Maasai Market

Ok, so you've gotten used to the morning routine. We wake up, eat, etc. We are now experienced dalla-dalla riders, so we are able to take those to get out to Fidi Fosi (the road that the "entrance" to Olasiti is on...one of them). It's interesting on our walks to the orphanage...the little kids that run to us only know how to say "Goodbye! Goodbye!" So we got to the orphanage and the kids sang to us, then we did our lessons, etc. My class spent a lot of time outside studying the parts of trees, and then today we also moved on to the sky. We all laid down in the grass (there were thorns...I didn't realize that) and identified clouds, sky, sun, moon, stars, etc. It was lovely. We had lunch there again, too, but this time no beans! Instead there was a mystery meat with rice, which was decent. By the way, as I'm sitting here, there is a Muslim call to prayer. I don't know if I've talked about those yet. If you're unfamiliar with Muslims, they do this 5 times a day. Wait...I have talked about these. Whatever. Google it. It's annoying. So we ate lunch and then walked with Nosim and Mike to the Maasai market. We've realized that "How far of a walk is it?" doesn't get it done here. You have to specify "Africa far" or "America far." These people have been walking their whole lives, so a 45 minute walk (which this one was) seems like a hop, skip, and a jump. Luckily the scenery is very nice (I mean...its Africa. The whole time we've had this huge mountain, Mt. Meru, in the background.) So we walked for about 45 minutes, including a little bit through the huge, 7 foot or so ditches left over from running water during the rainy seasons. Eventually we got to the village outside of the Maasai market. Mike and I reasoned that Olasiti is like a miniature Tanzania. In and of itself it is technically a village, but within there are various groupings of homes, businesses, etc. that have their own names. The Maasai market was obviously not made for white tourists. I mean these were legit Africans doing legit day-to-day business. There were hundreds of goats, which the Maasai buy, sell, and eat (I saw a hairy goat leg cooking over a grill...Mike asked if I wanted some. No thanks; Hapana asante). Additionally there were the clothes they wear (I put on a whole Maasai outfit for a picture...which ended up costing TZS 2500) and the tire sandals. I bought a pair!! They're really cool. Google "Maasai tire sandals" if you want to see them. The girls bought some fabric, and Mike and Nosim bought some food for their families. I tried to buy a Maasai bush sword/machete, but the dude tried to give me the "wazungu (white people) price"...TZS 15000. Mike said no way and instead said he'd give me his (a legit one!!! SICK!) and then go buy another one for the Maasai price (I'll give him the money). After the Maasai market we got on a dalla-dalla with Mike and Nosim (they got off halfway to see a friend) and got off at the main dalla-dalla station (the side of a road). We went to Dolly's Patisserie (spelling?) which we have frequented daily. It is owned by an Arabic lady and her family, and the stuff there is legit, especially the doughnuts. We sat in there and argued about whether or not it was Pepsi's fault that the teeth of Appalachain poor kids have been rotting out since they're addicted to Mountain Dew. I don't know. It was on Oprah or something. Anyway, Ashton and I won the argument against Amy and my mom because we are smarter. So we sat in there until it got close to dark, which of course means we need to get back. We walked back to the apartment (a new one...on top of the one we've been staying in) and watched the only English channel on tv...WWJD TV: diehard Christians...great. Now we're about to eat at the hotel again. Tomorrow and Sunday we don't go to the orphanage. Instead, we'll be walking and shopping around town, and we may go on a hike to one of the waterfalls in Ngorongoro. Who knows. Until next time...kwa heri marafiki yangu.