Pygmies – the dwarves of the forest

Pygmies are the world’s best-known nationality of dwarfs. At the same time, they are also one of the most primitive types. They are hunters and gatherers, which means that they don’t grow anything. Pygmies live in primitive huts made of leaves and sticks. They don’t know what war is, and they don’t even have a word for any type of thing like that. When there is a disagreement, both sides give in. Hygiene is an unknown word as well. Despite all that, Pigmies are great singers and musicians. They are born with absolute pitch.

The Central African Republic is the last home of “primitive” Pygmies. Once or twice a week only one single plane flies there, from one single country: France. This African republic has no other connection to the world. This is hard to imagine these days. It may seem as puzzlingly obscure as Pygmies, the slaves of Bantus, do.

The Itinerary

Day 1: Participants meet at the airport. Then depart from Paris.

Days 2 – 3: You will arrive at Bangui, the capital of Central African Republic. Then there will be the arrangement of the necessary permits and formalities. We will hire cross-country cars and dine in a restaurant with an unusual menu. Apart from crocodile, you can order for example a snake in coconut sauce or monkey stewed in its own juice.

Days 4 – 7: We transfer to NP Sanga Dzanga, watch lowland gorillas and forest elephants in open air. NP Sanga Dzanga is allegedly the only place on the Earth, where you can see both lowland gorillas and dangerous forest elephants.

Days 8 – 13: We will be transported to the area where “uncivilized” Pygmies dwell. We will live in Pygmy villages, and help Pygmies during hunting and gathering. If you dare, you can taste their food. In the evenings and at night, we will listen to their music and singing. We will take part in the tribal life in its entirety. You will never forget the sound of Pygmy drums. Our friendliness and patience will be rewarded with the chance to see their dances, which are in fact narratives.

Day 14: Return to Bangui, and gala dinner in our favorite “safari” restaurant.

Day 15: Depart to Paris, where the arrival should be on the same day in the evening hours.

More about Pygmies

The most well known area where Pygmies reside is Ituri, which is situated in Congo. This area is very dangerous these days, and it is rumored that Congo soldiers have begun to hunt Pygmies for meat. That is to say that the inhabitants of countries in which Pygmies live have not yet acknowledged Pygmies as humans. They see Pygmies as animals or half-animals; and therefore, the Congo soldiers can hunt them and eat them with impunity.

Other areas where you can meet Pygmies are Cameroon and Congo near the Uganda border. The Pygmies living there are already civilized and are regrettably addicted to drinking.

Our expeditions to Pygmies are directed to Central African Republic. It is the one and probably only place on the world where you can see Pygmies who are still mostly untouched by civilization. Small scientific expeditions have been heading into this area for years. The “slave state” is still in place there. According to ancient tradition, every Pygmy village has its owner who comes from the ranks of big black Bantus. Pygmies are their property, and the dwarf tribesmen are not considered to be humans there either.

As far as we know, we are the only travel agency in the world organizing commercial expeditions to Pygmies. At the same time, we are also the only ones who organize expeditions to Central African Republic. As far as we know, there is one American agency that organizes trips to Pygmies. They go from Cameroon to NP Sanga Dzanga, and in three days they return to Cameroon. Unfortunately, the Pygmies around NP Sanga Dzanga are as civilized and degraded by alcohol as Pygmies in Cameroon are. As far as we know, we are also the only travel agency to organize commercial expeditions to Pygmies that live in the forest, and Pygmies living on the Congo border. At the same time, we are the only one whose expeditions travel across the entire Central African Republic.

Unfortunately, we can’t estimate how long the Pygmies will be preserved as an uncivilized native tribe. They are being put under considerable pressure in modern times. Bantus have begun to hunt in their forest with modern weapons. We don’t know how long the forest will provide enough food for Pygmies under these circumstances. Pygmies make a living from hunting and gathering. They are excellent hunters. Actually, Pygmies are widely recognized as the best elephant hunters. Although they are one of the most primitive cultures, yet they use sophisticated traps and flawless hunting tactics. Though this may be true, when it comes to the excessive hunting of the Bantu tribe using modern weapons, they are helpless.