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Kenya-Vast, Rugged,

Progressive And Primitive

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By Sue Wendt

Each to his own, but how would you like to live on a diet of cows’ milk —and more cows’ milk—with a little cows’ blood and meat thrown in for variety?

Sampling national dishes is one of the fun things to do on a holiday—but in the case of the Masai people of East Africa, hearing about rather than ex periencing the local “dish of the day” was perfectly satisfactory, thank you.

I’m just not that adventurous!

Among the Masai, goats’ milk is considered fit only for women. Honey beer and tobacco, I learned, are luxuries for the elders. But the young Masai warrior lives solely on the milk, blood and meat of the cow. Judging by his splendid, supple physique it’s a diet that serves him very well indeed.

Kenya is a vast, rugged land of life styles both progressive and primitive;

a country of visual and human con trasts where one doesn’t have to leave the skyscrapers and luxury hotels far behind before coming face-to-face with the “real Africa”. Bustling Nairobi (a Masai word meaning ‘place of cool waters’) is the only city in the world where you can drive from the doors of a first-class hotel, along broad tree-lined streets, past modern buildings and large suburban homes and find yourself, in less than fifteen minutes, in country literally teeming with wild game.

But Africa is people too. Kenya alone is the home of nearly a hundred different tribes of varied ethnic ori gins, zealously loyal to the old ways though adopting some of the new.

You see them by the roadside and in the remoter townships: lithe young warriors with spear and shield, women with elegant Nefertiti-carved features, suckling babes, colourfully-garbed pastoral folk tending great herds of cattle. They are people fiercely proud of their cultural traditions and almost indifferent, it seems, to the passing parade that tourism brings. But all is not always what it seems. Often enough a tall impassive “warrior” may well be a much-travelled univer sity graduate, or businessman or civil servant, on temporary leave of ab sence from his urban role.

For the casual visitor, it isn’t easy to make close personal contact with East Africa’s rural people and to get the most out of a trip, visitors are best advised to travel in small organised parties with an experienced guide. It saves time and trouble and the guide is on hand to explain the cultural differences of his fellow-countrymen.

During a brief stay, you probably won’t learn much more of the langu age than “jambo”, which means “hello”—and the guide is useful when it comes to asking permission to take photographs. You must never “steal” a photograph of passing tribesmen without asking first, since many be-

lieve that their souls are being cap tured by the camera, and are natur ally suspicious of such fearsome devices.

Safari tours into the Kenyan countryside provide visitors with ample opportunity for seeing and photographing African dance and ceremony, not the least impressive being the performances of the exu berant Chuka drummers from the slopes of Mount Kenya. Wearing head dresses of wild Colobus monkey skins, they perform with orderly abandon against the background of their moun tain and at ceremonies throughout the country.

Even visitors with just a day to spare in Nairobi can meet the warriors of one of the Masai tribes.

A five-hour tour takes you out through 30 miles of scenic surprises to the Mayers’ Ranch, established in the 19th century on the lower slopes of the Great Rift Valley. The valley stretches away in a breathtaking vista as the safari vehicle wends its way down

The Masai are a spectacular people, fiercely proud of their ancient traditions.

You can meet them during a day tour out of Nairobi, Kenya's busy capital city.

Pink elephants and two-headed giraffe?

East Africa's game parks are full of sur prises. The elephants are pink because they douse themselves with red dust. And the giraffe? Well, the camera doesn't lie —does it?

the escarpment and suddenly you’re in yesterday’s Africa.

The indigenous Masai remain on the ranch by special arrangement with the owners, but they’ve preserved their ancient life-style almost intact. They are reluctant to adapt to modern ways, since one apparently small change will affect the whole fabric of their tightly woven society. The Masai are won derfully spectacular people, proud and independent, believing firmly that all Masai are equal—and all Masai better than anyone else.

Even on the Mayers’ Ranch, the “moran”, as the young warriors are called, live apart from the rest of the tribe for eight years, learning tribal traditions and dances and be ing schooled in the ancient techni ques of war and defence of their cattle herds.

The women are shaven of head and adorned during their waking hours with every article of beaded finery they own. Not for them the proverbial women’s crowning glory— a shaved head is essential for beauty.

But the warriors cultivate shoulder length locks, twisted with wild-sisal fibres or sheeps’ wool, and consider such coiffure both attractive and use ful for protecting the back of the neck during a fight.

All Masai use a mixture of pul verized red earth and animal fat as

a cosmetic, with the morans taking special pains to decorate themselves with curious designs—in times of war to intimidate the enemy; in peace-time to impress the girls.

These young Masai men have never heard of musicians’ unions! They dance for more than an hour with nary a pause for breath, enacting elaborate preparation for war or hunting, leaping high into the air with effortless grace.

Back in Nairobi, we wine and dine

in the high plush nightclub of the city’s Hotel Intercontinental, enjoying lobster bisque and other international offerings, looking down on a neon patterned carpet that might be any where in the world. The music is mellow and moody, the African band playing a well-known Neapolitan love song for a voluble Italian tour group.

This is the familiar, comfortable, contemporary world of the ex perienced traveller. Out there—just beyond the sophisticated trappings of

Nairobi, capital of Kenya, is a modern, orderly city with sophisticated nightspots and luxurious hotels. Just 15 minutes drive away is yesterday's Africa . . .