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NIGER

LAND OF DESERT AND DREAMSG ofDesert and Dreams

This is the Sahel. Life on the edge of the Sahara - the biggest, most beautiful desert in the world. Land of drought and hardship and bad politics. Land of mystery and romance and shadowy heroism. This is Niger, home of the legendary Tuareg, who take their identity, in spirit if not by heredity, from the ancient Berber and Bedouin tribes of North Africa and the colorful Wodaabe sect of the Fulani people. 

I've recently returned from a ten-day journey to Niger, where I participated in one of the most unusual and impressive promotional tours ever devised by a national tourism agency. In order to understand the truly unique nature of this tour and of tourism in Niger, it's necessary to be aware of some of the social, political, and cultural history of that country and its northern nomadic people. 

During the 1970s and early '80s the pastoral, nomadic Tuareg and Fulani of the Sahara and Sahel regions of North Africa suffered greatly from devastating droughts which decimated their herds and drove them into increased competition with each other and with more sedentary farmers. Many fled to cities and to other countries such as Libya and Algeria in order to survive. This situation, coupled with an historical disdain for national boundaries and a general feeling of being treated as second-class citizens, led many Tuareg to return to their ancestral lands in Niger and Mali in 1990. After a difficult period for both the Tuareg and the government, the Tuareg people are beginning to take their rightful place as one of Niger's most influential ethnic groups. 

Part of that influence included the installation of Rhissa ag Boula, the former leader of the Front de Liberation de l'Air et l'Azaouak (FLAA), as the minister of Tourism. To understand why this is such an important post for the Tuareg, it is important to grasp to some degree the historical and cultural factors which shape their society's world view. 

The Tuareg's nomadic past has created a fiercely independent people, proud of their culture and values, and determined to resist the influences of Western culture, Islam, Christianity, or neighboring ethnic groups. As Sidi Mohamed Ilies told me last week, " We do not believe in owning land. The land was there before even we came and will be here long after we leave - how can we possess it? But, in today's world it's as if the earth were being rolled up like a mat by those in positions of power, and those of us who do not have a good hold on it will be shaken off and lose our connection with that land. We must find a way to keep our way of life, which includes the ability to roam free, without restraint; and to keep our customs and values. Many of us feel that, by embracing and gaining some control over tourism in our lands, we can hold on to our way of life." 

In order to promote its new vision, the Ministry of Tourism, under the leadership of Mr. Boula, recently organized an "Eductour Desert," inviting foreign tour operators, travel agents, and both foreign and Nigerien journalists on a week-long educational tour of the country. From our arrival in Niamey to our departure, and in spite of a rather overly ambitious schedule, the tour was very well organized and executed. This was especially impressive for those of us who had traveled before in Africa, where lack of infrastructure and a different sense of time often make travel and event organization an exercise in frustration. 

On the first day of the Eductour, we went to Koure, about 40 kilometers from Niamey, the capital, to see the last remaining herd of giraffes in West Africa. Through an education program in local villages, people have come to understand that the giraffes offer much more in the way of sustainable livelihood as a tourist attraction than they do as food. Outside of a fee for a local guide, a contribution to local development projects, and a small shop of locally-made crafts, tourists who come to see the giraffes have little impact on the lives of local residents and giraffes alike. 

Another ecotourism project is the reintroduction and protection of the ostrich, oryx, and addax into the Air and Tenere regions of northern Niger. This project is being spearheaded by the World Conservation Union or Union Mondiale pour la Nature (UICN), with funding from several international NGOs, including the World Bank. The UICN is working in collaboration with the Ministries of Environment and Tourism to organize and educate tour operators and both sedentary and nomadic people of the region and enlist their help in the preservation of the Air/Tenere Reserve. They are planning to reintroduce ostriches, addax, and oryx to their former habitat. 

According to Mr. MAMADOU Mamane, national representative for the UICN, "People are beginning to understand the role that these animals can play in attracting tourists and the role that appropriate tourism can play in improving their quality of life." 

