SOS Bushmen

Under clear, starlit skies in a remote corner of Botswana's Kalahari Desert, the orange reflection of the fire illuminated the medicine man as he danced. Bare to the waist and moving in short, measured steps, he was nearing a state of altered consciousness.

With every move, the sound of the rattles attached to his ankles echoed through the night. Suddenly, his footing became less sure; his breathing more erratic. He appeared in pain, perhaps in response to the spirits that had entered his body. The healer had slipped into a trance.

Slowly circling the flames, he methodically placed his hands on those seated around the fire. With a sudden shriek, he expelled sickness from some while protecting others from evil spirits. His face, beaded with perspiration, glared in the firelight.

When his rounds were finished, he slowly approached the fire's edge. Falling to his knees, he leaned over the flames, almost touching them. Finally, utterly exhausted, he stumbled backwards, collapsing into the sand.

Just a few days earlier, I had travelled by bush plane to the far western edge of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. I had come to visit the Grassland Safari Lodge, an attractive remote outpost that would be our base for the first several days of our adventure.

This same area was also home to some of the few remaining Bushmen clans that continue to pursue a traditional hunter-gatherer lifestyle. The way of life for these incredibly resilient people is made possible, in large part, by the wild and undeveloped state of this part of western Botswana.

But it's also increasingly aided by the fact that, each year, a small but growing number of tourists, like myself, pay to observe and partake in a once-in-a-lifetime cultural experience.

Formally recognized by the United Nations as the "First Peoples of the Kalahari," the Bushmen have successfully inhabited one of Africa's most unforgiving and arid regions and, as the world's oldest culture, they have a history that dates back almost 30,000 years. They are the ultimate survivors.

Yet, of the 90,000 Bushmen that remain in all of southern Africa, only 1,500 or so continue to follow the old ways. A growing interest in cultural tourism is providing some hope that their traditions and customs will survive to be passed down to future generations.

Shortly after arriving, I met the owner of the lodge, Neeltjie Bower, who has developed a very special relationship with the nearby San. She is renowned for dealing with locals in a sensitive and respectful manner. As a result, they are all too willing to give visitors like me a special insight into their world.

During my time there, local villagers taught me much about their daily life. I learned about dozens of plants used for various culinary or medicinal purposes. I was shown how bush foods are prepared using the most basic of tools and how to make a fire by rubbing sticks together in a bed of dry grass.

Before I knew it, it was time to head to my second destination so I bid a sad farewell to both my San hosts and the owners of Grassland Lodge. I then hopped on a bush plane bound for the legendary Jack's Camp.

Located on the edge of the Makgadikgadi Pans (the largest salt pan in the world), Jack's is renowned as a classic desert safari camp combining a bit of 1920s west African panache along with a host of activities focusing on desert-adapted wildlife, stone-age archeology, scientific exploration and Bushmen anthropology.

Comprising several lavishly appointed walk-in tents in a stunning palm grove surrounded by more than 60,000 square miles of sand and grass, the camp is run by Ralph Bousfield, whose father, Jack, lived among the San people for many years. Several Bushmen continue to live and work at the camp, playing a key role in various cultural activities centering on the San's traditional ways.

I had come here in the hope of learning from them. After getting settled in my tent, I met Xuma, Xixae, Nxexao and Xaashe, all related Bushmen who would act as my guides. Just as I hoped, my time with them turned out to be a great journey of discovery.

As I walked with Xuma and the others, I learned much about their ancient traditions and ways. During our rest stops, I even learned some Bushmen games, including one that reminded me of our own rock-paper-scissors.

I was also fascinated to learn that the eland, the largest of all African antelopes, is considered the most important animal to the Bushmen, not only for its meat and skin, but also as a spiritual symbol.

To the Bushmen, the eland has attained a deity-like status; so much so that the rite of passage from boyhood to manhood was once sanctified by a successful hunt of this beautiful antelope. When a kill was made, the hair from between the eyes of the animal was removed and inserted into incisions cut between the hunter's eyes, instilling within him the power of the eland.

For those remaining Bushmen that choose to pursue the old ways, my hope is they will be given the space and freedom to do so. And I took some comfort knowing that cultural tourism, if done in a dignified and sensitive way, could provide an additional means and incentive by which the incredible culture of San might be preserved and passed on to future generations.

IF YOU GO

Most visitors travel to the Kalahari in the peak months of June through August. But the best time to visit may be the months of April and May, when temperatures are not as hot and the desert retains a glint of green from the earlier rains. Details on the lodges mentioned in this article can be found at www.grasslandlodge.comandwww.unchartedafrica.com.

Photo: Mark Angelo, Special To The Vancouver Sun, Canwest News Service / A village medicine man kneels over the fire during the end of the healing trance dance in Botswana's Kalahari Desert. ;