Friday, November 27, 2009

Masai Cultural Experience in Tanzania


Dressing up with colorful Masai hat, neck jewelery and clothes was a lot of fun when I saw the Masai people at the Ngorongoro Serena lodge where they set up a gift shop. Masai women are tall, pretty and very graceful. They don’t speak English but some of the men speak English very well. As part of the experience we also visited a Masai Village. We were greeted by a group of men on one side and a group of women on the other side in front of the village with songs and dance. Did you know that the women build their houses while the men tend to the castle? Also the Masai men can have more than one wife. Their houses are very small (less than 100 sq ft) and even though they can build bigger houses they chose to build only small and keep it simple. There was a small school where boys were learning English. What impressed me was their simplicity in living and keeping to their way of life even in these modern times. It was of course disturbing to see inside of their little houses when I knew they need not live that way if they choose to change. It however reinforced my belief that one can be happy in their own way with their chosen way of life.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Tazania Wild Life Safari

What an incredible experience watching a cackle of hyenas eat a dead hippo in the hippo pool while surrounded by a herd of hippos submerged in the water doing their own thing, warthog piglets, pride of lions taking a nap, Elephant with its calves and so much more. Terengere National Park, Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti National park with beautiful terrain each different and surreal. This was a trip of a lifetime for me and feel very lucky to have experienced it. Would love to help anyone who wants to do the same.