A third potential ecotourism site in Niger is the Parc W, about three hours south of Niamey. Home to elephants, monkeys, baboons, warthogs, Cape buffalo, derby eland, waterbuck, gazelle, storks, and many other bird and animal species, Parc W is not yet managed in a culturally or ecologically sustainable manner. Fortunately, Mr. Boula is planning to begin to include local communities in developing a new management program for the park which will be designed with the welfare of both animals and local people in mind 

On the second day of the Eductour, we flew to Agadez, and travelled by 4X4s to InGall for the opening ceremony of the Tuareg Cure Salee. The Cure Salee is actually celebrated by both the Tuareg and Fulani people as a sort of homecoming after their migrations far to the south during the dry season. They gather near InGall because of the rich salt deposits there, to rest, fatten their animals, give them the "salt cure," and enjoy each other's company through music, dancing, and frequently, camel racing. The Fulani manifestation of the Cure Salee is called the Gerewol and includes male "beauty pageants," where the young men adorn themselves with jewelry and makeup to accentuate the Fulani ideals of beauty - long slender bodies, bright white teeth and eyes, and straight hair. Standing in a circle, singing a chant/song, and swaying to the music, the men seek to impress the onlooking young women and be chosen, sometimes for the night, sometimes for life. These celebrations are part of an extensive and complex system of social codes and rituals which are remarkably similar among nomadic peoples worldwide. 

The remaining four days of our Eductour took us on a magical circuit of the Air Mountains and the Tenere Desert. The only human inhabitants of this region are Tuareg pastoralists, living much as they have for centuries. In the mountains are the villages where some of the people have created beautiful gardens and fields through irrigation from wells and springs. Other Tuareg continue their nomadic life, herding goats, camels, and cattle and transporting goods by camel caravan. The Tenere Desert is often mentioned as the most beautiful part of the Sahara - its sculpted dunes and mountain background create vistas which define the word serenity. The Tenere by starlight is unforgettable... For introspection, for contemplation, for understanding what self-sufficiency really means, this region of northern Niger has no equal. 

When I asked Mr. Boula how his Ministry planned to cope with increased numbers of tourists if they were successful in promoting Niger as a destination, he replied, "First, for myself, I'm not in favor of mass tourism. We are selling Niger, its tourist attractions, to gain foreign exchange, but also we are trying to develop a tourism that preserves and saves this treasure. Therefore we can't permit ourselves to open up the country to just any sort of tourism. We must control what we do; we know that this richness must be preserved; it's a scientific treasure. The Air Mountains and the Tenere Desert are world treasures, human treasures: we don't have the right, we whose soil it is, to destroy it for tourists who don't respect this richness. Therefore we are promoting a controlled tourism so that these treasures are preserved. 

A handsome, charming man with a shy, almost boyish smile and a wry sense of humor, Mr. Boula is adamant about the role of tourism in Niger and especially for his people. He is especially concerned about ensuring that tourism in Niger be a positive force, bringing in much-needed foreign exchange but having minimal impact on indigenous cultures in the country. He is informed about the adverse effects mass tourism has brought upon other cultures and environments, such as in Nepal and Kenya, and he senses deeply his responsibility in preventing this from happening in Niger. "We are not interested in mass (mainstream) tourism," says Mr. Boula, "and don't believe that Niger is suited for it. I am committed to making tourism sustainable and non-degrading for the environment and local cultures. 

According to VSO (Volunteer Service Overseas, a London-based volunteer aid organization), "Tourism has the potential to be an engine of change in the developing world. If more money spent by tourists remained with local people in holiday destinations, this would directly reduce poverty by giving people the income they need for basic health care, education, and food." If tourism is to be "sustainable" it must be used, not just to make a profit and give tourists a relaxing two week holiday, but to help communities move from poverty to prosperity. In Niger, the second poorest country in the world and one of the most interesting and beautiful, sustainable tourism could make all the difference. 

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HIGH ADVENTURE IN THE HEART OF AFRICA!  

"Zra… ?! Zra...! Tu est la? ZRA !?! Il y a un grumier qui vient, en vitesse! Zra…!" ("Zra, there's a big logging truck, coming fast! Zra!"). For seemingly the hundredth time, I heard our driver, Abubacar, give that urgent call on our little two-way radio, and for almost the hundredth time, Laurent ZRA, our Cameroonian guide and logistician, didn't answer. Laurent was in the middle car of our five-car convoy full of thirteen American adventurers and support crew. He was supposed to relay any messages from the front or rear vehicle back or forward, to warn of hazards on this dangerously rough and dusty road or notify us of a breakdown. As the "grumier" roared past, I had visions of one of our vehicles behind swerving to miss the speeding behemoth and losing control on the severely washboarded road. Which, as it turns out, is exactly what happened….

