Wilderness survival expert Ray Mears has brought the liberating art of bushcraft to millions through his books, television series and Woodlore school.
Ray's childhood interest in tracking nocturnal foxes, combined with a lack of money for camping equipment, inspired him to relearn outdoor survival skills that hadn't been used on the English North Downs for thousands of years. He went on to travel the world, sharing and learning bushcraft and winning the friendship of numerous First Nations people. Widely regarded as the foremost expert in his field, Ray Mears has a deceptively simple philosophy. "We should learn to travel like the Bushmen," he says, "carrying less by knowing more about the natural environment which surrounds us." William Gray met him to discuss his particular passion for Africa.
Do you have a favourite African country?
Congo (formerly Zaire). It's still old Africa.
Was that your first experience of Africa?
No. When I was an infant, my folks worked in Nigeria where my father managed a printing works. Even though I was small, I still have images of that time. The rhythm of Africa really gets inside you. To go to Africa is like going home.
What is the magic of Africa for you?
One minute you're in tears, the next you're laughing. The moment you think you know Africa, it will surprise you. It's a kaleidoscope. It doesn't pay to go with soft western attitudes. You have to go with a slightly harder heart. Life is lived in townships in very much the same way as it is on the savannah. It's a predator-prey existence. I think the harshness and reality of the experience of being an African makes you live life more fully.
How did you learn about bushcraft - did you have a mentor?
Yes. The man who taught me judo at school had been in Burma behind the lines. He taught me my first lessons in survival. More importantly, though, he taught me to look at things, to question, to find out for myself, to live something through to the point where you understand.
Do you think luxury safari lodges in the wilderness miss the point of what wild Africa should be all about?
I think they answer a need. Where they often go wrong is that they fail to educate people properly about the environment. There are some brilliant game guides - walking encyclopaedias of nature. But have they really let the dirt get under their fingernails? You have to allow yourself to go barefoot for a while. I think a lot of people would like a safari as it was at the turn of the century - without the hunting - really walking in the bush, really feeling it, stretching yourself. Most lodges are too good at giving you everything you want.
What's your recommendation for the perfect two-week trip to Africa?
That's a difficult question. It depends on the level of experience people have of Africa.
Do you think safaris place too much emphasis on seeing the Big Five?
Yes I do. The Big Five is a hangover from the days of hunting. One of the most magical experiences I've had is watching a clawless otter. It's the small wonders - the jackal that comes close, the hyena that breathes in your face when you're sleeping in a bedroll at night - that are more special in many ways.
What is your environmental philosophy on travel?
Where you tread, you should tread lightly. Think before you place your feet - or your money. I think we forget that we are dealing with real people. We're not going to some living museum. The best safaris are where people are more individual and they have a real involvement with the world around them. I can't stand people in smart safari clothes! I like to be a little bit scruffy. Some of the best moments I've had in Africa have been going down to the river to wash my clothes alongside Africans, laughing with them and seeing them as they really are - real people. Treat people as you would like to be treated yourself.
Is it too late for the Bushmen of the Kalahari?
They struggle to retain their culture. The last thing they need is people saying it's all over. There's always hope. If there's one thing I've learned about Africa, it's that its heart never stops beating. I've been to a Bushman village, waited outside to be welcomed in and watched while missionaries have gone in and come away with big smiles on their faces, because they think they've converted them - and that night the Bushmen perform a traditional trance dance. Africa has its own way of continuing. But, undoubtedly, the pressures the Bushmen are under are horrendous. You have to raise some questions about whether their culture can survive intact, as we like to think of it, when they aren't allowed to live the lifestyle they've lived for so many thousands of years. Their world is changing.
Do you think tourism can benefit the Kalahari Bushmen?
I think it can. I think it must. In some ways, it's the best hope for them.
What would you never visit Africa without?
Modern drugs, particularly malarial prophylactics. I would also always take a pair of 8x32 binoculars. They're small and light and always to hand in your top pocket.
Do you always travel light?
I like to. But it's difficult on a filming trip, when we have 21 aluminium boxes of camera equipment. Ideally, though, I like to be able to get everything into a 55-litre rucksack when I'm travelling in a hot country.
What is your favourite bush food?
Kudu steaks on an open fire. Mopane honey taken straight from a tree by a Bushman is also delicious. Squash seeds ground up with termites into balls and then deep-fried are very tasty too - they taste like bacon.
Have you ever eaten a poisonous plant by mistake?
No. All you need is a little bit of bush science, backed up by modern science.
What's the single most important thing anyone should know before venturing into the African bush?
Our ancestors travelled with nothing. If it comes to it, so can we. |
