Masai Spears

Serengeti Plains in Tanzania - photo by JoAnn Sturman

Scott Sturman
fliesinyoureyes.com

The Masai are semi nomadic pastoralist who live in Kenya and Tanzania near the large game parks. They are a patriarchal society of fierce warriors, who have resisted integration into the greater African society. They are known for their bright red clothing and long spears used to protect their cattle.

In 2006 we began the long return trip to California from a safari in Tanzania. With us were three, seven foot long Masai spears with large double edged steel blades that my wife acquired by relentlessly bargaining with an African merchant; now only 10,000 miles separated them from a display case at home. Each spear disassembled into three sections, but the segments were still too long to fit into either of our two modest canvas duffel bags. Not wanting to risk having the spears confiscated at our point of disembarkation at Arusha Airport, we inquired at the local DHL office, but the charge to ship them was four times their cost. Since time was short, we had no choice but to check them with our luggage on the scheduled British Airways flight. We slipped the spear shafts sharp end first into one of the two duffel bags then closed the zipper as far as possible. A foot of each spear segment protruded from the bag, so several rolls of duct tape were used to encircle the bag to keep the contends in place.

At this time tensions and security concerns were frenetic in East Africa. The bombing of the American embassies in Dar es Salaam and Nairobi in 1988, and the 9 - 11 attacks in 2001 changed airport passenger service forever. There were multiple levels of security at the Arusha Airport: an automobile check at the main gate before entering the airport security perimeter, another outside the terminal building, still another in the terminal outside the lobby, a fourth separating the lobby from the gates, the penultimate a British Airways operation which controlled access to their private waiting area, and finally another British Airways check before boarding the airplane.

A cursory inspection ensued at the first stop at the airport boundary. Mirrors were placed under the van to check for bombs, and the guard inspected the driver’s credentials. The second level involved a passport check and a glance at the luggage, but the third point located in the terminal but outside the lobby entailed more detailed screening. The young, uniformed official told us he needed to randomly X-ray one of our two bags of luggage and one of our two backpacks. Hoping to avoid any unnecessary conflict or misunderstanding, I offered him the bag without the spears which he accepted and sent through the machine. Having passed the “random” inspection, he sent us to the British Airways ticket counter in the main lobby. The employee issued our tickets and placed the two duffel bags on the conveyor belt. As the bag with the spears passed out of sight, I wondered about the chances of seeing it again when the journey ended at San Francisco Airport, and if my wife would ever speak to me again if it did not.

Thirty-six hours later and weary eyed at the baggage claim area, we waited for our luggage that hopefully accompanied us from Arusha to London and on to San Francisco. Would our marriage survive if some official or thief pilfered these precious African souvenirs? I am happy to report that I am still married to the same woman.