Dancing with the Masai

by LeAnn
(San Francisco, Ca. USA)

I would like to start this blog with one of my own stories...

The year 2007 was one of the best years of my life. I took 6 months off and traveled to Africa, and New Zealand, the latter to visit the man I am now married to!

In Africa, I volunteered at an orphanage just outside of Nairobi. After that, I met up with a friend from California and we ended up on safari in the Masai Mara, Kenya.

One day a Masai warrior came into camp and asked if we'd like to go with him to visit his village. We jumped at the chance, and it was my best day there! He took us on a nature walk, naming the plants and describing how they are used medicinally and in food. He told us all about tribal life and their social structure.

After our walk, we went to the village and the Masai Warriors invited us to dance with them. It was so fun! They are really tall and jump very high and we got a good laugh since I am so short and was trying to keep up. Then we did a sort of "line dance" out into the bush and sang and chanted.

After that, the women invited me to hold hands and sing with them. I laughed again since I didn't know the language, but they taught me the song so I could sing along. Somehow we managed and it was a warm, welcoming, lovely introduction into their world.

This is why the big, posh, secluded resorts will never be for me. You miss out on real life!