The Masai market is held in Kibaya every 14 days.
We often go. It's about a thirty minute walk from our house. There's not a lot to do in Kibaya for entertainment and so going to the market just to browse is a good way to spend a morning.
The Masai make these sandals from discarded tires
We often end our marketing with a plate of chipsi mayai and orange Fanta at the Taj Mahal restaurant on the main street. Cooked French fries are mixed with beaten eggs and then fried to make this Tanzanian omelette-like delicacy. My Swahili communication skills are not sophisticated enough to order the French fries on the side and even if I could it is doubtful that the cook would break with the traditional recipe.
Yesterday was hot and sunny and so we decided to ride on the back of motorcycle taxis, or piki pikis as they are called in Swahili, to the market. The fare for a ride across town on the back of a piki piki is about sixty cents.
Masai Tribesmen at the Cattle Market
We first visited the cattle area when the Masai tribesmen buy and sell cattle. They herd their cattle into a large coral and the buyers come to them and the bargaining begins. My Masai friend told me that yesterday there were few buyers from Dar es Salaam and so prices were down. A decent cow goes for about $200.
Then we visited the goat coral. The buying and selling of the goats works in much the same way as the cattle except that the goats are bought and sold by the younger Masai.
In the Cattle Coral
In a separate area of the market blankets, cow and goat bells, bows and arrows, Masai knives, school uniforms, plastic buckets and used clothing are sold.
I bought a Masai Machete for five dollars--including the sheath
I bought a second hand Woolrich shirt and a second hand pair of Nautica pants for a little under three dollars to replace the ones that were ruined by bleach. Debbie bought me a traditional Masai blanket and a goat bell for my 60th birthday.
Traditional Masai Cloth for Sale
All in all it was a relaxing morning.
Happy Birthday!
ReplyDeleteDear Peter - May the Lord bless you 100 fold on your 60th birthday. I can hardly wait to see you walking in my office with your cow bell tied to your belt! You look lke you have lost quite a bit of weight but you look great and your writing style and photos make me think you are happier and more content than before.
ReplyDeleteDear Debra - I can hardly wait to hear your stories when you return. I hope you plan a gathering where your fans can gather to hear your stories for a whole day so you won't have to repeat them a thousand times! Your emails come in late at night but even when I am just about to shutdown, and I see your blog come in, I sit right down to savour your words, feel your heart, and sense your environment and agenda and all the words you have not (yet!) spoken! May the Lord bless you abundantly and give His angels charge over you and all your friends and associates every hour of every day. Hug and Blessings from Diana :-)