As things sometimes go, we met the manager of a bank in Karatu, who gave us the phone number of a supermarket owner in Mto wa Mbu, who then put us onto a fellow in Mto wa Mbu, who found us a gorgeous little place to stay in a street behind the main street.  We decided to stay in this unpronounceable town for a couple of days.  

At a gallery, we met Lamnyak, a Maasai warrior.  It was a half day for him at the gallery and in general discussion, he said there was a way to walk to the shores of Lake Manyara from town.  We asked if he was interested in guiding us out there.  His focus was not money and we could tell was keen to go for a walk himself…

We recently re-watched the movie “Out of Africa” from the book of the same title, written by Karen Blixen.  Out of Africa is an account of her life living in Kenya from 1914.

Karen Blixen is quoted as saying “A Maasai warrior is a fine sight. Those young men have, to the utmost extent, that particular form of intelligence which we call chic; daring and wildly fantastical as they seem, they are still unswervingly true to their own nature, and to an immanent ideal. Their style is not an assumed manner, nor an imitation of a foreign perfection; it has grown from the inside, and is an expression of the race and its history, and their weapons and finery are as much a part of their being as are a stag’s antlers.”

Lamnyak and a friend of his lead us to the shores of Lake Manyara.  At one point, Lamnyak half closed his eyes, opened his arms and embraced the air, the green grazing plains, the mountains and the water.  It was apparent he was more content out here than being in the gallery and in the town.

Mixed extracts: “It is thought the Maasai's ancestors originated in North Africa, migrating south along the Nile Valley and arriving in Northern Kenya in the middle of the 15th century. They continued southward, conquering all of the tribes in their path, extending through the Rift Valley and arriving in Tanzania at the end of 19th century.  As they migrated, they attacked their neighbours and raided cattle.  By the end of their journey, the Maasai had taken over almost all of the land in the Rift Valley.  After the turn of the century, more than two thirds of the Maasai's land was taken away by the British and the Kenyan and Tanzanian governments to create both ranches for settlers, wildlife reserves and national parks.  The Amboseli National Park, Nairobi National Park, Masai Mara Game Reserve, Samburu, Lake Nakuru, and Tsavo National Parks in Kenya and the Manyara, Ngorongoro, Tarangire and Serengeti parks in Tanzania, all stand on what was once the territory of the Maasai tribe.”

Lamnyak explained from boyhood to adulthood, Maasai boys learn the responsibilities of being a man and a warrior.  The role of a warrior is to protect their animals from human and animal predators, to build kraals (Maasai homes) and to provide security for their families.  Training spans a period of ten years after which there is a period of five years as a fully qualified, respected warrior, then you enter a level of retirement.  A Maasai boy must also learn about cultural practices, customary laws and responsibilities he’ll require as an elder.  Lamnyak was 28 and could “retire” in another year.  Considering their average life span is a little over half that of ours, this probably equates to where we were a few years back, still working and dreaming of our African Odyssey.

Young Maasai girls are taught other functional roles like how to build houses, make beadwork, and cook and clean their homes.  Since the Maasai lead a semi-nomadic life, their houses are loosely constructed and semi-permanent.  They are usually small, circular and built using mud, grass, wood and cow-dung.  The men build the fences and sheds for the animals.

Lamnyak’s home is in Tarangire, some 200kms from Mto wa Mbu.  When he goes home, he walks.  It takes a few days and he calls into Maasai villages where the policy is to welcome, feed and house other travelling members of their tribe.  Villages may not always be in the same place as he remembered from his last walk home, so he has to look out for the new locations.  He was interested in Australia and wanted to know how far away it was.  When we said some 10,000kms, he remarked that was too far to walk.  We added it would entail a lot of swimming as well!

The Maasai have a deep relationship with cattle.  They are guided by a strong belief that God created cattle especially for them and that they are the sole custodians of all cattle on earth. This bond has led them to their nomadic way of life following weather patterns in search of food and water for their large herds.  A Maasai measures wealth by the number of cattle they own.

All of their needs for food are met by their cattle.  They eat the meat, drink the milk and drink the blood. Other animals are slaughtered for meat on different occasions.  Lamnyak said they do eat some vegetables and fish.  All by-products of cattle are used for clothing and housing.  Lamnyak asked if we had cows in Australia…

In our stroll across the green grassy plains at the edge of Lake Manyara, we came upon a goat who had only just given birth about an hour prior.  The kid was pristine white with umbilical cord still attached.  We watched the mother lick her baby clean and then the baby take its first awkward steps on the way to its first feed.

As a warrior, Lamnyak had killed two lions.  One that had attacked one of his cows, the other that had attacked a friend's cow.  He showed us scars on his leg from battling the second lion.  He pointed out some elephant tracks in the mud and explained to Dale that they were from a female as the prints were narrower than a males.  Dale obviously showed potential as a hunter.  Little did he know that Dale is vegetarian…

Lamnyak was wrapped in three large lengths of different patterned red cotton (shuka), plus a smaller length of blue patterned fabric.  Heavier fabrics are used in the winter months.  His sandals were made from vehicle rubber with straps across the top of his feet.  He was adorned with multi coloured beaded jewellery which he said was mostly made by his mother.  When we met him in the gallery, he also had beaded jewellery on his head.  Red is the colour for warriors.  Women wear purple.  Both wear smatterings of other colours as they choose.  Lamnyak had occasion to wear a western styled suit once and the colour was – yes, red!  As we walked, he stopped to remove something from a sandal.  He pulled out his warrior double edged knife, but failed to remove the nail.  Dale’s dad’s leatherman to the rescue!

We walked some 10kms that afternoon, past Maasai herding their cattle, out to the muddied shores of the Lake to see their wooden boats, then back through the town.  Lamnyak was fun to be with, loved being at the Lake, and was happy to chat away about anything and everything.  As much as our bike panniers have been able to hold, I’ve been collecting fabrics to sew when we get back home.  He helped me buy Maasai fabric without the Mzungu multiplier being added.  We gave him some money towards the purchase of his next cow, had some refreshing drinks along the way and had had a wonderful and relaxing afternoon.  We hadn’t walked in his tyre track shoes, but had drifted through one day in the life of this lovely man.

Not long after departing Mto wa Mbu, we stopped at some vibrant local roadside markets.  The place was pumping and it was fun walking around haggling for some Kenyan beadwork jewellery and chatting with locals.  In the distance, we saw a large number of Maasai gathered.  We strolled over to what was the weekly Maasai livestock markets.  My always strong urge to take photos had to be suppressed long enough to allow locals to accept the presence of these two oddly clothed Mzungus who had clearly stepped off an alien planet.

I took a couple of undercover photos before asking a Maasai to take a photo of us.  We asked him if he was going to purchase a cow.  He said yes, but not until later in the day when the prices come down… 

In need of writing, photo sorting, and admin computer time, we decided to find somewhere nice to stay for a while.  We were recommended a wonderful eco community homestay in Arusha, within walking distance to everything…