Elangata Wuas - The Boma Stay – Part 1: Fetching Water

The other incredible thing that I did here was spend a night in a Boma.  A Boma is a traditional Maasai house that is made out of sticks and cow dung. Everyone in my group was randomly assigned bomas all over the Elangata Wuas area with two other students and a local “youth guide” to do some translating for us. My youth guide’s name was Peru (like the country). She was 19 and had just finished training as a flight attendant in Nairobi. She spoke really good English as well.  She is furthest right in the picture.

This was our Boma

Miranda, Shelby and myself were going to stay at Peru’s stepmom's boma since Peru’s parents were slightly more educated and worked outside of E-Wuas. To get to this Boma, we walked about an hour in the middle of the day, and greeted warmly by Susan (our Maasai Mama) with cups of chai. Can I just say that over the period of one day, I had FIVE LARGE CUPS of richhhhhh, sweeeeeeeet chai  made with WHOLE MILK. That’s right. I’m getting fat. All of you at home that told me to eat up cuz I was going to loose wait (Ahem ARUN), were WRONG. 

Anyways. This was probably the best chai I have ever had in my LIFE, most probably because their idea of “a little” sugar was HALF THE BAG that was dumped into the pot of tea. After arriving, we checked out the smokey dark boma to put our stuff down and then asked to be put to work doing what Maasai people do!

On our way to get water with Susan

So we fetched some water from the dried up river. I filled an entire jerry can of water by scooping it up out of a bore hole using a mug. Their technique to get clear water was cool! First, Susan (Who is no longer a young, agile lady), dug out all the muddy, still water and wet sand and then waited for the water hole to fill with clear water that seeped into the hole. This clear water was collected. Although it took me significantly longer to fill the jerry can than Susan, and although there was significantly more dirt in it than Susan, and although Susan, Peru, the neighboring mama and the school children walking by laughed at me, I was REALLY happy with myself when I finished :).

Watching how its done....

My turn to try

Everyone pitches in!

Thanks to Shelby for the pics :)