But the coast, with its heat, its giant, twisted and useless baobab trees, its lotus-eating character where all the food either has to be cut down or picked up from the ground, was an all too short experience and we were soon back in the interior, far from the sea, amongst the Masai people.
The Masai tribe are the traditional warriors of central Africa, fabled alike in film and legend. Up to 70 years ago they straddled like an impenetrable barrier across the slavers path to Uganda, forcing the caravans far to the south round Lake Victoria.
But now many of the Masai fear the power of the Kikuyu, a situation which was theirs by might has changed. Under 60 years of benign British rule, the Kikuyu have sheltered behind the protection of the Union Jack until they were strong enough to make their own demands. These demands, fear the Masai, may well lie in the direction of traditional Masai lands, and in attempts to change the Masai way of life which has remained intact for centuries.
Ancient enmities existing between the Masai and the Kikuyu still erupt into violence and only a short while before the unit began filming in the Masai reserves, one of the Moran warriors, incensed at a Kikuyu political speech, ran his spear through the body of the speaker and killed him.
The spear, and their uncanny ability to graze cattle on land which has defeated anyone else, is still the protection and the living of this tribe.
The Moran, young men between the age of 18, when they are circumcised, and 22, are the traditional protectors of the Masai way of life. They do no work, for theirs is the warrior class, but now they are street-corner loungers in the middle of the African bush, stealing a few cattle when they can to make up for their older pleasures of butchering the Kikuyu and stealing their women.
As a present the Associated-Rediffusion unit gave them a steer to kill and the Moran happily drank the blood from its neck, and roasted its meat on an open fire – taking the best bits for themselves, and feeding the women and children the less succulent pieces. It needed strong stomachs to film the proceedings and to at least one film crew now back in London roasted meat still has a special meaning.