1 00:00:18,018 --> 00:00:21,396 Watch out for snakes, and scorpions, and spiders, eh? 2 00:00:21,480 --> 00:00:24,191 Alright. 3 00:00:31,323 --> 00:00:34,535 Where are we going? 4 00:00:35,827 --> 00:00:38,163 Come on. You will see. 5 00:00:39,456 --> 00:00:42,876 [grunting] Oh, geez, come on. 6 00:00:47,214 --> 00:00:49,258 {\an8}You just need to be very careful. 7 00:00:49,341 --> 00:00:51,885 {\an8}This is the most difficult part here. 8 00:00:54,096 --> 00:00:56,306 Alright, I'm up. 9 00:01:00,936 --> 00:01:02,896 {\an8}- You are following me? - Yeah. 10 00:01:04,898 --> 00:01:07,150 This is exactly what I wanted to show you. 11 00:01:18,412 --> 00:01:19,538 Oh, wow. 12 00:01:22,541 --> 00:01:25,085 As a San Bushman, this place is very special 13 00:01:25,127 --> 00:01:27,629 to me and my people. 14 00:01:27,713 --> 00:01:29,840 That's amazing. 15 00:01:31,341 --> 00:01:34,761 I set out with a mission to go pole to pole 16 00:01:34,845 --> 00:01:38,849 and uncover the secrets at our planet's extremes. 17 00:01:38,932 --> 00:01:43,103 And I've discovered most from the people who live there. 18 00:01:43,186 --> 00:01:48,442 My ancestors drew over 4,000 rock paintings here. 19 00:01:48,525 --> 00:01:52,612 We are looking at images which are over 30,000 years old. 20 00:01:52,696 --> 00:01:54,031 That's magnificent. 21 00:01:56,783 --> 00:01:58,952 So now, I've come to meet a group 22 00:01:59,036 --> 00:02:02,914 whose ancestors were around when woolly mammoths 23 00:02:02,998 --> 00:02:05,751 and saber-toothed tigers roamed the Earth. 24 00:02:08,003 --> 00:02:11,256 So, what do you see when you look at this? 25 00:02:11,340 --> 00:02:13,800 This is a picture of how the San used to live. 26 00:02:13,884 --> 00:02:16,136 Over there, on top, 27 00:02:16,219 --> 00:02:18,138 these are the animals we all lived with. 28 00:02:18,221 --> 00:02:20,390 Elephant. Giraffes. 29 00:02:20,474 --> 00:02:23,310 - Mm-hmm. - This is a group of men dancing. 30 00:02:23,393 --> 00:02:24,936 A woman carrying a baby. 31 00:02:25,020 --> 00:02:29,691 And seeing these handprints, I feel connected to my ancestors. 32 00:02:29,775 --> 00:02:32,069 So, this is the story of my people. 33 00:02:32,152 --> 00:02:34,404 That's what they've put up here for us, 34 00:02:34,488 --> 00:02:36,823 the younger generation, to come and witness this. 35 00:02:36,907 --> 00:02:40,369 - Yeah. - Very important to our culture. 36 00:02:40,452 --> 00:02:41,578 That's amazing. 37 00:02:45,165 --> 00:02:48,877 The San are the first inhabitants of southern Africa. 38 00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:53,840 We are one of the oldest populations on the planet. 39 00:02:53,924 --> 00:02:55,842 The San are pretty impressive. 40 00:02:55,926 --> 00:02:57,469 That's quite a lifespan. 41 00:03:00,222 --> 00:03:02,974 When I think about successful people, 42 00:03:03,058 --> 00:03:07,479 I picture Olympic athletes or entrepreneurs. 43 00:03:07,562 --> 00:03:10,023 But if endurance is your measure, 44 00:03:10,107 --> 00:03:13,402 the San are some of the most successful people 45 00:03:13,485 --> 00:03:15,696 to ever walk the Earth. 46 00:03:15,779 --> 00:03:19,241 I want to find out the secret to their success. 