AFRICA. The Serengeti Through Harold’s Lens:

Hypnotic music.

Pounding drums.

The slow daily life of other Maasai from the tribal village all around.

This little guy captures it all from the vista of his Mom’s back.

AFRICA. The Serengeti Through Harold’s Lens:

550 pounds of hungry meat eating beast.

4’ feet high.

8’ feet long.

Kills by strangulation.

Eats about 15’ pounds of raw meat a day.

He stalks your livestock and family outside the open door of your hut every night.

You protect yourself from the Lion with what nature provides. Cutting branches from acacia trees, with their 3” long thorns that do not bend, the Maasai weave a 6’ tall thorn fence around their villages.

AFRICA. The Serengeti Through Harold’s Lens:

I found the draping of the Maasai beaded jewelry to be works of art.

Dressed in red sheets, (shuka), wrapped around their bodies with loads of beaded jewelry placed around their necks and arms, their appearance was one of regality. The beaded jewelry is worn by both men and women and may vary in color depending on the occasion.

AFRICA. The Serengeti Through Harold’s Lens:

The late afternoon sun cast long black shadows through the sharp thorn fence surrounding her village.

Menacing black spikes grew in front of her on the vast bare earth.

The Maasai woman stood absolutely iron statue still for hours outside the front door of her one room circular home built with mud, grass, wood and cow dung. Her eyes were focused to the East.

She was waiting for her warrior husband to return from the veld.

AFRICA. The Serengeti Through Harold’s Lens:

The Maasai love creating their craftsmanship. I could not photograph enough of it.

The Maasai women came up to me.

Thanked me for shooting photos of them and their colorful jewelry.

Hung a necklace or wristband on me.

The jewelry now resides in our home.

AFRICA. The Serengeti Through Harold’s Lens:

Watching her stand outside her very simple home, I wondered if this elderly Maasai woman was hoping that in 50 years, the life and rich culture of her Massai tribe and culture will still exist as it always has been.

AFRICA. Serengeti Through Harold’s Lens:

I don’t speak “Maa”. The language of the Maasai.

I told my Maasai bi-lingual guide to tell this Maasai woman that she was very beautiful and I loved her jewelry.

She blushed and laughed.

I clicked.

Loved it!