter than the grass in that area. No photos! Then we drove on for a bit before stopping to check out a bunch of giraffes. (I realize "bunch" is not the technical term, I forget that one). We got out of the car and walked over to get closer to them. They are such funny awesome animals with their long necks and cute faces.

The drive to Mairowa* was probably close to 2 hours of bouncing around on the dusty road, and then the next thing I knew we were there! The Maasai village appeared pretty much out of no where and contained 2 streets in an L. We went to the end of the main road and were introduced briefly at the meeting Corey was attending then Corolla* walked Katrijn, Anna and myself down the other side of town to show us a boma. I should also mention at this point before starting our walk, it was pointed out to us that the cute fuzzy, goat making the "free me" noises, tied to a tree near by was our dinner. That was hard to digest, no pun intended. We discussed some strategies of freeing the goat but weren't really sure how to do that without insulting our hosts.

A boma is a traditional Maasai home. A quick stop in a couple shops provided us time to buy gifts to provide for the families that would let us see their homes (flour, sugar, oil) We walked under the hot sun for a while before going through a clearing then to an area of small round huts arranged in a circle. We walked around the perimeter which was arranged with branches to form a fence. In total we went into 4 different bomas. The women would welcome us and if there was space we could sit on the edge of one of their beds. Within the round home it was very dark and sometimes took the whole time we were in there for my eyes to adjust. In the centre was a small fire (or large and smokey in one of them) which would be surrounded by sitting/cooking space. Around the walls were usually two rooms, which from what I could see were raised areas for sleeping. They were actually quite spacious considering how little they look from the outside.

In the centre of all the bomas were some pens for keeping the animals in at night, all constructed out of branches etc. In this area they also are able to harvest fields because it rains more than other areas of the region.

The women were all very beautiful with large collections of earrings and bright coloured clothing. The children were especially cute and friendly and followed us around holding our hands when they could. They speak Maa which is the language of the Maasai. I am still struggling with Swahili, so Corolla would interpret what the Maasai women were saying and Katrijn who has been here since July, thankfully, was able to translate the Swahili to English. In general Maasai do not like having their photos taken, but at one point we were told it was ok to take photos of the children and the outsides of the homes.

After our walk back we quickly introduced ourselves to another group that Corey was meeting with then we were taken to one of the local restaurants. Well this was an interesting meal. Welcome to Tanzania! Placed in front of each of us was a bowl containing chunks of mystery meat, soaking in a broth of sorts and a few potatoes. Then in the second bowl were some chippotes (pita/wrap type bread). Well, after staring at it briefly and no one wanting to offend we each slowly took pieces of the chippote and dipped it in the broth. Eventually we had to laugh. Anna, with her biology background was dead set on identifying the various parts of the animal we were eating, while Katrijn pushed the food around and I nibbled at the potatoes. I think Corey got the best laugh when he showed up and saw what we were eating. Thankfully, he acknowledge how foreign and unlikely it was that we were actually going to eat the meat, so I continued dipping the chippotes (which were very good) in the broth and left a lot of meat for a lucky Maasai to eat for me. This wonderful meal plus a bottle of water cost each of us about $3.50, a lot since no one actually ate much of it. And I am not even going to describe the bathroom we were taken to when we asked to use the toilet. Lets just say I am glad I carry hand sanitizer and Kleenex everywhere I go.

After relaxing for a bit we climbed back into the car and drove for a little while (I am not even going to guess) passed other bomas and Maasai herding cattle and donkeys carrying water. (have I mentioned how incredibly cute the donkeys are here? They are so cute!).

