we met because of Angela’s brother he took me on a hot-air balloon ride in
took me on a hot-air balloon ride in
took me on a hot-air balloon ride in order to photograph Messiah from above I
order to photograph Messiah from above I
order to photograph Messiah from above I was working on my first book on the
was working on my first book on the
was working on my first book on the Masai of Kenya and Tanzania and had a
Masai of Kenya and Tanzania and had a
Masai of Kenya and Tanzania and had a thousand feet in the air
thousand feet in the air
thousand feet in the air he looked deeply in my eyes and said
he looked deeply in my eyes and said
he looked deeply in my eyes and said there’s something I really want to tell
there’s something I really want to tell
there’s something I really want to tell you and I have to tell you that my heart
you and I have to tell you that my heart
you and I have to tell you that my heart was beating wildly and he then said
was beating wildly and he then said
was beating wildly and he then said continuing to look at me very intensely
continuing to look at me very intensely
continuing to look at me very intensely I would really like you to meet my
I would really like you to meet my
I would really like you to meet my sister my heart sank
sister my heart sank
sister my heart sank but he believed that Angela and I had a
but he believed that Angela and I had a
but he believed that Angela and I had a tremendous amount of interest in common
tremendous amount of interest in common
tremendous amount of interest in common a real passion for the traditional
a real passion for the traditional
a real passion for the traditional cultures of Africa and a love for the
cultures of Africa and a love for the
cultures of Africa and a love for the nomadic way of life and he was concerned
nomadic way of life and he was concerned
nomadic way of life and he was concerned that she was traveling alone and I was
that she was traveling alone and I was
that she was traveling alone and I was travelling alone and we were
travelling alone and we were
travelling alone and we were encountering a lot of risks as well as
encountering a lot of risks as well as
encountering a lot of risks as well as great rewards and I think he wanted to
great rewards and I think he wanted to
great rewards and I think he wanted to bring us together and we both really
bring us together and we both really
bring us together and we both really wanted to share each other’s experiences
wanted to share each other’s experiences
wanted to share each other’s experiences and when we started recording African
and when we started recording African
and when we started recording African ceremonies across Africa we knew we
ceremonies across Africa we knew we
ceremonies across Africa we knew we could do it we also had quite by chance
could do it we also had quite by chance
could do it we also had quite by chance a very similar visual aesthetic
while we were working on our book
while we were working on our book African Ark over a five year period in
African Ark over a five year period in
African Ark over a five year period in Ethiopia we decided to go into a remote
Ethiopia we decided to go into a remote
Ethiopia we decided to go into a remote wilderness area in the southwest part of
wilderness area in the southwest part of
wilderness area in the southwest part of the country the only access in was
the country the only access in was
the country the only access in was organizing a mule train of 15 animals
organizing a mule train of 15 animals
organizing a mule train of 15 animals and carrying everything that we could
and carrying everything that we could
and carrying everything that we could possibly need for five weeks of survival
possibly need for five weeks of survival
possibly need for five weeks of survival and our goal was to find the soorma
and our goal was to find the soorma
and our goal was to find the soorma people who lived in the southwest close
people who lived in the southwest close
people who lived in the southwest close to the border of Sudan there were no
to the border of Sudan there were no
to the border of Sudan there were no roads into the area we were up and down
roads into the area we were up and down
roads into the area we were up and down over 10,000 foot mountains and through
over 10,000 foot mountains and through
over 10,000 foot mountains and through dense forests of colobus monkeys and we
dense forests of colobus monkeys and we
dense forests of colobus monkeys and we finally got to the Sarma and we spent
finally got to the Sarma and we spent
finally got to the Sarma and we spent five weeks with this very extraordinary
five weeks with this very extraordinary
five weeks with this very extraordinary group of people we were the first white
group of people we were the first white
group of people we were the first white people in that particular area
people in that particular area
people in that particular area so initially they were terrified at what
so initially they were terrified at what
so initially they were terrified at what had happened and how we’d rubbed off our
had happened and how we’d rubbed off our
had happened and how we’d rubbed off our brown skin and we made very very close
brown skin and we made very very close
brown skin and we made very very close and dear friends we accompanied them
and dear friends we accompanied them
and dear friends we accompanied them through births two births two marriages
through births two births two marriages
through births two births two marriages to stick fights where they have some of
to stick fights where they have some of
to stick fights where they have some of the wildest fights on the continent in
the wildest fights on the continent in
the wildest fights on the continent in order to prove masculinity and win wives
order to prove masculinity and win wives
order to prove masculinity and win wives we were with them during cattle raids
we were with them during cattle raids
we were with them during cattle raids with their neighbors their enemies the
with their neighbors their enemies the
with their neighbors their enemies the bully and at the end of this
bully and at the end of this
bully and at the end of this extraordinary five-week period where we
