The Traveler's Journal  
Press Releases - The Traveler's Journal

Informative Press Releases for Travel

Press Release information you can use!

 

The following information is provided by the travel supplier or its public relations representative. The Traveler's Journal can accept no responsibility for the accuracy or validity of any material in this section.

Blood, Sweat and Milk: Samburu Nightlife

04-22-2012

 

 

 

Prom Night is a teenager's rite of passage, even in Kenya.  Safari guide Richard Coke participates in a Samburu ‘prom’.  Guess what’s different?

 

Blood, Sweat and Milk:  Samburu Nightlife

 

Young Samburu villagers  in northern Kenya at social event.
  

One of the highlights of my last trip was an evening I spent with the Samburu people in northern Kenya.
 
The Samburu are ethnic cousins of the Maasai in the south of the country.  We joined a big group of warriors at a social event beside a river bank.

The warriors spent hours getting ready, putting on colorful cloths and ornamental beading.  Then the warriors and girls began arriving from villages all over the area.  It was a chance for the Samburu youngsters to socialize and show off.  Although the clothes and adornments were specifically Samburu, the behavior would be recognizable anywhere.  It was a kind of Samburu prom.
 
During a pause in the festivities, the warriors gathered round and drank some goat’s blood.  Blood and milk are staples of the Samburu diet.
 
I actually had some myself – it’s much less disgusting than you might imagine.
 
After the drinks interval, I noticed one Samburu warrior pull out a mirror to check his reflection before he headed back to the dance.
 
I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that male vanity is universal.
 
When I left, the festivities were still going strong, and the Samburu were all dancing away to the sound of handclaps and humming.

 

 

A PASSION FOR AFRICA:  About Richard Coke

 

[Back to Press Releases Main]