We went for an early morning hunt with the Hadza men and they were successful! You just might have to come along on the next safari to find out more. Later, we took turns taking lessons and even our drivers had fun getting involved.
The Hadzabe are one of the earliest tribes in the world and have many similarities to the Kalahari bushmen, including hunting and gathering as well as their click language.
In the evening, we headed up to the Kisima Ngeda overlook for drinks and a group photo. At the top, our guide Donatus, saw a striped hyena make her way off to hunt for food for her pup. They are both shy and nocturnal, so I missed the photo' op. It was a hazy day, but in the background, you can see the tip of Lake Eyasi on the left and the beginning of the Ngorongoro Highlands on the right.
The drinks were thirst quenching and the views exhilarating. Another eye opening/full experience day!
Heading over to the Datoga home, we were too late to see the goats and cattle heading out to graze, but the chief and his family were up for a visit. Their homes are small and fairly dark, and the ladies showed us how to grind maize, one of their staple foods. I had been given a three legged sitting stool last year and brought earrings for the ladies this year. Lissa Flemming of Silver Waves Jewelry helped to sponsor the gifts (thank you Lissa!). She made silver hoop earrings with a Lake Superior stone on each. I am shown here holding her logo and explaining that my home and the stones are both on the shores of Lake Superior.
My hosts were simply delighted and are seen in the photo with their jewelry and Lissa's as well. We were treated to a sweet song of thanks afterwards.
We headed south from Ngorongoro to the Lake Eyasi region. It's amazing how much biodiversity there is in Tanzania and it's one of the things that keeps us so entranced along the journey. We entered a drier and rockier area with a large seasonal lake and a thick palm forest with numerous freshwater springs around our deluxe tented lodge (Kisima Ngeda).
Our first visit was to the Blacksmith tribe. They are a part of the Datoga, but have broken off and lived and married independently for decades now. Their income source is forging knives, arrowheads and jewelry for the greater Datoga tribe and for the bushmen known as the Hadzabe.
In the photo, the man in the foreground is hammering, then sharpening an arrowhead. The two at the back are melting down various metal scraps with the help of a goat skin bellows. In no time at all, the metal has been formed to the size needed for the beginnings of a new bracelet.
We visited Kilimatembo Secondary School today. Most of the students were in a test and we visited with the headmistress and some teachers. They gave us a few science presentations and we learned about the many ways we can help them.
Kristine Rikkola, from Superior, Wisconsin donated a microscope which I was able to deliver and present for her family. I dusted off my skills from a college Biology degree and gave a few lessons on it. They were absolutely delighted. It is the only microscope in any school for a few hours drive.
