Africa Top Five: #2 - got blood?

#2 of the Africa Top 5 Most Memorable Moments is a sharp contrast to the beauty and serenity of the courting flamingos. But in its exoticness, it's hard to beat!

The Masai (or Maasai) are a warrior tribe living in Kenya and Tanzania. They live in mud huts and spend most of their time grazing cattle. Their wealth is measured in cows; the more cows you own, the richer you are. They subsist almost entirely on the meat, milk, and blood from their cattle, drinking blood directly from their cows and goats. Our guide arranged for us to watch the blood-drinking ritual. 

Five or six Maasai men wrangle a cow and hold it in place. The blood will be taken from the jugular vein of the neck, so a tourniquet is tied above this vein.

One of the warriors then shoots a very sharp-tipped arrow directly into the jugular vein (above). It was kind of like the way a phlebotomist would insert a needle into a human's arm to do a blood draw.

When the arrow is pulled out, blood gushes out of the vein and is collected in a bucket. It looked like they got at least a gallon of blood from this animal.

When they were done, they smeared a bit of cow dung over the wound to stop the flow, and the cow was released. Just like with a human blood donation, this cow will not be bled again for the next 4-6 weeks.

When they offered us a sip, how could I resist? Yes, three or four of us tourists joined them in the blood-drinking.

Photos of me taken by Ian

I know I'm looking kind of bug-eyed in these photos, but it actually wasn't that bad. It was very thin and bland. It tasted just like human blood. (Not that I'm in the habit of drinking human blood. But if you've ever cut your lip or had a tooth bleed, you know the taste). There was actually very little taste as I was drinking it, but for several minutes afterwards I had strong blood aftertaste.

If you saw Survivor Africa a couple seasons ago, you might recall that this was one of the challenges on that show. So this was good practice for when I get on Survivor...

The blood-drinking was followed by some milk porridge (above), with fresh milk straight from a cow being boiled together with (I think?) some cornmeal. It tasted a little better than the blood, but it was very hot, so I didn't drink too much of it. Sometimes, the Masai mix the milk and the blood together to make a blood milkshake.

OK. Go ahead. Bring on the EEEEWWWWWWW THAT'S DISGUSTING I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU DID THAT comments.... 

I have lots more to say about the Masai, in future entries. Such as why they are a feminist's nightmare...

TOP FIVE AFRICAN MOMENTS
#1-Flamingos   /  #2-got blood?  /  #3-Fresh Kill   /  #4-Wildebeest Migration    / #5-Leopard 

Comments

[Dale B.]

Bet you haven't heard anything lately from the other three guzzling tourists.

[DonnaK]

OMG! You look brainwashed. Never in a million yeares.

[Theresa]

Basia - I applaud you for trying this ritual and I admire you for not being afraid to try just about anything! You are a true adventurer.

[Basia]

Dale: Hmmmm...you've got a point there. Ian? Vicky? Siddarth? Where are you guys??

Donna K: I thought you would like this... ;o) I bet Dan would do it...

Theresa: Thanks Theresa! That's the nicest compliment anyone could give me...

[Amy]

Hi Basia...I haven't posted in awhile, but this brought me out of seclusion. I think you are a true adventurer also, but I still have to say.....EEEEWWWWWWW THAT'S DISGUSTING I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU DID THAT.

[Dan Teel]

Basia, well actually no. I have tried stranger things in China but when I lived in Kenya drinking the blood (even mixed with milk) didn't attract me. The swarming termites didn't either. I just wanted deviled eggs. Possibly because everything else was strange enough as it was. The Masai huts though I thought were cozy. Your pictures though are great!!

[Gayathri L.]

Hi Basia, you are very brave indeed... really brave (I think the idea of drinking blood hasn't sunk in my brain yet hahhaha) and thanks for the pics

[Misty]

hey! I thought you were a vegetarian!!!

[Rashmi]

Basia, couldn't resist commenting here. Siddarth is acting weird...not sure if the blood had something to do with it or it's just him :-).
Can't believe less than a week ago, we were taking all this in, in Masai lands. Arrrghhhh back to the jungle...concrete, that is Dallas.
How are you?