The car stopped in a forest we had come into and we all took our bags out and started the journey to the campsite. I had to laugh half way up the hill because when I asked Corey what I needed for this weekend he had insisted that a sleeping bag was it. So I think he got the idea when I said that I was glad I didn't bring my rolling suitcase. We hiked about half way up the hill (there are photos to show how high this hill was) and decided we would look around before deciding on a place to pitch the tent. After wandering a little while longer we decided we would set up near where we dropped our packs at the first area but that we could walk on to see one of the springs on the hill. It turned out that this spring didn't have very much water, but when it is filled it is used for the cattle to drink out of. Corey is working with others on fixing the spring so it will hold water longer and provide a reliable water source for the Maasai in the area. By the time we walked back up to our packs I was ready for some relaxation!

We set up the tents on a semi flat area by some big cliff rocks we would use to watch the sunrise the next morning. The main problem was that this was a pathway to the springs and a lot of the ground was covered in manure. Once I got over that it was much easier to walk around.

A fire was set up and miraculously some of the Maasai men we had met earlier showed up with our goat friend, now arranged as 4 legs, a chest and ribs on sticks to roast by the fire. Gross, but also impressive because of how neatly they had the meat cut. I am so incredibly grateful that I did not see the in between period. I like my meat to be unidentifiable, thank you.

Some maize was added to the fire rim and before long we were pulling corn chunks off and eating them. It was pretty good, but hard to get the little kernels off the cob. Our cups were filled with juice and Kigali and we waited while the meat roasted. Eventually the sun set and there were millions of clear stars overhead. One of the men set up the meat so he would cut off little pieces and go around the circle handing out servings to everyone (similar to my August long weekend marshmellow service, but with less enthusiasm in my opinion).

The meat was really good. The first pieces were hard to chew, and as I'm not normally a big meat eater I was hesitant. But by the time we were cutting into the leg I was hooked. Very tasty and a fun way to eat, taking turns getting chunks of meat handed to you. After the chest piece and the legs were done we started into the ribs, also good! But I don’t think we made it much further than that before getting full.

After dinner the four of us, Corey, Anna, Katrijn and I went to sit up on the rocks to check out the view. It was amazing. Only lit by the crescent moon and stars you could still make out the rolling hills around us. The others continued their game of singing mostly 80s and 90s songs while I enjoyed the night and the wine.

One by one we all filtered back to the fire to warm up from the blistery rock face. Then decided sleep was not a bad idea. Us girls shared one tent very cramped while Corey for some reason got his own tent. The tent did look like it was a fair size until we had our mattresses and sleeping bags in there, then by the time we had our bodies in there we realized it was a bit of a squeeze. We just kept saying it was good for bonding. After a quick game of "would you rather" we drifted off. I woke up a few times because I was cold, had slid down the mattress because of the slant we were on, or because I was paranoid and thought I heard an animal outside the tent. It didn't help that there was talk of leopards before bed.

By morning I was quite cold and wishing there was a hot shower near by. Warming up by the fire we waited for the sun to rise over the hills around us. It was quite beautiful and so peaceful. I even think I saw a baboon off in the distance climbing a rock.

We packed up the tents and our gear and walked down the hill to check out another of the water springs. This one had more water, but also had some men using buckets to fill the upper area with water from a reserve below. That is some crazy hard work! There were a few women waiting with their donkeys to fill up water containers as well.

Back in the car we drove into town for chai and chippotes. The tea was really good. And it was nice to just relax. I think we were all pretty tired. Corey attempted to find out the results from US tennis matches and I listened in for news of a Canadian election (although I have no idea what stations we were listening to).

Out of no where Corey decided we should take some time to talk about my placement stuff, so we went to another eating place to chat. He asked me a bunch of questions about what I am to do at Mkombozi and my first impressions there. The we talked some more about what I need to do and about our experiences at Laurier (Corey did is MSW at Laurier as well and in case I forgot to mention at some point, he is acting as my offsite supervisor for my placement in Tanzania).

After our chat we all loaded into the car and drove to a nearby village where Corey and his coworkers were having a meeting with the people of that village. Again we sat in briefly to introduce ourselves as volunteers then were told we could hang out while they talked.

