Thursday, April 23. (STIL UNABLE TO DOWNLOAD PHOTOS)This morning we took a 31/4 hour walk around the area in which the lodge is located with two Bushmen and Arno, the owner of our lodge, who is very knowledgable about Bushmen practices. The walk was fascinating, exposing us to various activities and experiences based around the daily lifestyle and tasks of the !Nhoq’ma community, including skills such as fire making, rope making, setting of traps for birds and antelope, as well as lesser known hunting skills with, for example, the springhare probe. Bush food, water roots, and medicines are pointed out and collected.
After a leisurely lunch and rest period, we walk back to the village and wandered around to photograph more. This does not sound like such an exciting activity, but actually seeing unscripted glimpses of village life is quite fascinating. The number of true hunter/gathere communities in the world is quite few, and it’s a privilege to experience one firsthand. We buy a few gifts from an unattended shop to help support the community.
We have a leisurely dinner with good conversation and plenty of drink, including a local liqueur similar to Baileys, called Amarullo. One of the guides hears elephants and we wander down in the dark in an attempt to get closer, but no luck.
In the end, the itinerary summary of our two days with the Bushmen proved quite accurate: The stereotype image of the San (This is the generic name for the Bushman peoples living in this area of Bushmanland – including the Ju-hoan communities around Nhoq’ma) will be replaced by a realistic view of the San and the problems they are facing, but also with appreciation for their skills and knowledge lost by modern man. This is only possible due to the limited number of visitors facilitating individual attention, the location of the camp close to the village, the remoteness and wildness of the surrounding area, the natural friendliness and spontaneity of the community and the impromptu activities.
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