47 00:03:35,465 --> 00:03:39,302 On the penultimate trip of my Pole to Pole journey, 48 00:03:39,386 --> 00:03:41,847 I've come to southern Africa, 49 00:03:41,930 --> 00:03:46,226 to one of the most extreme environments on Earth. 50 00:03:47,727 --> 00:03:49,438 The Kalahari. 51 00:03:50,814 --> 00:03:53,483 So, where exactly are we headed? 52 00:03:53,567 --> 00:03:56,736 We are heading to go and see the Nharo San, 53 00:03:56,820 --> 00:03:58,613 the original hunter-gatherers. 54 00:03:58,697 --> 00:03:59,948 Got it. 55 00:04:01,408 --> 00:04:06,997 How similar to how you grew up is what we're going to see? 56 00:04:07,080 --> 00:04:09,166 Exactly the same. 57 00:04:11,793 --> 00:04:13,962 I was born under a tree. 58 00:04:14,045 --> 00:04:17,382 {\an8}I grew up with my parents as a nomadic child, 59 00:04:17,466 --> 00:04:18,884 {\an8}as a hunter-gatherer. 60 00:04:19,801 --> 00:04:26,141 We were on the move constantly, looking for food, foraging. 61 00:04:26,266 --> 00:04:31,146 Some days, I went easily like a week with no proper food. 62 00:04:31,271 --> 00:04:33,523 We had pet scorpions when we were growing up. 63 00:04:34,566 --> 00:04:36,860 We used to make them fight. 64 00:04:37,861 --> 00:04:41,198 Living in the Kalahari is hardcore. It's not for everyone. 65 00:04:43,575 --> 00:04:48,497 It seems like the desert would be a hard place to live, you know. 66 00:04:48,580 --> 00:04:50,540 It's not always easy. 67 00:04:50,624 --> 00:04:53,376 You have to really work hard for your food, 68 00:04:53,460 --> 00:04:55,837 and you have to save it, if there's a need to. 69 00:04:55,921 --> 00:04:57,339 Yeah. 70 00:04:57,422 --> 00:05:01,176 As far as the eye could see, 71 00:05:01,301 --> 00:05:03,011 it's just barren. 72 00:05:04,888 --> 00:05:08,767 The Kalahari Desert means "the great thirst," 73 00:05:08,850 --> 00:05:11,102 "the waterless place," 74 00:05:11,186 --> 00:05:13,313 and that's about right. 75 00:05:13,396 --> 00:05:17,234 It just seems brutal to try to live there. 76 00:05:17,317 --> 00:05:20,237 Yeah, it seems very difficult. 77 00:05:21,154 --> 00:05:23,448 But the San people know the land. 78 00:05:23,532 --> 00:05:25,492 - Yeah. - So, I will teach you... 79 00:05:25,575 --> 00:05:27,118 - Yep. Yep. - ...what to hunt, 80 00:05:27,202 --> 00:05:29,830 what to gather, and how to stay safe. 81 00:05:29,913 --> 00:05:32,541 - Yeah. - I am setting you a challenge, 82 00:05:32,624 --> 00:05:35,752 that we only eat what we find in the bush today. 83 00:05:35,836 --> 00:05:38,547 Alright, only eat what we find. 84 00:05:38,630 --> 00:05:40,924 - Yeah. - Eat off the land. 85 00:05:41,007 --> 00:05:42,884 Yeah. If you are happy with that. 86 00:05:42,968 --> 00:05:44,094 I trust you. 87 00:05:45,846 --> 00:05:48,473 I don't cook. Never been hunting. 88 00:05:50,225 --> 00:05:52,060 I don't know what I would do 89 00:05:52,143 --> 00:05:54,563 if I had to, like, kill my food. 90 00:05:55,480 --> 00:05:57,732 We just gonna eat vegetables. 91 00:06:23,967 --> 00:06:25,218 Hey. 92 00:06:36,813 --> 00:06:38,857 - Hey. Qoma. - Qoma. Will. 93 00:06:38,940 --> 00:06:40,942 - Jarama - Jarama? 94 00:06:41,026 --> 00:06:42,402 - Hey. - Okay. 95 00:06:44,654 --> 00:06:47,406 It's the click. 96 00:06:47,407 --> 00:06:49,659 Bang. 97 00:06:51,828 --> 00:06:53,455 Welcome! 