Stopping in the next village to wait for rest of the convoy, where luckily it was market day and the rest of my clients were easily distracted, I became more and more worried as the minutes ticked by and the last vehicle in the parade still hadn't arrived. Then another car arrived in the village and the occupants said there'd been an accident somewhere behind…! Laurent jumped in one of our vehicles and headed back while I stayed with the group, trying not to let on how worried I was. A few minutes later, to my great relief, both cars came rolling into town, but upon closer inspection, my relief turned again to worry as I noticed the caved-in side and broken window on the almost-new Toyota 4X4 pickup we'd just picked up that morning…. Luckily no one was hurt beyond a scraped elbow from the broken glass, and we disinfected and bandaged that and duct-taped some clear plastic over the window and were on our way!

Two and a half days and many small (and a few not so small) adventures later, at 2 a.m., we finally arrived at our destination. Dusty and weary from a twenty-hour day on the road, we collapsed into our beds at Doli Lodge in the Dzanga-Sangha Reserve in the southern Central African Republic (C.A.R.). We had just crossed the breadth of the country of Cameroon in three days with eleven American tourists, five drivers, one mechanic, two Cameroonian guides, a representative of the other sponsoring tour company, and myself, the tour leader. "This'd better be good," I mumbled to myself as I faded into oblivion and dreams of giant logging trucks chasing me around a dusty jungle....

Seemingly minutes later, we awoke to the sound of paddles dipping in the Sangha River just outside our balconied cabins, as local fishermen made their way upstream to try their luck with their cast nets. A myriad of birds called and a troop of monkeys hooted and frolicked just out of sight in the forest. In the distance, we heard BaAka (the BaAka are one of several subgroups of the Pygmy ethnic group) women singing and chanting to celebrate the goodness of life in the forest. Magical morning.... We had arrived! Sleepily, our group descended to the beautiful open dining room overlooking the Sangha River. Now we could see the graceful pirogues, hand-hewn from a single tree trunk, being poled or paddled slowly up the river highway by local Pygmies or Bantu (most West and Central African tribes other than Pygmies and Hausa/Fulani are of the Bantu group), fishing or just visiting. After a breakfast of fresh fruit, bread, and coffee or tea, we were on our way! First, we all accompanied a wonderful local Bantu guide on an introductory two-hour hike in the surrounding rainforest in order to familiarize ourselves with some of the more common varieties of plants and insects and their uses. Then back to Doli Lodge and a tasty lunch before splitting into two groups-one to attempt to find and visit lowland gorillas (only three people each day in addition to the researchers are allowed to approach the gorillas in order not to disturb their daily routine) and the other larger group to trek into the forest to observe elephants.

Sidebar - Dzanga-Sangha Special Preserve is part of Dzanga-Ndoki National Park, which in turn is one piece of a huge tri-national park system also including the Nouabale-Ndoki National Park in the Republic of the Congo (Congo-Brazzaville), and Lobeki National Park in Cameroon. Home to thousands of animal species, from driver ants to forest elephants and from butterflies to gorillas, this beautiful rainforest is threatened by multinational logging companies. In 1990, the Dzanga-Sangha protected area was created through a partnership between the WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) and the Central African government, with technical support from Germany and the United States. This area in the heart of the Congo Basin rainforest, with its rivers and salines, or bais, in the local BaAka language, now continues to provide vitally important space-safe from the threats of logging and poaching-to lowland gorillas, forest elephants, chimpanzees, forest buffaloes, and bongo antelope, as well as a myriad of other mammal and bird species. Dzanga-Sangha is very possibly the only place in the world where one has a very good chance of observing both forest elephants and lowland gorillas in their natural habitat.

