Hadzabe Tribe

I just returned from a visit to the Hadzabe tribe in Karatu, TZ. It is about a 5 to 6 hour drive from Moshi. I went with Martin Russell who helped me set up my Africa trip. He is out for a visit until the 10th of October. We left Moshi on Thursday, drove to Karatu, got to the Crater Rim View Hotel and ate dinner and went to sleep. We left Friday morning at 6:30 am to travel to this tribe. They are a bushmen tribe that travel to knew "homes" about every month. They completely live off of the land. You all can see pictures when I get back! When we got there we greeted each other with handshakes and smiles. They were such welcoming people. The men were sitting around a circle smoking basically marijuana while the woman were in their spot making jewelery out out of various materials found on the land. The children were playing with each other just like normal children do. The kids were so dusty, but absolutely beautiful! So about 10 minutes after we got there, Martin says we are going hunting with two of the men. So off we went, trecking through the land, following these two Hadzabe hunters. It was Martin, our guide, our driver Yusuph and myself. Totally wore the wrong thing, I had on flip flops and capri's, I could have used boots and jeans. I got tripped by some thorns and various plants, everything was so prickely!

We probably covered two miles in 1hour 15 minutes. The hunters were so swift navigating through the shrubs haha. I was stumbling behind. They hunt with bow and arrows and they have their knifes. About 40 minutes into this adventure the one caught a squirrel and climbed up the tree to retrieve it. We went to a place where there was more shade and they started making a fire by rubbing sticks together and using dry wood. Sure enough there was a fire in a few minutes and they plopped that little squirrel right down on it and started cooking him. (don't worry I got it all on video!) The squirrel was on it's back and then after some point they ripped off the legs, pulled out the guts, split it in half and started cooking it some more. They ate alllll of it. The head, the bones, everything, besides the intestines! It was crazy! And then they put the fire out and off we went back to their base camp, where the rest of the men were still smoking...They have a hard life, but they make it easier by smoking haha. When we got back the men and the boys started target practicing with theirs bows. Got that on tape too! The women and children were so beautiful! It was quite the site.

Then we headed out, stopped at a "park" for out boxed lunch, which consisted of, bread and butter, fried chicken, a crepe, hard boiled egg, chocolate, and apple juice. We stopped and saw another tribe on the way back, who live in huts and then men make things out of metal. On the way home we stopped at a Tented Hotel. A luxury tent hotel, with an in ground pool and all. The tent have bathrooms off of them and a huge restaurant at the hotel. While we were sitting at the pool having a coke, monkeys were running by, no big deal! Then we headed back to our hotel for the night, and left for Moshi this morning, and returned around 1:00pm. It was a great trip!

I will be going on my Safari to the Serengeti on October 11th! I am looking forward to seeing more of Tanzania! But for now I am back up to the orphanage seeing my babies! They are so sweet, and I have missed them in the last two days.

Thanks for the support and prayers. Hope you all have a great Saturday, and talk to you soon!