I struggle to maintain my position in the Land Cruiser as we
traveled down the rough dirt road. Shikuku,
John, Peter, and I have been on the road for 5 hours, leaving the pavement and
once again entering the remote bush country of Tanzania. We are heading south between Lake Manyara and
Lake Eyasi into the Datoga and Hadzabe territory. We meet up with our contact Momoya near Mang’ola
and continue on to his uncle’s home. A
short while later, we step out of the vehicle and into a world that people have
only seen through a National Geographic magazine.
Ecotourism is a booming industry and the effects are being
felt all around the world. Even in the
most remote of places, the impacts are evident.
Tourism in Tanzania is spreading rapidly and companies are looking to
expand into new territories, providing the most remote experiences
possible. For the Datoga and Hadzabe
people, the impact is being felt now.
The Datoga tribes are a nomadic pastoralist people. Living in mud and stick homes, they spread
out across the land grazing their cattle and goats. The Hadzabe tribes on the other hand, are
hunter/gathers and thought to be the oldest of people originating in the Great
Rift Valley. Despite living very
primitive lifestyles, they have both been integrating and embracing western
culture. As the reach of Ecotourism
expands, the tribes have established the Lake Eyasi Cultural Tourism
Program. John, Shikuku, Peter, and I are
here working with the organization helping the tribes embrace the change and
empower them.
Momoya has invited us to meet his Datoga family before we
make camp. Shikuku and Mamoya are long
time friends so we are getting an authentic invite. In front of us are his Uncle’s homes for his
large family. They invite us in and Momoya
teaches us about the Datoga people. We
are sitting on small stools raising only a foot off the ground in a room lit only
by the sunlight entering the front door.
After and hour or so, we step outside continuing our conversation. In the light of the setting sun, the women
have fun dressing us in traditional Datoga garb and jewelry. After many thanks, we part ways and head for
our camp and tomorrows classroom.
5:15am my alarm rudely wakes me. We pack a few things and meet up with Momoya. He is taking us to the Hadzabe for a
hunt. We drive deeper into the bush now
feeling even more incredibly remote.
After a 30-minute drive down a rough road, we park and begin to
walk. The approach to camp is quick and
I soon see primitive leaf and branch thatched shelters, standing about 4 or 5
feet tall. To my right are hunters
sitting around a fire. They are dressed
as primitive as I could imagine; fur clothing complete with tails still attached. However some have embraced modern clothing; wearing
a t-shirt or shorts. Before I know it,
they are grabbing their bows and are off for the hunt. We quickly make chase and do our best to keep
up through the bush. During the hunt,
the Hadzabe get a few small game animals and after an hour or two, we head back
to the village. Amazed by their accuracy
with the bow, Peter and I must have a try.
They take us to their practice area and let us have at it. Having a
background with traditional bow hunting, Peter and I both nail the stump we are
shooting at and the Hadzabe explode with uncontained excitement. Having won over the Hadzabe, we headed back
to camp for a day of teaching satisfied that we have gained some rapport with
the local tribes.
Our plan is to teach a wilderness basic first aid
course. By doing so we hoped to help
empower the local tribes to become leaders of the new Ecotourism heading their
direction. The tribes reside in such a
remote area, that the nearest medical facility is about an hour away and the
nearest airstrip, 2 hours away. When the
students arrived, I am impressed. I
expect to see people in traditional outfits, but they are all dressed up in
modern wear. They have put on their best
outfits to be professional. I also learn
quickly that the Lake Eyasi Cultural Organization has sent some of their most educated
so all the student can speak English well.
However it is only a nice treat for me since Shikuku is teaching the
coarse in Swahili. We have a nice
mixture of students primarily Datoga with a few Hadza and other tribes. The students are thirsty for knowledge and
attentively grasped everything Shikuku and John are teaching them. By surprise, we have the opportunity to learn
from them. The tribes have survived for
thousands of years and have discovered their own remedies, which we happily
respect. After two days of education,
the students absorbed a plethora of knowledge and are hungry for more. They leave with the tools necessary to
provide medical attention for their clients in the most remote of
locations. Most importantly, they
invited us back to spread the knowledge.
With a day at our disposal for driving home, we feel it best
to drive through the Ngorogoro National Park.
Ngorogoro is a caldron resting at an altitude of around 7,000ft and
covering 100 square miles. With lush
grass and fresh water it is know as a hot spot for wildlife. Nearly all the major species popular for
viewing are in the crater. Peter and I
haven’t been there before, however Shikuku has led many tours through the
area. We were thrilled to be getting a
personal tour from a friend.
The weather is looking poor but I stayed optimistic. As we neared the crater rim the weather
begins to break. A clear sky above the
crater blankets it in sunshine. We begin
the descent spotting wild life in the distance.
As we reached the crater floor it is apparent why this is such a popular
place. Animals are everywhere and of all
different types of species. As we drive
around the area I spot all types of animals I’ve only seen in magazines and
even a few I’ve never seen. Ngorogoro is
definitely not disappointing and as we started toward the exit, we are treated
with one of the most sought after sights…. a pride of lions. We parked the car only feet from these
magnificent creatures and enjoyed them in their natural environment. We are even gifted with a rare scene. Directly in front of us only ten feet away,
two lions begin to mate! Shikuku is
amazed and tells us that we have just witnessed a rare sight. With that we continued toward the exit and
back to Arusha.
This was truly an amazing 4 days. Some of the experiences were so incredible
that I am still in disbelief that they happened. It was a world I only knew through National
Geographic and now I feel I have stepped through the pages and beyond. These wonderful people have entered my life
and I theirs. My hope now is that I will
some day get to go back and once again say “Jambo” and maybe sling a few more
arrows.
Funding for the course was raised by Sentinel Outdoor
Institute through www.toreturn.org