[Basia]

Amy: It was worth it to bring you out of lurking.... ;o)

Dan: The termite mounds were spectacular - they were almost like mini-houses. I wanted to get a picture of me sitting on one that looked like a throne, but the possibility of swarming termites dissuaded me too. I'll have some pics of the Masai huts coming up later.

Gayathri L: You're welcome--and you really should try the blood-drinking sometime...

Misty: I AM a vegetarian - does drinking blood make one not a vegetarian?? I'm not a vegetarian for any moral, ethical, or animal-rights reasons, only for tastebud reasons -- the chewy, fibrous texture and taste of meat makes me gag. Drinking blood didn't make me gag, so it's ok with me...

Rashmi: Hey Rashmi - nice to see you on here! Good to hear that Siddarth is still alive after his blood-drinking episode. The "acting funny" should go away after a year or so, I hear...I think I'm having the same problem... ;o)

[Eva]

This does not help the case to have your nephew and niece travel with you! But seriously, I can reconcile the grossness factor (after all the bacon and eggs I made this morning would be considered gross in some cultures) but I can't reconcile the health and safety factor. Didn't the scientist in you wonder about the health effects of drinking blood--from a biological or physiological or some kind of logical standpoint?

[Basia]

Eva: Oh dear. Does this mean you won't ever let Alex or Chrissy go on a safari with me?? But..but..I would never force THEM to drink blood. It would be their own decision....;o)

Regarding the "biological, physiological, logical" part, I am preparing my defense. Will revert to you shortly (as they say in India...)

[Gary]

How ridiculously creul. I hope some day the same happens to you :)

[lilly]

you are gross
you slag

[Basia]

Thanks Gary and Lilly. That's so sweet...

[Vance]

I've lived with the massai and the samburu for the past four months, this is not a practice that i reccomend to anyone looking at this. This is an excellent way to contract parasites and bacteria that our western bodies havn't been bred or conditioned to handle. Its very dangerous. The massai's aren't exactly "warrior's" either. If they had what it took to become warriors they would join the army to feed and house their family while providing themselves with enough money to start a family of their own. The kenyan millitary is all volunteer and one of the highest paid jobs in the country for uneducated individuals. The politicians in kenya hate neighboring tribes as much as the native pastorialists. These men aren't warriors. They are nomads. The Massai are a very proud people not only proud of their tribe but also of their country. You can bet that every single man of age in your picture voted in their recent election.

[Vance]

They also don't all live in mud huts, Many of the prominent politicians are Massai. Its probably the most prevelent tribe in the country. Don't be surprised if you see exchange students in the US claiming to be Massai as well. I fear you are showing a small window of a large culture for something that may be confused for animalistic. The massai have the exact potential to be educated as anyone else.

[Mandy]

Your going to catch something from drinking the blood.

[Basia]

Vance and Mandy: And you base your "this is dangerous" statement on what, exactly? Medical or scientific proof? Or your own unfounded fears and ignorance? As far as I am aware, there has not been a single instance of a tourist getting sick from drinking Masai cow blood. (Feel free to Google it and prove me wrong). So unless you can point me to specific instances where drinking cow blood got a tourist sick, I think you should be careful about spreading your own unfounded fear to others.

[Bill B, MD]

If you did it to excess you would get an acquired iron overload syndrome, which may result in chronic fatigue, arthritis, impotence, amenorrhea, jaundice, abdominal pain, weight loss, dyspnea, chest pain, dysrhythmias, hyperglycemia, hypothyroidism, splenic enlargement, and liver inflammation. In addition, iron is a pro-oxidant. Therefore, it tends to lead to cancer (as opposed to the anti-oxidants found in fruits & vegetables).

[Maria]

Interesting... do you know if this practice has a religous or ritualistic significance? Or do they simply drink the blood as a form of sustanance?

[Arduina]

Seems fine to me. It's their culture, just because it's not done as often in the "civilised world" doesn't mean it's wrong. And yes, I said "as often" as it does happen here.. with screened human donors.. I love the taste of blood.

[sheesh]

That's sick, how would you like someone to drain you and drink your blood. DRINK YOUR OWN BLOOD if you are that twisted. Sheesh.

[ender]

these people have a dumb religeon thats not normal and that was paint blood is a darker red color.

[Nasr]

don't you get a fever ?