The wedding was a very interesting 48-hour period. The ceremonial dancing starts the night before the wedding. There was a full moon that night which gave a great atmosphere once the singing and dancing began. This was only my third night living with the Maasai so I was still a little nervous and naïve about what was going on. The morans started dancing around 8PM. They continued to dance until around 10PM when everyone crammed into the largest boma. The boma was about 15 feet long and 10 feet wide, but we managed to fit about 40 people into the boma. It was very hot, smoky and loud as many elders were very drunk. An elder blesses the marriage and hands a calabash of milk to the groom. The groom takes the first sip and the bride has to finish it. While she is finishing the milk, everyone inside the boma yells out their wedding gift for the couple. Some give a cow, goat, or donkey along with various other items. I thought this was great, After someone would yell out what they planned to give everyone celebrated. Moses, who was my host for the wedding, was behind me. I was minding my own business and heard him yell something. The next thing I know every person inside was staring at me yelling something in Maa that I could not understand. Moses then yelled something else and that is when my heart stopped. Everyone in the boma mobbed me. They were rubbing my body, yelling and singing. I was terrified because I did not know what Moses said, what the people were saying or what in the hell I was gong to do.
I later found out that Moses originally promised a coke for the bride and groom from me, but then changed it to a case of coke for the whole village. We had not discussed this beforehand and I was just as surprised to be giving a case of coke as everyone else. The elders seemed to be impressed by this and made me sit next to them. They brought out a 5-gallon bucket or honey beer. I really did not want to be drinking the Maasai local brew but there was no getting away because I was surrounded. They poured about a liter of the honey beer in a rather large cup and gave it to me. I looked like urine, smelled even worse and there were pieces of leaves and roots floating in it. I tried to refuse but the drunken men got very mad. So, I closed my eyes and took it down with one big gulp.
Ten minutes later, my head was spinning and I was very drunk. This is usually how horror movies begin and I was uneasy. Finally we left the smoky boma t o head toward Longido. Only we were not going home. About 1km from the boma, we came upon 30 morans eating meat. Of course, we had to eat meat with them. After eating Moses went back to dance some more and I walked home with two other morans. I was drunk off Maasai local brew and wandering through the bush after being in Tanzania for five days. It was a great beginning to the trip.
The dancing went until 4Am and then we arrived the next morning at 10AM to continue dancing all day. I tried my dancing jumping skills and ventured into the middle of the circle the jump. I almost fell the first time but then I got the hang of it. It was a great day and I stayed until dark.
I later found out that Moses originally promised a coke for the bride and groom from me, but then changed it to a case of coke for the whole village. We had not discussed this beforehand and I was just as surprised to be giving a case of coke as everyone else. The elders seemed to be impressed by this and made me sit next to them. They brought out a 5-gallon bucket or honey beer. I really did not want to be drinking the Maasai local brew but there was no getting away because I was surrounded. They poured about a liter of the honey beer in a rather large cup and gave it to me. I looked like urine, smelled even worse and there were pieces of leaves and roots floating in it. I tried to refuse but the drunken men got very mad. So, I closed my eyes and took it down with one big gulp.
Ten minutes later, my head was spinning and I was very drunk. This is usually how horror movies begin and I was uneasy. Finally we left the smoky boma t o head toward Longido. Only we were not going home. About 1km from the boma, we came upon 30 morans eating meat. Of course, we had to eat meat with them. After eating Moses went back to dance some more and I walked home with two other morans. I was drunk off Maasai local brew and wandering through the bush after being in Tanzania for five days. It was a great beginning to the trip.
The dancing went until 4Am and then we arrived the next morning at 10AM to continue dancing all day. I tried my dancing jumping skills and ventured into the middle of the circle the jump. I almost fell the first time but then I got the hang of it. It was a great day and I stayed until dark.
