198-199 Lake Eyasi and Two African Tribal Visits

After we ate lunch we drove through the Great Rift valley below Ngorongoro Crater and past small tribal villages on awful dirt roads (sometimes I don't think there was a road) towards Lake Eyasi. We stopped to visit a Datoga Tribe family who lived in a boma. The man had three wives and there were numerous children around. The first wife was herding the cattle (as customary for this culture), so the other two wives showed us around. We were able to go into the hut of one of the wives to see the two bedroom place that literally had two beds and a fire pit. The ceiling was so low we just croched down and sat on the dirt floor. Our guide was helping us communicate a little in their tribal language, but it was difficult. The main cash crop in this area is onions and this family also has a small jewelry shop where they melt down small locks and form bracelets, spears for hunting, and other goods. When we finished our visit we went to our campsite which was on the banks of the lake. We did some exploring before dusk, enjoyed a nice dinner, and went to bed early.
(As you can see the woman loved to touch our blonde hair. That is the one thing I have found in Africa they all want to touch my hair)

This morning we got up before the sun rose to go hunting with another local tribe called the Hadza. They are a nomadic tribe who speak in a "click" language. We had to find their small, little tribe in the mountains. When we arrived, the women and children were gathered around one fire and the men around another getting ready for their hunt. We headed out with bows and arrows to follow them as they looked for animals. The main animals they hunt are baboons, small cats, and birds. Unfortunately they only shot at a couple birds today and missed them - one of the men had recently been attacked by a leopard and he had scars all over his body, so I was kind of glad we only saw birds! We then went back to do some practice shooting with them and they also performed a traditional dance for us. Quite an interesting experience to say the least!