extraordinary five-week period where we
extraordinary five-week period where we had really bonded with about 250 of the
had really bonded with about 250 of the
had really bonded with about 250 of the soorma we prepared to leave at the night
soorma we prepared to leave at the night
soorma we prepared to leave at the night before we were leaving which meant
before we were leaving which meant
before we were leaving which meant packing up our mule train and going on
packing up our mule train and going on
packing up our mule train and going on the five-day trip out we understood that
the five-day trip out we understood that
the five-day trip out we understood that our the old train was going to be
our the old train was going to be
our the old train was going to be ambushed and that we would not be
ambushed and that we would not be
ambushed and that we would not be allowed out of lives and we were
allowed out of lives and we were
allowed out of lives and we were extremely disarmed and taken aback by
extremely disarmed and taken aback by
extremely disarmed and taken aback by this because we felt we had made such
this because we felt we had made such
this because we felt we had made such extraordinary bonds with a small group
extraordinary bonds with a small group
extraordinary bonds with a small group of people in four villages and what had
of people in four villages and what had
of people in four villages and what had happened is unknowingly we had broken a
happened is unknowingly we had broken a
happened is unknowingly we had broken a cardinal rule
cardinal rule
cardinal rule their society they’re an egalitarian
their society they’re an egalitarian
their society they’re an egalitarian people and we had left out 13,000 other
people and we had left out 13,000 other
people and we had left out 13,000 other soorma people in establishing our close
soorma people in establishing our close
soorma people in establishing our close friendship with three villages so they
friendship with three villages so they
friendship with three villages so they felt this was an unacceptable violation
felt this was an unacceptable violation
felt this was an unacceptable violation of their social system and that we
of their social system and that we
of their social system and that we shouldn’t be allowed out of sörmland
shouldn’t be allowed out of sörmland
shouldn’t be allowed out of sörmland alive so our guides Olga who though is
alive so our guides Olga who though is
alive so our guides Olga who though is Ethiopian himself from the north and
Ethiopian himself from the north and
Ethiopian himself from the north and extremely concern for our well-being
extremely concern for our well-being
extremely concern for our well-being decided to host a huge gathering of all
decided to host a huge gathering of all
decided to host a huge gathering of all the elders and we would have a goat
the elders and we would have a goat
the elders and we would have a goat roast we would have a big feast honoring
roast we would have a big feast honoring
roast we would have a big feast honoring the Chiefs of the soorma and we would
the Chiefs of the soorma and we would
the Chiefs of the soorma and we would give them all the food that we had left
give them all the food that we had left
give them all the food that we had left knowing that we knew they wouldn’t make
knowing that we knew they wouldn’t make
knowing that we knew they wouldn’t make it out alive or if we did we wouldn’t
it out alive or if we did we wouldn’t
it out alive or if we did we wouldn’t need very much to get all the way out
need very much to get all the way out
need very much to get all the way out and at the end of this wonderful day
and at the end of this wonderful day
and at the end of this wonderful day where the Chiefs felt really delighted
where the Chiefs felt really delighted
where the Chiefs felt really delighted with what had happened he asked them if
with what had happened he asked them if
with what had happened he asked them if they would be willing to escort us out
they would be willing to escort us out
they would be willing to escort us out of sörmland and if they’d be willing to
of sörmland and if they’d be willing to
of sörmland and if they’d be willing to get up at 3 a.m. in the morning which
get up at 3 a.m. in the morning which
get up at 3 a.m. in the morning which they said of course we will it would be
they said of course we will it would be
they said of course we will it would be our honor so at 3 a.m. we packed up in
our honor so at 3 a.m. we packed up in
our honor so at 3 a.m. we packed up in the dark
the dark
the dark put a chief in between each mule all the
put a chief in between each mule all the
put a chief in between each mule all the way down the line and headed out in the
way down the line and headed out in the
way down the line and headed out in the pitch black of the night with our breath
pitch black of the night with our breath
pitch black of the night with our breath held and our fingers crossed and by
held and our fingers crossed and by
held and our fingers crossed and by sunrise we looked up and we saw in the
sunrise we looked up and we saw in the
sunrise we looked up and we saw in the trees the the summer warriors with their
trees the the summer warriors with their
trees the the summer warriors with their Kalashnikov sin ak-47s armed from the
Kalashnikov sin ak-47s armed from the
Kalashnikov sin ak-47s armed from the Sudanese border pointed at us but when
Sudanese border pointed at us but when
Sudanese border pointed at us but when they saw their chiefs and they saw this
they saw their chiefs and they saw this
they saw their chiefs and they saw this stately honorable procession
stately honorable procession
stately honorable procession none of them pulled the trigger they all
none of them pulled the trigger they all
none of them pulled the trigger they all just sat there and allowed us to pass
just sat there and allowed us to pass
just sat there and allowed us to pass out till we got to the border and we’re
out till we got to the border and we’re
out till we got to the border and we’re here to tell the tale
”
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