Masai Sunday - markets & village

So it was still my first weekend in Tanzania and at lunchtime on Sunday, I managed to pinch a seat in one of the St Jude buses that was taking a visiting tour group out to the markets and our head guard Lukmai's masai village.

We all piled on the bus and made our way out past Arusha airport for the 45min or so drive to the markets. We arrive to a massive dirt field covered in blankets on the ground with locals selling fruit, veges, 2nd hand clothes, traditional Tanzania fabrics, beaded masasi bracelets and household items like soap etc.

To the right of our bus in the football field their was a tiny goat market taking place - although by the time we had arrived most had been sold and only a couple were left. As St Jude's occassionally visit's Lukmia's family we take out a gift of a live goat to his family. So off he went to bargain with the sellers to get our goat... more about him later.

So this particular market is really only for locals, so it is quiet funny that a whole busload of "muzungus" pulls up and hop out. The majority of visitors in this group were older in their 50-70's. As soon as we got off I made a dash to leave the group and get in amongst the excitement - my skin colour is bad enough here without needing to standing in a pack of glowing white tourists ;) Also on this particular day there was a local mobile phone company with their green truck and promo dancers breaking some moves on their makeshift dance floor - a small crowd had gathered of young and old locals wanting to catch a glimpse of the excitement so I decided that's exactly where I wanted to be and walked right on over to the centre of the group with my small digital camera in hand.

I made the decision before I hopped off the bus that I would infact not pull out the huge Canon SLR I'm lugging around as it just dosent seem to rate to high in the popularity stakes here and totally ruins every photo opportunity as people get very camera shy when they see the lens pop out.

So there was me standing in the middle of a local only crowd who were bopping away in their masai blankets and sticks with massive earlobes that have been over-stretched from beaded earrings. Once people started to notice me I attracted my own crowd and an old Masai man in his 70's came over with a huge smile and several missing teeth to shake my hand and welcome me. He was very cute and I wanted to get a photo but know that just starts the roll of "support my family give me money" or paying for every photo.

The photo opportunities for the Canon just kept rolling by and it killed me as I kept seeing everything as photos but even with my small digital I knew its not appropriate to just walk up and take their photos!

I hadn't planned on shopping but knew that you dont pay more than 6,000 TSH for a Masai blanket so walked around asking prices and got everything from 25,000 down to 15,000. The blankets are ok - but I really love the Tanzanian Kanga and Kitenge material. The Kanga is about the size of a sarong and worn over pants like a long sarong, only you tie it above your bellybutton as only the "cheap" girls wear things on their hips I have been told. The Kitengei is like 6 metres of material that you buy to have dresses etc made and also has beautiful patterns. So I came across this one girl who decoratively placed all her fabrics in cones on her tarpoline and I absolutely loved her outfit - a black and yellow polka dot dress.

We started to bargain for one kitenge and I got her down to 6,000 - then I say to her - give me two for 10,000 and you have a good sale. She laughed at me but caved after 5min of me laughing back - thank you! Then I saw a heap of the other ladies from our bus so pushed them her direction and told her to remember my face as I will come shopping again and want special prices for bringing her so much business he he yes it's the European blood shining through!

I managed to take some sneaky shots of masai women in their blankets and adorned in their beaded jewels resting. I was wondering through the vege section and was again befriended by an elder - this time an old lady sitting on the floor selling her fruits. I greeted here with "Shikamoo" reserved for elders and she responded with "Marhaba". Then in the most impressive sales tactic she held my hand, touched my face and showered me with what I can only imagine compliments (I hope) and wouldnt let go of my hand as she started to ask me to buy from her, motioning she needed food for her family, every story under the sun - of course I couldnt work out exactly what she was saying.

Anyways I managed to free myself and headed towards the bus - not before buying a 2nd hand GAP business shirt for less than $3 and a black business shirt - these have proven to be my best and an invaluable buy as they go with everything are perfect for the conservative surrounds I'm in. As I'm waiting for our bus to load up our guard brings around a plate of cooked goat which was delicious even if a tadd fatty. Most people polietly tried one but didnt like it - I was there with the driver and guards feasting with oily fingers - such a lady! Then came the funny part - Mr Billy Goat gets loaded into our bus with us with a small rope around his neck - we tie him to the railing on the steps of the bus and he wasnt scared in the slightest. I didnt want to know what fate awaited him but he seemed happy to be getting all the attention.

We headed off on a bumpy dirt road towards Lukmai's village and approached a area of round mud huts with thatched roofs. The roads got so bad that at one point we had to unload half the passangers so we could get over a hump and then they hopped back on. Suddenly Lukmia is telling our driver Joseph something in Kiswahili and we realise that MR Billygoat is about to meet his new family as on of the boys from his tribe is walking towards us with a heard of goats. We untie him and open the bus door - he jumps out, bleats and heads off with his 40 or so new friends - it was very cool!

Arriving at the village there was a group of maybe 6 huts and lots of kids raggedly dressed come running towards us. Our visitor co-ordinator has the cookie bucket and hands out packets of biscuits and they go wild. I find a quiet place under the tree to start snapping - this time with my big camera and the kids happily pose - gotta love kids!!! Next thing I know they are all interested in my necklace, earrings and bracelets - only the earrings and necklace are silver so nothing too expensive but they decided they want them. I manage to keep my earrings and necklace, then one little girl takes off her masai bracelet and offers it to me in exchange for one of mine. So the swapping begins and I end up giving up my evil eye leather strap from Istanbul and get our driver to explain to the girls the purpose of the evil eye since they are also supersticious. Just before leaving one of the older girls abruptly instructs me to give back all their bracelets and gave me my Thailand one back - it was hilarious - deal off!