98 00:06:53,538 --> 00:06:54,956 {\an8}Thank you, thank you. 99 00:06:58,835 --> 00:07:01,838 We didn't ask him his name. 100 00:07:01,921 --> 00:07:03,757 Will. Will Smith. 101 00:07:03,840 --> 00:07:06,051 He has a difficult name. 102 00:07:06,134 --> 00:07:07,469 Nobody can say Will Smith? 103 00:07:10,597 --> 00:07:13,892 Oh, man. 104 00:07:13,975 --> 00:07:18,271 Will, there's the different clans of the San. 105 00:07:18,438 --> 00:07:20,440 These guys, they are the Nharo. 106 00:07:20,523 --> 00:07:22,442 - I am Bukakhwe. - Bukakhwe. 107 00:07:22,484 --> 00:07:24,443 I want you to meet Qhuikhao. 108 00:07:24,444 --> 00:07:28,031 Qhuikhao, it's a pleasure for me to be here. 109 00:07:28,114 --> 00:07:32,786 From where I come from, this seems like a hard life. 110 00:07:32,869 --> 00:07:37,707 Does it feel like a hard way to live for everyone? 111 00:07:37,791 --> 00:07:40,794 There is food in the bush. 112 00:07:40,877 --> 00:07:44,798 Sometimes we struggle to find food and to survive 113 00:07:44,881 --> 00:07:49,219 but other days we thrive. 114 00:07:50,470 --> 00:07:55,934 If we find food, we share with everybody so that we all survive. 115 00:07:56,476 --> 00:07:58,770 This is what gives us life. 116 00:07:59,729 --> 00:08:01,147 Yeah, that's beautiful. 117 00:08:04,734 --> 00:08:06,485 My name is Qhuikhao. 118 00:08:06,486 --> 00:08:08,571 My father's name is Qoma. 119 00:08:13,743 --> 00:08:15,495 I have a big family. 120 00:08:15,578 --> 00:08:17,664 I have six children. 121 00:08:17,747 --> 00:08:19,040 I'm a grandfather. 122 00:08:20,125 --> 00:08:23,044 We forage and find food from the bush 123 00:08:23,086 --> 00:08:25,380 as well as meat from animals. 124 00:08:26,339 --> 00:08:28,091 It is a lot of work 125 00:08:28,174 --> 00:08:31,928 but we have a good life in the bush. 126 00:08:34,764 --> 00:08:38,101 If I had to learn how to survive out here, 127 00:08:38,184 --> 00:08:39,811 could you teach me? 128 00:08:39,853 --> 00:08:41,855 Show us your hands. 129 00:08:41,938 --> 00:08:43,398 My hands? 130 00:08:48,278 --> 00:08:51,531 No, they're-- yeah, yeah, it's very soft. 131 00:08:52,907 --> 00:08:57,537 It's funny, they asked to see my hands and feet. 132 00:08:57,579 --> 00:09:01,082 You know, that's not normally something I get asked to show. 133 00:09:01,166 --> 00:09:02,917 Okay. Yeah. 134 00:09:03,710 --> 00:09:05,544 Yeah, that's not-- that's not good. 135 00:09:05,545 --> 00:09:06,546 Yeah, that's not good. 136 00:09:06,629 --> 00:09:09,966 Look at that. 137 00:09:10,091 --> 00:09:11,551 They're like, "aw!" They're like, "That's a useless foot." 138 00:09:11,634 --> 00:09:15,221 Look at that soft foot. 139 00:09:15,305 --> 00:09:19,934 It's like he has never stepped on sand. 140 00:09:20,018 --> 00:09:21,560 I don't do bare feet. 141 00:09:21,561 --> 00:09:23,271 I keep my socks on on the beach. 142 00:09:23,396 --> 00:09:27,567 He said, "You gotta rub that in the sand. You gotta rub..." 143 00:09:27,609 --> 00:09:30,111 I'm not gonna make it. I'm not gonna make it. 144 00:09:30,195 --> 00:09:33,323 I have soft, non-survival feet. 145 00:09:33,406 --> 00:09:36,743 They're not Kalahari-ready. 