Elephant Pith: Well, THAT was a fine large afternoon!

One of my Mom's favorite ways of describing a pleasant event was to call it a "fine large" whatever, and let me tell you, the afternoon after the morning monkey trek was both fine AND large!
Moses had been telling me that we going to visit a local "cultural village," and I imagined that that was going to be a rather tame affair, but of course I was more than willing to give it a go. He explained that many of the people who were at this village

were actually former poachers themselves, but that they had taken up the cause of tourism with enthusiasm. I couldn't guess it would be so MUCH enthusiasm.
The four of us walked along the little path through this arch, and I was thinking this was going to be a gentle little way to spend the afternoon, when all of a sudden there was a BIG bunch of yelling and drumming going on. At first I just didn't realize that it had anything to do with our arrival. But it did.

THESE guys came running out and danced and sang and drummed with so very much goodwill and welcome, one just could not avoid getting into the swing of things. These incidentally are Twa people (or Batwa), a rainforest tribe that once was called "pygmy," which is considered a derogatory name. Plus, they weren't all that short.
They focussed their attention on Jackie and me, and they taught us several of their traditions.

This guy showed me how to use his ingenious bellows, which are used to get a fire hot enough to make metal pliant and able to be pounded into
arrows for their spears.

These guys gave Jackie a pretty unsuccessful archery lesson. The guy right behind her was VERY good at it.

This woman was making flour from red millet seeds. She did her best to instruct me, but I was surprised both at how difficult it was and how strenuous it was.

This guy was a witch doctor, and through an interpreter, he told us about all sorts of herbs he gathers and what they're for. He showed us a natural precursor of Viagra; his gestures told us what THOSE herbs were for before the translator found the correct words.

And THEN the tribe decided to marry Jackie off to the king's son. Her husband Moses did not object. And THEN (I'm getting a little breathless here)

I got named the tribe's Queen Mother.