Whilst I was absorbed in the kids the others went off to meet Lukmia's two - yes two wifes - its very common here for Masai to have two and even some none masai give it a go Im told.

We had a brilliant day and lots of photos to show for it. Cant wait to go back and get more fabrics from my commission owing :)

Next blog... Cradle of Love Orphanage, Arusha

Lake Manyara Safari with the St Judes kids

So week one flew by with lots of photos to be taken of the kids in assembly, in class and on their way home. Now it was time for the super fun stuff... SAFARI! Arusha is known as the major drop-in point for tourists from around the world who come to Tanzania to experience the safari parks such as Serengeti, Lake Manyara, Ngorogoro & Tarengeri national park - and safari's are pretty much visited by tourists only, so you can imagine the expense!

I was super lucky that my first Saturday in Tanzania, needed me to go on safari with the kids to do some photography of their outing - we actually took the St Jude's buses into the Lake Manyara national park! Mostly tourists go with the drivers from their lodges or organised tours - so you see an abundance of them in open top landcruisers. We had 3 or 4 bus loads of St Jude's students who were super excited and only around 6 teachers to look after them all. I had prepared myself that this is a school excursion, so expect the headaches etc.

Not the case at all! You have never seen such well behaved children - ever! I'm talking that it got to the point that I had to look behind me to check that the kids were still in the bus. The teacher started the trip with a stern lecture on being quiet during the trip and once in the park so as not to scare the animals. When we drove past the airport, all the children lost their mind (quietly though) and were all staring in amazement at the aircraft - it was very cute.

We stopped just before arriving at the national park for some African ginger tea and these triangular donut spongey breads for morning tea. The funniest scene ever - the buses pulled up in some vacant land on the side of the road for morning tea, but as the drive had taken us more than 2 hours to get there, plus most of the kids had been waiting at the side of the road since 6am for pick-ups - they were busting for the toilet. So you just saw this mass of boys run and surround this poor tree and start peeing and then the girl decided they too couldnt wait and there was like 40+ girls running for trees at the back of the land and squatting shyly. Some girls got so excited that they ran over on of their friends and there she lay face into the ground like she had been run over by a steam roller. I ran over to peel her off the ground and wipe away her tears - of course then her friends apologise profousley. After killing the grass here we decided it was time to finally take them to the national park.

We pulled up outside and are greeted by our guides. The female teachers and I who had not been able to join the tree and squat made a made dash for the toilets. Just as we were so close there is a male cleaner in front of us walking so sloooowwwwly up the ramp, that I couldnt take it anymore and started saying at the top of my voice "emergency, emergency" that made him move - it also made him start laughing too!

It was only $30USD for us to actually have access to the national park since we had our own transport. Outside the park there were already baboons and some other type of monkeys roaming around, so the kids were starting to get excited. Once we passed security and drove into the safari park - it was just us and the animals. You should have seen the kids with their eyes peeled looking for the most popular animal of all in this park - the tree sleeping simba (lions). We lucked out this day and didnt see any, but everytime we drove past another tour group they would say they had just seen some around the bend - of course by the time we got there Simba was gone - but Im wondering if they were just saying it to keep the tourists happy!

We saw endless giraffee and impala's. The kids swear they saw hippos but Im still convinced they were rocks in the water. We saw zebras and flamingo's and a heard of elephants were right next to our bus.

You can actually camp in the national park grounds but I just think thats down right crazy!!! Lions prowling around, hyenas!!! You can even do guided walks with an armed ranger through the park, but Im not a fan of animals getting shot just because I need some adventure.

Whenever we saw animals the kids were so well behaved and they like me were hanging to see the lions but never game up hope. We had a short break at the hot springs - the water was really really hot and I forget this and nearly burned my face!!!

Lunch was beside the lake near the flamingo's - it was everyone's favourite pilau and rice that we had in massive plastic bins that were on the bus. Yes sounds glamarous, hence why I didnt want the meat as I thought it would be cold - I tried one piece and it was fine so gobbled it up with the kids who were amused that I sat eating with them and not the teachers.

As we were leaving the park we saw endless families of baboons and even one that was the since of a 4-5 year old child - I havent had my rabies shot so my window stayed closed!!

The drive home took us past some beautiful and typical African scenery with the round mud huts with their stick thatched roofs, too many Masai's and their goats grazing, quiet a few Masai women in traditional gear off to the water holes.

The kids were angels right until the very end. It had been an extremly long day on the road and in the bus for everyone - by the time we needed to refuel and drop off the last few children who must have been famished so I was feeding them arrowroot biscuits - everyone was exhausted but we had some amazing photos to show for it!!

Again this safari was enable by the generous St Jude supporters - if it were not for the donations these children may never afford to go on safari in their own hometown in their lifetime.

Next Blog... First weekend and not only do I go on Safari but the next day I'm visiting a Masai village and bargaining at the Masai Sunday markets!