September 9, 2025 | Eat, Pray, Love: Africa Edition
Day Three was a shift. Less animals, more people. Less adrenaline, more perspective. And honestly? It might’ve been one of my favorite days in the Mara.
Riding Shotgun (Finally) 🙏🏾
For our final day, the group wanted to visit a Maasai village before heading back to Nairobi. And let me just say — thank God I was one of the first people picked up.
Because after day One & Two? I was not getting stuck in that back-row, corner-over-the-wheel seat again. Absolutely not.
My driver must’ve read my spirit because as soon as I got to the truck, he said:
“Do you want to sit up front with me?”
Absolutely! Say less. 😌 Honestly I already had plans to ask, so thanks for beating me to it.
Maasai Village Visit 🛖
When we arrived to the village, we were welcomed by the chief’s son, who walked us through some common greetings (Supa=Hello; Ipa= Reply to Supa; Ashe=Thank you) and shared fascinating traditions specific to the Maasai people living in the Maasai Mara (important note: Maasai communities in Tanzania and other regions follow different customs).
✨ Things That Stuck With Me:
- Clothing = family identity: If two people wear the same colors or patterns, they belong to the same family.
- Large, connected families: This particular village was home to about 200 people, all related through one grandfather who had 10 wives. Polygamy is common, and wives come from neighboring villages — and there are about 300 villages in that region.
- Fire-making the ancestral way: No matches. No lighters. Just sticks. I watched them start a fire from scratch like it was nothing. 😯
- Pain tolerance & initiation: Circumcision happens around age 14 😬, so pain tolerance training is serious. The same heated sticks used to start fires are also used to burn tattoos and test the boy’s tolerance for pain. The burning end of the stick is placed on their arms or thighs to determine the boy’s readiness.
- Boys becoming warriors: Around age 15, roughly 200 boys go into the wilderness together for five years, accompanied by elders who teach Maasai culture and survival. At the end of that journey, the group must kill one male lion together to prove their strength and bravery to protect and defend their community. Teamwork really does make the dream work.
- Women as builders: The women construct the homes! It takes about two months to build, and they last roughly nine years due to termites. And listen… while I’m Ms. “I-N-D-E-P-E-N-D-E-N-T Do you know what that mean?” in many ways, home construction is not my ministry. 😅
The Welcome Dance 🥰
We were then treated to a traditional welcome dance and song, usually performed for special occasions like weddings, circumcision ceremonies, or naming celebrations.
And the best part, we were invited to join! They draped us in their jewelry and pulled us right in. I danced, laughed, and soaked in the moment. It was powerful.
The famous Maasai jumping isn’t just for show — it’s a competition! The higher a man jumps, the stronger and fitter he’s considered. . . and the fewer cows his family may need to pay in dowry.
Motivation to work on your hops, honestly. 😂
Inside the village, we saw their plethora of cattle (cows = wealth) and were invite to step inside their homes, all built nearly identical.
💡Pro tourist tip: Visitors are separated when entering the homes because they’re small. It makes the experience feel very personal and intimate which is nice, but if you can, try to buddy up with someone if you’re a solo traveler. Why you may ask? Well that brings me to…
The Art of Negotiating (Again) 💸
After the home tours, they bring over some handmade jewelry pieces made by the women in the village, The sales support the community and the nearby school.
I bought a bracelet for $30.
Yes. Thirty USD. I know. 🙈
Later, when chatting with my friend from the tour I learned she bought the same exact bracelet for $15.
Early-trip Angelica still wasn’t negotiating. 🤦🏾♀️ Honestly, the Maasai Village didn’t “feel” like the right place to negotiate. 🥴 But “When in Rome!” or in this case “When in Africa”. Here’s the truth: everything is negotiable — everywhere. It’s cultural, not rude.
LESSON LEARNED (For real this time! 😅)
Negotiate respectfully, but negotiate always!
Back to Nairobi 🚐
After the village visit, it was time for the six-hour drive back to Nairobi. We made the usual pit stops — bathroom breaks, gas, and lunch (buffet included).
But while at the gas station next thing I know the hood of the truck is propped open. 😟
I don’t know what was wrong, but suddenly there were five Kenyan men and two little boys all helping our driver. It felt like we were on the verge of another Jet2Holiday. 😨🫣
After about 30 minutes, we were back on the road.
Dude . . . Where’s My Car? 🚕
When we finally reached Nairobi, we were dropped at a central location (similar to the pick-up location) instead of our respective hotels, which, after that drive, was not ideal. But on a positive note my larger suitcases that I had to leave behind was delivered there shortly after our arrival.
What wasn’t waiting for me? My ride back to the Airbnb!
The Activity Provider from my GetYourGuide booking really fell short with the transportation coordination. I waited around until my safari guide made a few calls and eventually found me a driver.
And then came rush-hour traffic. 😫
Not regular traffic.
Turn-off-your-engine traffic.
Nairobi humbled me that evening. 😮💨 I was quickly reminded that “Patience is a virtue!” But eventually, I made it home safely. Praise ye the Lord. 🙌🏾
Bonus Rest Day 🧺
I had an extra day in Nairobi before flying to Tanzania — and I needed it.
Laundry:
Whew. I missed my American washer/dryer bad yall. Their washer just wasn’t getting my clothes clean to the level I was used to and I even tried mixing their laundry powder with the detergent I packed, to no avail. Plus this Airbnb only had a drying rack instead of a long clothesline, like my first Airbnb, and it was not sufficient for the volume of clothes I had. I had clothes hanging up all around that apartment. But in the words of Mariah Carey, “Imma do the best I can, with what I got!!” 😂
Java House:
My safari friend recommended I go to Java House and try their Dawa, a traditional Kenyan ginger tea.
When I tell you that ginger was STRONG — it could clear sinuses, spirits, and intentions. 😮💨
Glad I tried it though!
Rest:
I came back to the Airbnb slept until dinner time, woke-up ate my leftovers, repacked, and mentally prepared for yet another early-morning flight.
Wrap-Up 💜
Day Three wasn’t about chasing animals — it was about understanding people, traditions, and slowing down long enough to absorb it all.
The Maasai village was humbling, beautiful, and deeply educational. And that bonus rest day gave my body and spirit exactly what they needed.
Next stop: Tanzania 🇹🇿 and the adventure continues….
– CYA! ✌🏾
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