The sand plains of the Kalahari are surprisingly vegetated. Highly adapted trees, where root systems are 3 times deeper than the tress themselves, give the landscape a deceptively lush feel, while the air is filled with beautiful white butterflies that live in these Mupani trees. Nonetheless it is still a harsh and expansive desert.
One tribe however have been living off this desolate land for millennia. The Kalahari Bushmen are a unique tribe with skills passed on through countless generations, but sadly they are an endangered race. Much like the Aborigines in Australia, the Kalahari Bushmen were a peaceful, nomadic people who'd learnt to live in one of the harshest environments on earth. But with the arrival of European and British colonialists came concepts they didn't understand like land ownership, vices they couldn't physiologically withstand like alcohol and drugs, illnesses they couldn't overcome, and weapons that easily overwhelmed this peaceful, unassuming people. They were nearly wiped out.
Today about 10,000 Kalahari Bushmen still live in Botswana. They speak in their native clicking language, and live as they always have on big reservations. They are largely left alone by civilization, but as a source of income every few months a few of them will come in to designated areas and share their culture with visitors. They will then head back to the bush and rotate with a new group so as not to change their way of life.
It is a wonderful and authentic way to see these incredible people as they are just visiting, like us, and are legitimate desert dwellers.
In the afternoon we took a bush walk with the tribe and were given an insight into how they survive on the land. As their gorgeous children played in the dirt, the men and women pulled up roots and trees and explained, through a translator, their uses from burns treatment to clothing dye.
The old woman had the most to tell though, and her leathery skin bore testament to her many years in the desert sun. She'd go from tree to tree, rubbing things on her belly, smelling leaves, digging in the ground to pull up all manner of hidden treasures. One incredible one was a big round root that she began to shave with a sharpened stick. She picked up a handful of the shavings and squeezed them into her mouth and you would not believe the amount of water that came out! She then washed her face with another handful, and rubbed the pulp over her whole body. After she was done she pulled out a pipe of some sort and began to smoke. It was quite incredible to see, it was almost as if we were never there.
They made fire but then bizarrely asked if anyone had a cigarette they could use the fire to light. You should have seen them suck down this cigarette! They broke off the butt and passed it round like a joint. It was strange to watch and I didn't quite know what to make of it.
We returned back to our campsite at an old quarry in Ghanzi that was just beautiful. The workers had dug the quarry so deep they hit water and it had filled right up. So it now serves as a giant wateringhole in the middle of the desert with top notch camping facilities around it. Of course it rained as we pulled in but it didn't stop us getting our tents up and diving straight in!
After dinner a smaller group of us headed back to see the Kalahari Bushmen dance. Unfortunately a witch doctor was not with this group so we were unable to see their famous trance dancing, but we watched a wonderful fireside performance nonetheless. It rained on our way but thankfully cleared up during the dancing. The women sang in high voices, clicking throughout, while the men danced. One young boy was being initiated and learning the dances, and joined the ones he knew. They were very impressive.
Later we were invited to join the circle and sing with the women. The two guys with us gave their all in the dancing though. One dance was about baboons and the guys were doing somersaults and cartwheels round the fire, with one getting very near the flames. The storyline of another dance was picking a wife. After the dancers had picked a girl in the circle they sat down next to them. At the end of the dance they had to get up with their chosen woman and dance very energetically with her. On of the guys with us was jumping around with his lady and swinging her round the fire when he realized what he thought was a leather rucksack on her back actually had a baby in it! It was still sound asleep but it took him a while to get over the shock.
At the end we took some photos with them, and they were fascinated to see themselves on the screen.
It was such a privilege to see this rare culture in it's glory and I hope they can remain untainted by encroaching western influences for many years to come. Would be a shame to lose a culture that has survived through millennia to a few hundred years of rootless invasion.
Kiss for my lil man
Xxx
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