An hour's drive through dense rainforest on barely passable roads (and this was the dry season!) and we pulled into a rough clearing by the "road." "From here it's a half-hour hike," our guide, Seraphin, said. "Follow me." Periodically removing our shoes to wade a shallow, winding tributary of the Sangha, we followed elephant trails through the forest until suddenly the tracker held up his hand for us to stop and listen. In the distance we could hear an elephant trumpet and snort. "Quiet!" Seraphin whispered, "There may be others in the forest anywhere around here. If you see one, stop and stand very still. Usually they don't charge." Usually...? A few moments later we were safely up on an observation platform, witnessing what few Westerners have ever seen-almost one hundred forest elephants spread out over about a thirty-acre clearing. These clearings, called salines, are mineral-rich areas of the rainforest, where elephants and other animals have been coming for centuries to dig and slurp and roll in the mud. All this activity has created a opening, free of vegetation, which is what makes these spots so special for us homo sapiens-here we can actually see forest wildlife that is usually invisible, camouflaged by all the vegetation. As elephant biologist Andrea Turkalo, who's been studying elephants at this saline for fourteen years, told us later that night at the lodge: "There are over 6,000 elephants using this saline alone, drawing on a huge area of rainforest. So there aren't many of these very special places. And you folks are especially lucky-usually there aren't so many of them here at once. In fact, I've only seen this many a couple of other times."

We watched for over an hour as elephants entered and left the "bai," played and rolled and nursed their babies, challenged and were challenged by other elephants to maintain the hierarchy that keeps the peace in this age-old society. A huge old male with beautifully-shaped six-foot tusks, in the beginnings of "must," the annual period of sexual activity for male elephants, posed and strutted in front of the viewing platform as if he knew we were there (as he probably did) and that we admired his handsome virility. On the other hand, a mother with a three-month-old infant stayed at the far side of the clearing, most of the time keeping her body between the baby and us. "Lucky indeed," I thought, "so very lucky!" Tired, but very, very happy, and in awe of what we'd just been privileged to witness, we silently plodded and waded back to the cars and the drive to Doli Lodge.

The next morning we were awakened by rain on our grass-thatched roofs, which gave us a few hours of much-needed catch-up sleep before we headed out to visit the nearby Pygmy village and learn something of these wonderful people and their relationship with the rainforest. Although no longer completely nomadic, the BaAka Pygmies still live on the edge of some of the most remote rainforest in the world, retaining much of the knowledge and skills that had allowed their grandparents to survive in an environment that to most people would have been quite inhospitable. As we were soon to discover, to the BaAka the forest provides all things good and necessary to a full and productive life.

"…and this is for headache; and this relieves menstrual cramps; and this leaf, made into a tea, helps with stomach ailments and digestion; and this bark, boiled and pounded, makes men stronger (giggle, giggle)… down there." On and on, as we strolled down an elephant path through the Congo Basin rainforest, three BaAka women explained the food and medicinal properties of various leaves, stems, bark, wood, and fungi. I had the strong impression that they could have continued for hours, if not days. Grocery store, pharmacy, lumberyard, and church - the forest served all these functions and more for the BaAka.

As we returned along the elephant trail to the road where we'd left our vehicles, I noticed that the women were carrying various parts of plants with them. One had a bundle of big, roundish leaves and another had an armful of long, slender saplings. When we arrived at the road, two of the women immediately began plunging the larger end of each sapling deep into the ground, in a circular pattern and spaced a foot or two apart. They then formed an igloo-shaped frame by bending the poles over and burying the other end in the ground as well. All the while, the other woman was sitting on the ground with the big round leaves (from the mongulu tree, one woman informed me) scoring each one with a machete about a third of the way down from the stem and bending it sharply at that point, deftly stacking the finished "shingles" by her side. By the time the first women were done with the framework of the hut, the third had also finished her task and all three began hooking the leaves over the pole frame, working from the bottom up and overlapping each leaf with the one below. As a finishing touch, huge banana-like leaves were placed on the ground inside the hut as a floor. In under thirty minutes, three women had built a dry and comfortable shelter! In contrast, I used to build custom homes in the U.S., sometimes taking a year to complete a home with a five-man crew and numerous subcontractors….!

The fact that the BaAka knew so much was impressive, that they were willing to share their knowledge with us was humbling, that they were proud of their knowledge was encouraging. Many indigenous people around the world have lost much of their traditional customs and knowledge because they had lost their value in the minds of the young people in the face of encroaching western civilization. Although tourism can sometimes bring unwanted change to a society, one of its advantages is that it validates traditional customs and values and gives local people a way to continue their age-old lifestyles. The alternatives-logging, slash-and-burn farming, commercial hunting-are often extremely destructive to both the local ecology and to traditional ways of life.

