Our first couple of days in Tanzania were spent with a local Masai guide who took us to his home village in a small place called Monduli. The Masai are well known for their traditional lifestyle, which includes customs such as polygamy (however, see below) and drinking cow's blood to stay strong (and they are! -- very strong and healthy). The scenery was beautiful and we had some memorable experiences. Highlights include:
- Susan going to a disco party held at our guesthouse at 2am to dance with the locals. Susan's comparative advantage was aptly put to work--making first contact with another culture through the universal language of booty shaking. This is what you learn with a PhD in international relations.
- Learning about the Masai economy, where 'cow is king.' FYI for our guy friends planning on marrying into a Masai tribe: you'll need at least 10 cows in payment for each wife you want.
- Learning about Masai sexual practices. We heard from several sources (although we don't know if this is just one of those things they tell foreigners to get them interested) that married men and women sleep around quite freely. If a man puts his spear outside a woman's hut (even if they are not married to one another), that means that no one is to disturb them all night.
- Being ambushed by Masai traveling saleswomen. This warrior culture seems to have abandoned fighting for bead work. Every female, regardless of age, has some homemade beaded bracelets to sell. You can walk for hours without seeing another living soul and sure enough, around the next bend in the middle of nowhere a Masai woman is waiting to sell her bracelets.
- Susan is "picked" by the local Masai men during a mating ritual dance. The picture below is from the dance, with high jumping a symbol of potency. Thank goodness the west doesn't measure male potency in this manner, since, as the saying goes, white men can't jump.
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