146 00:09:36,868 --> 00:09:38,119 Oh, that's bad. 147 00:09:38,161 --> 00:09:40,038 But these are the only feet I got, 148 00:09:40,121 --> 00:09:42,290 so you're gonna have to teach me how to survive. 149 00:09:44,167 --> 00:09:48,588 So, Qhuikhao, is there some, you know, beautiful secret 150 00:09:48,713 --> 00:09:50,256 about your way of life? 151 00:09:50,590 --> 00:09:51,591 Yes. 152 00:09:51,716 --> 00:09:55,053 I will teach you. 153 00:09:55,136 --> 00:09:58,139 Alright, so I-- are we-- ready to begin my education? 154 00:09:58,181 --> 00:09:59,599 - Let's go, eh? - Alright. 155 00:09:59,724 --> 00:10:02,143 I might need my walking stick. 156 00:10:04,270 --> 00:10:06,898 Looking around, it's crazy. 157 00:10:07,023 --> 00:10:12,862 No cars, no phones, no tech developed in the last century. 158 00:10:15,156 --> 00:10:18,785 We're heading into the bush to hunt dinner 159 00:10:18,910 --> 00:10:22,956 for a whole village with nothing but a couple of sticks. 160 00:10:23,915 --> 00:10:26,876 I just can't see how that's gonna work. 161 00:10:39,472 --> 00:10:41,349 There we go, see? 162 00:10:41,474 --> 00:10:44,227 That's part of why I wouldn't be good out here. 163 00:10:44,310 --> 00:10:47,272 Just a little bit too tall. 164 00:10:47,355 --> 00:10:48,898 Yeah. 165 00:10:48,982 --> 00:10:50,775 We the San are very short people, huh? 166 00:10:50,900 --> 00:10:52,193 Yeah. 167 00:10:55,196 --> 00:10:57,240 I've never been hunting. 168 00:10:57,365 --> 00:11:00,660 One time, I guess I was probably 22, 169 00:11:00,702 --> 00:11:04,706 and, uh, Quincy Jones took me fishing. 170 00:11:04,789 --> 00:11:09,002 I caught the fish, I was like, "Oh, wow, this is amazing!" 171 00:11:09,085 --> 00:11:12,839 It goes down, and Quincy dropped a rock on it. 172 00:11:14,090 --> 00:11:16,384 I was like... 173 00:11:16,509 --> 00:11:18,511 Oh, they just walking through the bushes? 174 00:11:18,678 --> 00:11:21,264 Those things are sharp. 175 00:11:21,389 --> 00:11:23,725 - This is how you use that, Will. - Oh, that's how you-- 176 00:11:23,808 --> 00:11:25,935 Ah, got it, use the stick to put-- okay. 177 00:11:26,019 --> 00:11:27,854 I'm just-- I'm-- I'm not that dude. 178 00:11:28,980 --> 00:11:32,400 Yeah. 179 00:11:32,525 --> 00:11:36,821 It doesn't look like there's any food whatsoever out here. 180 00:11:38,990 --> 00:11:42,118 The Kalahari is a tough place to live. 181 00:11:42,160 --> 00:11:45,955 It is the largest unbroken stretch of sand on the planet. 182 00:11:46,998 --> 00:11:52,420 It becomes so hot, it can get up to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. 183 00:11:53,421 --> 00:11:55,548 The dust can be so strong, 184 00:11:55,715 --> 00:11:58,426 that you can't even see the next person next to you. 185 00:11:58,551 --> 00:12:00,011 You can't even see. 186 00:12:00,053 --> 00:12:02,722 We need knowledge, and experience, and skills 187 00:12:02,764 --> 00:12:05,058 to know where to find food. 188 00:12:10,313 --> 00:12:11,564 Stop. 189 00:12:12,148 --> 00:12:13,149 Stop. 190 00:12:14,192 --> 00:12:18,737 So, there are lots of tracks here. Lots of tracks, they've been here. 191 00:12:20,740 --> 00:12:23,326 The sand is like a newspaper to us. 192 00:12:24,452 --> 00:12:27,080 It tells us who walked here and how long ago. 193 00:12:28,581 --> 00:12:29,874 Kudu. 194 00:12:31,167 --> 00:12:34,504 Let's go quietly in to make the kill. 195 00:12:36,589 --> 00:12:40,051 This is my first hunt, so I wanna know exactly to do this. 196 00:12:42,053 --> 00:12:43,888 You use the wind direction. 