Lost, and money took it...

Last Sunday I had an 'opportunity' to become a tour guide for a day.

There was this group of friends from Italy, driving thru Southern Africa, they started  in Namibia, drove thru Zim, Zambia and wound up in TZA, they had gone places and still were going places. It wasn't their first, it seems, they have done it for years. They have a doctor friend in Arusha told them about Mang'ola, they wanted to see. It happened that the doctor knew my headmistress and the headmistress knew me and the latter had me get them around.

Of the places that any tourist coming these parts wants to see is the Hadzabe, mistakenly also referred to as 'Bushmen'. Mistakenly because they aren't that 'bushmen' you see in South Africa or Namibia; they are blacker and genetically not linked to the San but Bantu pygmies of the Congo. So you see how un-bushmen they are.

Well, they are thought that way and I'll lave it that way, Bushmen way. They are the primitive, they still live the same way their ancestors lived. Hunters and gatherers by trade. Even for their fellow Africans they are 'way wrong'. They don't farm, rear goats or cattle, build a 'proper' (definitions can vary here) house and a lot more. Even their fellow Africans get a 'tourist' taste on seeing them. They are an 'object' of tourist interest to both Westerners (tourists from places rather than TZA) and those from within.

So, the tour companies that organise packages for L. Eyasi would like their guests to see the 'primitive' people remaining. But, you see there is always a but. They are not 'primitive' in the way that primitive mean. They were primitive and then came the Iraqw and Datoga and bunch lot of other 'Waswahili' to Mang'ola Valley, and the primitiveness just remained in the fact that they don't want to mix. And above all, there came MONEY.

Back to the tourists. Most of them are disappointed, they are coming thinking of some very primitive 'things, objects' to see and wonder. The problem is that these primitive people got the taste of money and they all went wasted. Alcohol, just like any other 'indigenous' peoples in the world. All what they see is a Hollywood-type show, they take photos and these guys know how to pose, really good poses you'd not want not to believe. They are primitive remember?

End of Part I

It rained at last

Joto lilikuwa kali kupita kiasi. Lilizidi, watu tukaanza kulalama. Labda 'Mungu' ametusahau, eeh, dhambi zimezidi mno. Kama kawaida ya wanadamu, tulisema....

Then it came down, in 'potfuls'! But there is always a 'but'. It came when it wasn't supposed to, it shouldn't come at this time of the year though we wanted it cool down the place, but this wasn't when we expected it. It was a relief that we could breathe again, the plants could get back the life in them but, well, not at this time. Is He testing us again, after a long dry spell? Someone has to do something, or rather someone did something!

So we spoke again, the old said things weren't the way they were, the way they were supposed to be. This type of things never happened during their days and that they have not seen anything like this, in their life time of course. It was a sign, staunch believers, told. It didn't look good, we have to consult the Oracle. Unfortunately there was't any. After all the Prophet (don't get startled, there are so many nowadays in case you had the thought that they only existed in the OT) had predicted it and He does not want you to speak about your old filthy 'oracle' thing, He is the One now. Sent. Period. You don't question these type of 'things' otherwise you'd find yourself in a very awkward position, unless you question yourself in 'your self'.

So the buts continued because there has to be a but someplace, no?

But...