Upclose and Personal with the Xhosa

It's always been kind of a funny joke with us and a few of our friends to talk loud gibberish and make the occasional clicking noise. We're usually in the Utah desert, posing as natives and speaking some foreign tongue--and we always laugh, because naturally, we're just funny people. So, you might understand why Shanon and I smiled, even giggled a little, when we actually heard the the Xhosa speak and got to listen to the 'clicking' first hand. In fact, there are about 4 variations of the click (and many theories why it exists) and it is near impossible for someone hearing it for the first time to slip that 'click' into a word. Very cool to hear, still makes me smile.

Part of our experience at Bulungula was a tour with a village Herbalist, who's name was too complicated to remember, and I didn't have my notebook, so lets call him Herb. He did not speak any English, but a translator from the lodge went with us to interpret. Herb carried a rusty old machete in his hand and led us through a steamy forest. He would stop periodically, and speak in a loud voice...the translator would then give us the description we could understand while Herb hacked at a tree root, tree trunk, or bush with his half-sharpened blade. In this forest he knows the secrets for remedies to common problems like headache, broken limbs, and snake bites, but there are also some much more personalized treatments as well. They described concoctions that will make girls love you, help bring you wealth, make your enemies forgive you, help you win in court, and even help with fertility. Most of these 'remedies' had the same process for preparation which involved grinding it up, boiling it in water and then either drinking it or bathing in it. I thought about grabbing some bark from the ''tree of prosperity'' and running for it, but I don't think it has the same influential properties if I were to try and prepare it on my own.

After the tour of the jungle we stopped in a local village and had a drink with some women who were harvesting beans. Shanon even gave them a 'click' of approval and joined in, while cats, dogs and chickens wandered about in the small blue hut. Then we visited Herb's house (all of them are more or less the same) to see his collection of dried goods and prepared remedies. All it would have cost was one cow and we could have bought prosperity on the spot, but alas, I didn't have enough money in my pocket.

Everything about this place, Bulungula, was incredibly enlightening. These people live in such remote locations in the most basic living conditions, and are spread out across miles and miles of wavy green hills that roll right into the Indian Ocean. The Xhosa travel long distances just to pay someone a visit, have a drink, or lend a hand. There were no real roads (only the very serious 4x4 road we arrived on), everyone traveled by foot, and the landscape was near surreal. Its a simple life that hasn't changed in a very, very long time.