7/17/19
We were up before dawn to drive out to a San tribe (bushmen) village. We didn't really know what to expect, but when we rolled up, we weren't expecting to see men in loincloths and topless women. The bushmen still live in their traditional ways, and so with a translator, we learned a bit about their way of life. Fir off, they were all so friendly! The San people are extremely short, so we all--especially Elisha--towered over them. Their language uses clicks, so it was really interesting to listen to them talk. They laughed pretty hard when we tried to pronounced words in their language with clicks.
The bushman who gave us the tour was super hilarious. He was so animated and quite the character. Since he couldn't speak English, he did a lot of pantomiming, which was very funny. Then the translator would translate it to us in English. They showed us how to make fire without matches (or metal). They also showed us many different plants that have many different uses for everyday life.
After the tour, we split up into men and women groups. Elisha and the other gals made bead necklaces, and us guys made bows and arrows. We then got to practice shooting with our new bows.
It was really just an amazing experience to spend the morning with the bushmen who we had learned quite a lot about from Ian in Zimbabwe. Their culture is so fascinating, and it's amazing how they survive out in the bush with no modern technology. They were a fun group, and it's always so interesting to experience a culture that is so different from your own and one that is a relic of the distant past. And it's interesting to see how, despite having very few material possessions, they are so happy, and happy to interact with us. The visit left an impression with me that will stay there for quite a while.
We were up before dawn to drive out to a San tribe (bushmen) village. We didn't really know what to expect, but when we rolled up, we weren't expecting to see men in loincloths and topless women. The bushmen still live in their traditional ways, and so with a translator, we learned a bit about their way of life. Fir off, they were all so friendly! The San people are extremely short, so we all--especially Elisha--towered over them. Their language uses clicks, so it was really interesting to listen to them talk. They laughed pretty hard when we tried to pronounced words in their language with clicks.
The bushman who gave us the tour was super hilarious. He was so animated and quite the character. Since he couldn't speak English, he did a lot of pantomiming, which was very funny. Then the translator would translate it to us in English. They showed us how to make fire without matches (or metal). They also showed us many different plants that have many different uses for everyday life.
After the tour, we split up into men and women groups. Elisha and the other gals made bead necklaces, and us guys made bows and arrows. We then got to practice shooting with our new bows.
It was really just an amazing experience to spend the morning with the bushmen who we had learned quite a lot about from Ian in Zimbabwe. Their culture is so fascinating, and it's amazing how they survive out in the bush with no modern technology. They were a fun group, and it's always so interesting to experience a culture that is so different from your own and one that is a relic of the distant past. And it's interesting to see how, despite having very few material possessions, they are so happy, and happy to interact with us. The visit left an impression with me that will stay there for quite a while.
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