Maasai Boma & Oldupai Gorge - August 17

We had breakfast and left the Ngorongoro Conservation area on our way to Serengeti National Park. We stopped to visit a Maasai Village and then had a stop at Oldupai Gorge on the way.

On the drive there we saw Giraffes up on a hill.



We were greeted by the Tribe leaders’ son who had gone to college and returned to help his tribe. He and his brother spoke English really well. They greeted us with songs and dance and then performed the dance where they compete to see who can jump the highest.



They then brought us inside the village to show us around.



We visited their school where the young children sang for us and counted to 10. Just melted my heart to see their smiling faces. 

 walking to the school

 the school

he led the counting to 10

We were then invited into the son’s hut and he explained how their lives are and that the whole family slept in that small space.

 entrance to the rondavel

 inside

 he took a pic of us inside



Then it was shopping time as they had many crafts for sale. Many of the ex-poachers have learned that tourism can replace that income. I picked up a few things and they quoted a huge price and of course they kept coming down. It was still too much money and I handed one thing back. They came down a little and we paid it. He then handed me the other trinket as a gift. Wilson came over and talked to him in Swahili that it was too much money and the warrior said “they are happy” and Wilson asked us if we were and we said yes. It really does help them and it’s more of a donation than just buying their crafts.





We then visited Olduvai Gorge, the “cradle of mankind” where Dr. Louis and Mary Leakey discovered the earliest human fossils after 28 years of searching. “Over the last thirty years or so, it has become increasingly apparent that Africa is probably the "Cradle of Mankind".  From Africa they spread out to populate the rest of Earth. Remains of the earliest humans were found in Oldupai Gorge.”

 reception office where we checked in



We also learned that the Maasai word is Oldupai not Olduvai. Leaky had misunderstood the word, but the name he gave it stuck, but they really want people to understand what the real name is. There was a small museum there which and  it was an interesting stop.

 Agama Lizard - male

 Agama Lizard - male

 Agama Lizard - male

 Agama Lizard - female

 Agama Lizard - female

 Red & Yellow Barbet

 Red & Yellow Barbet

cute, but unknown bird....

 



We then continued the 3 hour total drive from Central Serengeti to Northern Serengeti.