197 00:12:44,013 --> 00:12:46,182 The wind is top of the range. 198 00:12:46,307 --> 00:12:48,935 - Alright, so I see this. - Yeah, get that. 199 00:12:49,060 --> 00:12:51,396 Yes, so which way the wind is blowing. 200 00:12:51,479 --> 00:12:53,189 - Wind is going that way. - Yes. 201 00:12:53,314 --> 00:12:54,774 You have to be downwind all the time. 202 00:12:54,816 --> 00:12:56,775 Downwind, got it, got it, got it. 203 00:12:56,776 --> 00:12:58,236 So that animals don't smell you. 204 00:12:58,361 --> 00:13:00,613 - Got it. - When you are using a bow and arrow, 205 00:13:00,780 --> 00:13:02,490 you have to be like 20 meter... 206 00:13:02,532 --> 00:13:04,492 - Mm-hmm? - ...to shoot. 207 00:13:06,327 --> 00:13:09,622 Hunting without modern weapons relies on stealth. 208 00:13:09,789 --> 00:13:13,126 You can only get close enough if you are totally in tune 209 00:13:13,209 --> 00:13:14,836 with everything around you. 210 00:13:22,093 --> 00:13:26,139 Qhuikhao is an excellent tracker. 211 00:13:28,808 --> 00:13:31,269 My father taught me to start tracking 212 00:13:31,394 --> 00:13:34,564 and the importance of using all your senses. 213 00:13:58,254 --> 00:14:03,259 [whispering] Those are kudus. A young male with three females. 214 00:14:11,851 --> 00:14:14,896 I'm still glad I have shoes on though. 215 00:14:14,979 --> 00:14:18,691 This is-- this would be a rough hunt with no shoes on. 216 00:14:23,738 --> 00:14:27,033 The quieter you go, the better for your hunt. 217 00:14:44,217 --> 00:14:45,885 [whispering] They saw us. 218 00:14:45,927 --> 00:14:47,762 You were making noise. 219 00:14:47,887 --> 00:14:49,764 Ohh. 220 00:14:49,889 --> 00:14:52,058 Yeah, you're making too much. 221 00:14:52,183 --> 00:14:54,060 He's looking over here. 222 00:14:54,185 --> 00:14:58,773 I messed it up, and, uh, Qhuikhao looked at me 223 00:14:58,898 --> 00:15:00,900 like I was keeping us from eatin'. 224 00:15:03,945 --> 00:15:07,448 That kudu could have fed Qhuikhao's whole family 225 00:15:07,490 --> 00:15:09,158 for a week. 226 00:15:09,200 --> 00:15:11,244 That's a scary prospect, 227 00:15:11,369 --> 00:15:15,915 that there's no guarantee of food out here. 228 00:15:15,957 --> 00:15:19,168 Will, we are hunter-gatherer. 229 00:15:19,210 --> 00:15:21,211 - We have to keep going. - Keep going. 230 00:15:21,212 --> 00:15:23,381 - Until we find food. - Yeah. 231 00:15:25,383 --> 00:15:30,179 My first lesson is, life out here is tough. 232 00:15:30,221 --> 00:15:33,808 You need resilience, adaptability, 233 00:15:33,933 --> 00:15:36,644 and above all, persistence. 234 00:15:38,521 --> 00:15:42,692 The San have lived here over 100,000 years. 235 00:15:42,817 --> 00:15:46,571 In that time, this place has changed enormously. 236 00:15:46,696 --> 00:15:49,240 There has been volcanic eruptions... 237 00:15:50,700 --> 00:15:53,828 heavy droughts, giant earthquakes, 238 00:15:53,953 --> 00:15:55,997 and enormous sea level changes. 239 00:15:57,248 --> 00:16:01,502 But the San have stayed and adapted 240 00:16:01,544 --> 00:16:04,714 to every single pressure they had. 241 00:16:06,257 --> 00:16:08,968 It's endurance on a whole new level. 