So, I was lucky enough to go with some students and spend a week in Engaruka a village in the heart of Maasai land! Engaruka is really rural Tanzania and is very different from life in a busy city like Arusha. There is no mobile phone signal in or around the village, so it is quite daunting to switch off the mobile for one full week, and definitely feels strange to be without modern comforts.

To travel to Engaruka, we took the taxi from the house which takes about fifteen minutes to the Arusha local bus, we took the bus from there to Engaruka via Mto wa Mbu (Arusha to Mto wa Mbu is about 3hrs) which was very busy and dusty, but definitely interesting and typically African. After stopping at Mto Wa Mbu (Mosquito River) for some food and drink for two hours, the bus turns off the main road into the wilderness across the Rift Valley, and you suddenly realise just how rural the village experience is going to be. The journey, although long and very bumpy is a fantastic introduction to Maasai life, as you see wild animals like grant gazelle, zebras and giraffes passing the bus and lots of Maasai in traditional dress. Don’t be surprise to see driver tie the goat on top of the bus; just remember you are in Africa – TIA!!

After arriving around 19:00 in the evening we were taken to our home for the week, which is a big change from the Work the World house in Arusha………no electricity, no signal, no internet  but the house is nice and clean and cosy. The beds are made of sticks with mattresses not like maasai bed which is made the same but with cow skin instead of mattresses, our beds are very comfortable – honestly!  The most important thing to say is that the Maasai are very friendly and welcoming, especially if you can learn a few words of Maasai and make the effort to communicate in their own language like “Takwenya” reply “Iko” or “Supai” reply “Ipa” all this means how are you and reply is fine.

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