Charlie Shugart Offline Upload & Sell: Off
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glennh56 wrote:
Very nice, but how does one drop in unexpectedly?
Thanks, Glenn.
The "how" was this:
I flew in to Nairobi with no set plan except to find and go on a cheap-but-fairly-long wildlife safari.
One day our Kenyan driver/guide asked the nine of us in his Datsun van if we wanted to spend $10 each to visit a real Maasai village (not on our itinerary) that was nearby.
We all said yes. At the small entrance to their circular village (protection from lions, etc.), our guide negotiated with the tribal head man. Money was exchanged and we walked in.
A few years earlier- a tourist was taking pictures and a Maasai warrior threw a spear at him.
The Kenyan government thought such things might have an effect on future foreigner visits to their country. Since tourist money is 100% profit- they made deals with their native tribes.
For cash money put in the hand of the tribe at the time of the visit, foreigners could enter native villages and take photographs with the cooperation of the villagers (and no more spear throwing) .
This was a big deal in the native villages because earlier, they had received nothing. All the money spent by visitors went somewhere else- but not to them.
But now it was a business deal.
I'm sure that since I was there- visiting tribal villages has become more widespread- but back then- it was a near-new thing.
And because our visit was truly spontaneous- we "dropped in unexpectedly."
A couple days later, our guide asked if we wanted to visit a non-Maasai native village (same deal).
I was the only one who said yes- so we didn't go.
Imagine: missing a visit to an authentic Serengetti native village because world travelers didn't want to spend an extra $10.
I was absolutely furious with my fellow travelers!
But I had been outvoted.
Charlie
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