The Maasi and Ngorongoro Crater

This is a view of Tanzania's Ngorongoro Crater, the largest caldera on earth. The lava flow from this massive volcano created the Serengeti plain, which is the size of the State of Connecticut. Ngorongoro Crater is a magical place. The clouds drift in and out and expose glimpses of the plains, trees, lakes, heards of wildlife and flocks of flamingos below. It evoked the same feelings as watching the clouds drift over Machu Picchu.
This is a group of Maasi who greeted our arrival at the lodge on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater. They dress is colorful textiles and wear beaded jewelry, including beaded hats and rings around their necks.
The Maasi are a proud, stately and handsome people, with high cheekbones, as shown in this portrait.
This Maasi gentleman gave us a demonstration of spear throwing. The Maasi are not afraid to challenge a lion while protecting their cattle. The lions have learned to identify the distinctive red clothing of the Maasi and the lions will often refrain from attacking their cattle.
This is a close up of the hands of the Maasi gentleman shown above, as he was equally adept with a bow and arrow as he was with a stick. He was an escort for us as we walked at night from the lodge to the bungalow where we stayed, to protect us from animals. There were photos in the lobby of elephants walking right through the camp, and even walking into the lobby.
This child is adorable.
We visited a Maasi village, met with the villagers, went into one of their huts, and bought a lot of their beaded goods, including jewelry, clubs, the ringed necklaces, and other items. We have hung many of these items in a room in our house that is decorated with Australian Aboriginal, New Zealand Maori, Native American, and now Maasi tribal art.