After lunch under a tree, we decided to walk across the vast open plain called the Maasai (or Masai) Mara. Usually getting out of the Land Rover isn't allowed but this was a safe area during the heat of the day. So, from left to right, granddaughter Jennie, I, Jackson, and daughter Hope took a stroll. (Jennie and Hope were my research assistants on this trip and a huge help in asking questions during interviews, tracking finances, and generally handling nitty-gritty details.)
Two Maasai children about 8 years old were nearby herding cattle and we treated them to food from our box lunch. A little fearful at first, their smiles soon told us how much they welcomed a midday treat. Maasai boys take responsibility for herding at a young age, Jackson said, and typically eat no lunch when caring for cattle. In the evening each animal is counted, no matter how large the herd -- even 80 or 100 cows plus goats and sheep -- to assure all are present. To the Maasai, livestock equals money, and caring for cattle is serious business. By the way, Jackson's tunic is called a shuka. It always struck us Americans as funny when a cell phone went off and one of the Maasai reached up to get it from under his shuka.
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