Tanzania, December 2015
Did you know that even today there are still people living in caves? Who get their food exclusively through hunting and gathering? No cell phones, no electricity, no school, no money, no law, and no calendar? – Oh yes, they still exist: the Hadzabe tribe.
I learned about them through my Lithuanian travel mate Danas. He is a totally wild guy, who is always on the lookout for some secluded tribes who are still largely spared by tourism. A few weeks ago, he met someone on the street who told him about this wild nomadic people.
Of course, Danas did not hesitate to visit them. I too was fired up when he told me about this. That sounded almost unbelievable. I was still traveling with Alex at the time. He, too, seemed enthusiastic about the idea of visiting this wild tribe.
A few facts about the Hadzabe: The tribe today is estimated at under 1,000 people. They are one of the last ethnic groups of traditional hunters and gatherers. The Hadzabe do not grow plants and do not breed cattle. They live very isolated in Tanzania around Lake Eyasi and have their own language, which consists among other things of clicking sounds.
In addition, they lead a nomadic life. Incidentally, some of the oldest fossil remains of humans were found near Lake Eyasi. The Hadzabe probably go directly back to the main root of the human pedigree.
We first drove to the village Ghorofani. That is where a man named JJ lived, who had already brought Danas to the tribe before and agreed to take us there. After Ghorofani we went with a public, grossly overcrowded jeep. We had to take all the baggage of our fellow travelers on our laps, like sacks of vegetables and bananas.
We arrived after one and a half hours of very bumpy ride. Unfortunately, we could not reach JJ on the phone, so we started looking for him in the village. It was not that easy to find him, because the houses all were miles apart. The area looked barren.
After not too long search, we found what we were looking for – JJ suddenly stood in front of us. He immediately took us to his simple stone house. Here we would spend the night, and in the morning of the next day, we should start. His wife greeted us warmly and served us a delicious dinner.
At dawn, Alex and I were woken up by our alarm clock. I had waited a long time for this day. I was so incredibly excited about the extraordinary Hadzabe tribe. When we walked to the front door, it was still dark, and it was raining a bit. We heard an eerie howl from afar. Now JJ had also got up. He explained that the howling would come from the hyenas.
We quickly brushed our teeth, and then we started – three people on the moped. The road conditions were a disaster. It was not actually a road, but rather a path that you could not even identify as such. Several times, we sank deep in the mud and passed raging rivers.
JJ seemed to be a good but very risky driver. I was seriously afraid of not surviving this ride, even though I am not really anxious. Several times we were on the verge of falling and twice we really fell into the dirt. Luckily we survived the ride without major injuries. We were just drenched by the rain and the river crossings.
When we finally arrived, Alex and I were overwhelmed. It seemed like we were going back 10,000 years to the past. We left the moped next to a tree that was hung with tens of baboon skulls. This place felt so mystical. And it was exceptionally quiet, except for the birdsong.
We followed JJ through the forest towards some rocks. There they were: the caves. There were baboon bones and skins everywhere. A group of about ten young Hadzabe men sat around a campfire. The whole situation was so unreal – almost like a dream. I somehow felt out of place with my modern clothes.
The Hadzabe greeted us warmly with a handshake. They wore cloths and animal skins. Their skin was dirty and partially stained with blood. JJ told us that these people hardly ever wash themselves. We sat with them at the cozy warm campfire and tried to warm ourselves a bit. That was really good.
I was so fascinated by these people that it was hard for me to take my eyes off them. Their movements, their language, and generally their whole living space – everything was so new and overwhelming for me. The speech consisted mostly of a tongue click. I listened intently to them talking animatedly and laughing loudly over and over again.
JJ joined us and started to talk. About 30 people lived in this tribe. The oldest man was estimated at about 35 years. The Hadzabe do not have a concept of time, as we know it. Life expectancy is very low due to the lack of medical care. Every day, the women collect berries and fruits of the baobab tree. In addition, they dig out root tubers. The men are looking for honey and are hunting. They kill pretty much everything that appears before them – from birds to baboons to zebras and buffalos.
The government had tried several times to build houses for them, but after a short time the Hadzabe moved back into their caves, as they preferred them. They have no education. They reject stock farming. They do not want to change their life. Unfortunately, this tribe is now threatened with extinction.
The Hadzabe now began to prepare their arrows and bows for hunting. Meanwhile they smoked a pipe with marijuana. Even the kids were smoking. They were estimated to be eight to ten years old. These people radiated a lot of warmth and friendliness. They sat close together by the campfire and talked animatedly. Everyone of them had a smile on their face – why?
Now it should start – with four young men, about ten dogs, and us. I suddenly felt like I had actually arrived in the Stone Age. We started to walk through the dense forest – or rather to run. It was very fascinating how attentive the men were. They noticed every noise, noticed every breaking branch, and saw every movement. In addition, the Hadzabe can imitate animal sounds really well. If they sensed something, they could suddenly run fast. Yes, they moved so differently than we do. They were much faster and more agile. I think I have never seen people running so fast.
Within a short time, they had shot two birds. The arrow was pulled out, the blood was wiped on their trousers, and the poultry were put into their jacket made of fur. They already plucked the feathers of the animal and tasted its raw meat. Then they went on for hours running through the jungle.
The situation had little to do with hunting, as we know it. It was more like high performance sports. I had a lot of trouble following the guys through the thick scrub. Several times they took a break for smoking.
Suddenly, one of the boys saw baboons far away on the other mountain. Oh dear, they were too far away. I would have been so excited about monkey meat. We did not have much luck hunting any more. A wildebeest and a warthog crossed our path, but unfortunately they were too fast. Too bad.
We returned to the caves. I would have loved to stay here for a few days and spend time with these extraordinary people. But I suspected that sleeping in a cave without a blanket or sleeping bag with so many people would have been a bit difficult for me.
Finally, the Hadzabe – this time including the women – danced for us. Then we had to say goodbye.
I was completely overwhelmed by today's experience. I had already visited some tribes in Africa, but I had never experienced something so extraordinary. Even the Maasai already had cell phones. The Hadzabe, however, still live like complete cavemen. In a few years, they too will no longer exist in this form.
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