Snakes and Cows

We saw a Green Mamba snake.  ‘Highly venomous and fast moving’ according to our guide and incredibly rare to spot.  We were on our last walking safari and we scored the jackpot.   Walking down a very lush, green, jungly path listening out for bird song, the guide with the gun shouted out and pointed up.  About 2m above, staring right at us coiled around a tree there it was.  We were told to be quiet and not do anything that would intimidate it.  Then one by one we passed slowly and calmly underneath it to see if it’s gaze followed.    It did.  Crikey.  But luckily this didn’t make it drop on our heads. 

We also visited a local Masai village.  Driving up in our high-seated jeeps Taran said he felt a bit like we were on a royal tour waving as we drove to running, excited kids.  We decided that an enthusiastic wave and shouting Jambo was a better option.  David, who owned our camp, has known this tribe for a long time ever since he met Saita (the young elder) on a railway track and asked him to look after some of their camp gear.  Saita was a tall dashing figure wrapped up in chequered cloth with long dangling skin looped ears.  Taran was fascinated to learn that this was supposed to be a way to attract wives.  It had clearly worked as Saita had two wives, both of whom seemed to have had kids at the same time.  As one of the mouthy Yorkshire ladies on our visit said loudly ‘ooh eck, he’s a busy man!’.  Saita also showed us his two homes.  One was neat but tiny separated into three parts.  The smallest room for the wife and kids AND the kitchen.  One central part for hanging out, which was slightly larger but not much.  Not a lot in it but some eggs in the corner and a few mobile phone numbers scratched on the wall.  Maybe it had been cleared up for our visit.  The third room was Saita’s room which was much larger and a huge bed covered in a large cow hide.  Ummmm.  Unfair, I thought but that’s the culture.  He also had just built another much larger brick house with a satellite next door for his other wife.  Michael, who was another guide with us and is also Masai said that things are changing and this is what he meant – the desire to have bigger and better houses, and the introduction of the internet and mobile phones.  I couldn’t help but wonder how this would eventually effect the simple, seemingly happy cow-owning community.   Apparently one of the tribe owns 3,000 cows so we worked out that his herd was worth over a million dollars.  But they never sell them, they hardly kill them but mainly use them for milk.  They never own the land they are on but according to Michael the amount of cows you own is ‘what it’s all about’ and defines your status within the community.  A bit like Amos who we met in the Serengeti who couldn’t get married (different tribe Susumi) because he didn’t have enough cows to present to his future parents in law.   Again it is all about the cows! 

Taran got his football out and after about 15 minutes most of the kids were playing.  Two very young ones (maybe no older than 7) were trying to join in with 6 week old babies strapped to their backs.   Taran decided to leave the ball with them.  Michael said they would play with until it bursts.   It is good to know we left a bit of out trip in this village.