During my short stay at Kilimanjaro Mountain Resort before the climb I had the opportunity to walk across the fields where the local people live in Marungu to get to the lovely waterfall, I previously described. Families live in destitute houses minding their own fields of bananas and crops. Omari told me about their lives, traditions and cultures. These people are descendants of the Chagga tribe which are closely related to the Massai. He told me how their ancestors, just about a century ago lived in a 'chagga' which is a one roomed-hut built out of mud, wood and hay.
Each family lived together with their cattle consisting of a cow and a goat, generally. Although a few of these are still standing and used, but just to keep the cattle, Omari took me to the 'live Chagga Museum' in which a replica of such a hut was erected. It's amazing how these people lived. Inside, which was the size of perhaps one of our single bedrooms, was a (real)cow and goat munching hay.
On the otherside of the hut a 'bed' - more of a outstretched piece of animal skin - occupied one corner, served for both mother and daughter/s while a similar one on the opposite side served for the father and son/s. Fire for cooking was lit in the middle of the hut's floor space. Such a confined space! Outside there were two rounded stones standing on either side of the door; one for the husband and the other for the wife. Every hut and it's surrounding field was(and still is) fenced by a particular plant called sali. It's long narrow leaves are used as a symbol; if the owners knotted the leaves that meant that no one is welcome and warned people to stay out of the fields . If leaves were left unknotted then anyone is welcome. makes sense, no?!?! :)
Each family lived together with their cattle consisting of a cow and a goat, generally. Although a few of these are still standing and used, but just to keep the cattle, Omari took me to the 'live Chagga Museum' in which a replica of such a hut was erected. It's amazing how these people lived. Inside, which was the size of perhaps one of our single bedrooms, was a (real)cow and goat munching hay. 
On the otherside of the hut a 'bed' - more of a outstretched piece of animal skin - occupied one corner, served for both mother and daughter/s while a similar one on the opposite side served for the father and son/s. Fire for cooking was lit in the middle of the hut's floor space. Such a confined space! Outside there were two rounded stones standing on either side of the door; one for the husband and the other for the wife. Every hut and it's surrounding field was(and still is) fenced by a particular plant called sali. It's long narrow leaves are used as a symbol; if the owners knotted the leaves that meant that no one is welcome and warned people to stay out of the fields . If leaves were left unknotted then anyone is welcome. makes sense, no?!?! :)
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