On Saturday, Pat, Jen and I, took a trip to Arusha. It's the closest major city and a good test of your strength of character...and stomach. As the highway there is the deadliest in all of Tanzania. This reputation can be partly blamed on the potholes, but mostly blamed on the fleet of buses in disrepair and the slew of crazy drivers who captain them.
We made it there in one piece and immediately began to appreciate the small town atmosphere of Moshi. As we had all forgotten our guide books we were a little lost as to how to proceed...we need our Rough Guides! Thankfully we had a contact, a former IPMP student named Andrea, who has been living in Arusha for the past six months. I sent Andrea a text message and she agreed to meet us near the Central Market. (The most amazing site at the central market were the basket upon basket of dried sardines...I thought they were dried slices of ginger until I noticed they had eyes).
Andrea took us to "Via Via", an ex-pat (Belgians) owned hangout near the court where the Rwandan Genocide tribunals are taking place. The most amazing site at this place was the menu...a traditional Tanzanian meal of rice, beans and spinach was 6 000 Tsch ($6). We pay 700 Tsch ( 70 cents) in Moshi....now that's markup!
At every Saturday night some local Masai gather to perform a traditional goat ceremony for a mostly ex-pat or tourist audience. A goat, normally the same innocent creature seem innocently eating grass on the lawn hours before, is slaughtered to "entertain" dim witted tourists. Now I have no issue with Masai...or goats...or Masai slaughtering goats...or goat slaughtering ceremonies. I have issue with things becoming spectacles in order to amuse dumb tourists.
Every Saturday night, these local Masai gather in what looks like the CNE band shell to slit the throat of a goat. The blood is gathered in a bucket, and stirred regularly to prevent it from congealing. They all drink some of the blood and eat the kidneys and other organs. The goat is then skinned and roasted on a nearby fire pit for all to enjoy. Masai dancing, beer drinking and merriment ensue.
I don't want to get in the way of merriment...but let's just say that I won't be attending any staged goat ceremonies. If one day I am walking through the bush, meet a Masai and I am invited to attend, I will (and I'll close my eyes at crucial moments). I wonder what's going through the heads of the the people who sit there, taking photos, drinking Kilimanjaro beer and already conjuring up exaggerated stories for the people back home..I really really wonder.
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