I took the opportunity to clean up a bit (brush teeth, suntan lotion etc) and scoped out a great tree/bush/small hill for peeing. Much better than the man made toilets.
The other free time was used for taking some photos and just chatting, then the next thing we knew the meeting was over and we were piling back into the car, with a few extra people. I think the most we had in there at one time was 9 people, and I was thinking it wasn't so bad considering I fit 10 in my car at one point.

We drove to a school, and by this point I was immensely amazed that anyone could find anything out there. Yes, there was only really one road, but it was really just a path made by multiple cars driving through, no real direction or reference points. At the school we saw a cool map that they had made in the sand of Tanzania and Kenya, made out of old C batteries and learned that sometimes over a hundred kids fit in the classrooms, with maybe 3 grades in one. Wow. And I thought the classes in South Africa made I hard to teach.

Back on the road I think Corey's friend who was our driver was excited to get home because we were driving pretty fast over very rough terrain. There were lots of pointy bush trees (that is my expert opinion) flying by and they looked like they were covered in snow from a distance. There were also quite a few of squirrel like creatures running around, and some ostriches.

Finally back on the main road we drove up to Namanga, which borders Kenya. Then took the nice paved road back to Longido.

The other girls decided that they were going to stay in Longido for the night, which meant Corey and I were taking the trip into Arusha without them. He went up to check on the tents he is building to live in, think permanent safari tents, and the girls were nice enough to make me some noodles. By this point we were all starving! We all had a good laugh at how caked with dirt our faces and bodies were. I cleaned my face off and still felt dirty. So I decided changing to get into a crowded vehicle while I was still covered in dirt probably wasn't worth it.

When Corey came back we headed to the main road to catch a car he had called. We had time for him to eat some food and for me to drink a coke while we waited at a restaurant. Finally the car showed up. It was pretty much a 7 seater station wagon, with 3 people in each of the rows. I imagine it could have been more packed and I was pretty comfortable. We chatted on the hour and a half drive in and it went very quickly. Once we got close to the bus station I made sure that Corey was going to make sure I got on the right bus and knew how much it cost before he disappeared. No problem. He walked me over and made sure I got a seat before saying bye.

This was a big bus, similar to a grey hound I think, with double seat rows on each side but also with a fold down seat in the middle. And it was packed! All the seats filled and some people standing. By this point it was dark and I was very tired from the eventful couple days. It was hard to stay awake on the almost 2 hour drive, but I managed, probably because I was slightly paranoid someone would try to steal something from me. I don’t think I heard any English on that bus, and I know I was the only white person. The cost of that bus ride was a mere 2,500 shillings, definitely more affordable than the ride up! Actually a tenth of the cost. When we got close to Moshi I text Peter to see if he could pick me up at the bus station as it was late, but did not hear back from him. So when I got off the bus I was overwhelmed briefly by all the men yelling taxi!!! Finally, one man looked nice and pointed to his close by car with a taxi sign on top. I followed and got in. He spoke pretty good English and knew were I was going, so that was nice. And it cost me the same as it would have with Peter so I figured I was in good hands.

By the time I got to my room it was close to 10pm and I was exhausted, but also incredibly excited to shower off all the dirt I had accumulated over the past 2 days. The water for some reason wasn't exactly hot, barely warm really, but it was awesome to feel clean again. I grabbed my book, crawled into bed, and was probably asleep before 11pm.

I don't make a habit of reading what I have written once it is down on "laptop" but I know without editing or reading that this account doesn't come close to how awesome it was to go to a Maasai village and camp out under the stars. It was truly an unforgettable experience. I sometimes think about how amazing experiences like this one was and how back home the chances of me spending two days in a bumpy car, hiking, getting dirty and eating a goat are so small, not because it isn't possible to do these things, but because there is something about travelling to a new land with new people that makes it easier to step out of the expectations and carved out characteristics we have made for ourselves. Sometimes being out of your comfort zone means blowing it wide open. No clear comfort zone? No boundaries.