Visit a Massai tribe

“When we first arrived at the village, we were greeted with a very warm welcome and asked if they could perform a welcome dance for us. [...] The women stood in a line and sang while the men, with their spears and instruments, danced among us. After a short time, we were asked to come into the village, where the dancing continued. The men gathered into a semi-circle, and then one or two at a time they moved to the center of the circle to jump. After a few jumps, they would stomp their feet and then give way for the next man to move to the center. [...] They asked us to join in the dancing and we took our turns jumping. I think I got a whole two or three inches off the ground when I jumped, to the delight and amusement of our hosts.”

“Next, it was the men’s turn. Our group stood in a huddle, the men at the front. We were forewarned that women were not allowed to participate in the adamu – the “jumping dance” that makes up a part of the Maasai warrior initiation ceremony. We heard them before we saw them. The deep, guttural chanting immediately sounded more intimidating and electrifying than the women’s singing had been; it seemed to indicate something important was about to happen.”

“We were greeted at our campsite by our hosts, Steve and Dave (if you haven’t guessed, these are not their Maa names). Steve, who we learned was the chief’s son, led us to his village, where we met his first wife, Esther, who welcomed us into their hut. All nine of us piled into the small hut made of tree branches and cow dung. Speaking to them was fascinating; the Maasai live such vastly different lives to ours.”