The next day, three of our group (including me! Yeah!) crammed into one of the Toyota 4X4s and headed out in an attempt to observe lowland gorillas in the wild. Due to the difficulty and length of the trail, several had chosen not to go, which was a good thing because group size limitations and lack of time had necessitated that only a total of six of us would be able to participate. It was going to be a long drive and a long walk through dense rainforest, and there was no guarantee that we'd see gorillas. Things were looking good, 'though, because the Italian gorilla researchers said that a pair of gorillas was located and being monitored about an hour and a half walk from the researchers' camp. After arriving at the camp, we hit the "trail," accompanied by two BaAka trackers and a Bantu park guide. Although the trek wasn't quite as difficult as I'd expected, having tried to follow a Pygmy through the rainforest on one other occasion, all three of us were grateful for the two short rest stops on the way.

Sure enough, about ninety minutes of brisk walking after we left the camp, Mzima, the tracker in front, stopped and held up one hand, pointing ahead with the other. At first I couldn't see anything, so I crept forward a few feet until I was right beside him… and I still couldn't see anything! Slowly, with much craning of the neck and straining of the eyes, I saw a dark shape in the undergrowth. "Could that be a gorilla?" Then a part of the shape reached up and pulled down a branch and started munching on the delicate new green leaves on the end of it. "Yes! But where was the other one?" We'd been told there was a young male and his father, a large adult silverback male. I didn't see any silver, so the big one must be somewhere else nearby. We'd been told that we should never look a gorilla in the eye - they considered this a threat - and never run, even if they charge. Usually it's a bluff…. As I gazed at the young male gorilla I thought suddenly that maybe Dad was gazing at me and not liking the way I was looking at his son. From then on, I did most of my observing out of the corner of my eye as I looked carefully at the ground. After all, this silverback probably weighed three times as much as me and was ten times as strong. They may be gentle, peaceful creatures, but I still had no desire to make one mad at me….

We stayed with our little family (Dad finally showed himself) for almost two hours, never getting too close, just following behind at a distance as they moved through the forest. For a time, the young male headed off in a direction of his own, while the silverback munched leaves peacefully in place. We decided to follow the young one and see what happened. The ranger said that sometimes the youth challenged the authority of the mature male and it was always interesting to observe the outcome. Every few minutes, as Junior, who the BaAka called Ngimbelimbé, moved farther and farther away, we could hear Dad, named Mlima, give increasingly impatient grunt calls, ostensibly to call his son back. After about thirty minutes of this, we heard (we were far out of sight) a familiar (remember Tarzan movies?) drumbeat sound coming from the direction of Mlima. Immediately Ngimbé-limbé started making his way back toward Dad, albeit in an indirect and rather petulant manner. Any of you who have raised teenagers know the drill….

My few hours with the gorillas was one of the most exciting and, at the same time, one of the most sublime, experiences of my life. My unease in the beginning was replaced by a feeling of calm and serenity in their presence. I felt so very fortunate to have been allowed a glimpse into their daily lives. I hope that the efforts of the Central African Republic and WWF in creating this park and the lodge will make it possible for Ngimbélimbé and Mlima and all their fellow gorillas to continue to live long and fulfilling lives in their rainforest home.

Although Abubacar's urgent "Zra! Zra! ......... " still rang loud in my memory and almost no-one in our group was looking forward to the dusty, dangerous road back to "civilization," I, for one, felt so very fortunate to have been allowed the opportunity to see pristine rainforest, rare and magnificent animals, and perhaps most of all, a glimpse into a people's culture little changed with the centuries. I know the way in which I view the world has been forever changed by this experience, as it is every time I travel to places very different from my own. Now, several weeks after my return, I find that I don't recall very well the discomfort or uncertainty of the road there and back, 'though many of the adventures make great stories. But I do vividly remember the sound of an elephant trumpeting in the forest and the contented grunt of a silver-back gorilla in the wild, munching on a tender new stem and then rising to drum on his chest to summon an errant young male who had wandered too far. And I especially remember the BaAka woman whose eyes and hands danced as she explained the wonders of the tree bark with powers similar to, but far exceeding, those of our modern-day Viagra.

Adventure travel, such as our journey to Dzanga-Sangha, requires some measure of patience and bravery, as well as a willingness to sacrifice many of the amenities and comforts to which we are accustomed. There is no easy way to get to the heart of Africa-there is only the knowledge, once you've experienced the wonders of its untouched nature and culture-that it's worth it.