242 00:16:11,387 --> 00:16:14,432 Will, in nature you have to earn your food. 243 00:16:14,515 --> 00:16:17,435 It's not always easy, but you will always find something, 244 00:16:17,560 --> 00:16:19,145 if you know where to look. 245 00:16:19,228 --> 00:16:20,438 - Okay. - Yes. 246 00:16:20,563 --> 00:16:22,440 Alright, I'm gonna tune in a little bit. 247 00:16:22,565 --> 00:16:24,525 Help me see the secrets. 248 00:16:24,567 --> 00:16:27,987 First, you have to learn how you put your feet on the ground. 249 00:16:29,238 --> 00:16:31,824 Humans have been touching the ground with bare feet 250 00:16:31,866 --> 00:16:34,452 for millions of years. 251 00:16:34,535 --> 00:16:37,997 It's important to be barefoot. You get connected to nature. 252 00:16:38,039 --> 00:16:40,041 Mm, got it. Okay. 253 00:16:41,167 --> 00:16:47,423 Animals hear you when you're wearing shoes. 254 00:16:47,465 --> 00:16:52,887 When you're barefoot you blend better. 255 00:16:55,473 --> 00:16:58,142 The first time I put on shoes 256 00:16:58,184 --> 00:17:02,313 I felt like I couldn't walk they were so heavy. 257 00:17:03,189 --> 00:17:06,901 Qhuikhao told me when I walk barefoot, 258 00:17:07,026 --> 00:17:10,780 I can feel what's moving a half-mile from here. 259 00:17:12,323 --> 00:17:15,201 That's a very powerful idea. 260 00:17:15,284 --> 00:17:17,495 Now, we all have feet. 261 00:17:17,620 --> 00:17:21,374 But for the San, they're not just a way to move, 262 00:17:21,499 --> 00:17:26,504 but a precision tool to sense the world around them. 263 00:17:26,629 --> 00:17:33,386 Almost like plugging in to the Earth to feel what's happening more effectively. 264 00:17:38,391 --> 00:17:39,475 Stop. 265 00:17:40,393 --> 00:17:42,103 You must stop. 266 00:17:43,062 --> 00:17:44,480 Guinea fowl tracks. 267 00:17:46,607 --> 00:17:49,652 These guinea fowl tracks are still very fresh. 268 00:17:49,694 --> 00:17:51,696 We know they are headed that direction. 269 00:17:53,406 --> 00:17:55,199 Let's set a trap. 270 00:17:58,703 --> 00:18:00,413 Alright, so they need to snatch that out? 271 00:18:00,496 --> 00:18:01,831 - Mm-hmm. - Oh, so hold on, so I-- 272 00:18:01,956 --> 00:18:03,541 let me see, see how it's looking. 273 00:18:11,716 --> 00:18:13,718 Ooh! 274 00:18:13,801 --> 00:18:15,845 That was interesting, 275 00:18:15,928 --> 00:18:21,684 'cause she was like, sizing me up to see if I would be any help at all. 276 00:18:26,439 --> 00:18:27,732 This is all bent. 277 00:18:27,857 --> 00:18:29,442 I'm gonna let them. I'm think I'm gonna let them. 278 00:18:29,567 --> 00:18:32,278 Yeah, yeah. 279 00:18:35,656 --> 00:18:37,450 That woman walked up and got that thing 280 00:18:37,533 --> 00:18:39,160 out of there so fast. 281 00:18:39,285 --> 00:18:42,580 It was the African equivalent of, 282 00:18:42,705 --> 00:18:44,457 "Move out the way, boy, you don't know what you're doing." 283 00:18:44,582 --> 00:18:47,543 So, I did, and she handled it, thank God. 284 00:18:49,295 --> 00:18:51,547 So, Qhuikhao, what are you making? 285 00:18:51,589 --> 00:18:54,133 You tie a rope to set a trap and catch the guinea fowl. 286 00:18:54,175 --> 00:18:55,301 Mm-hmm. 287 00:18:56,177 --> 00:18:58,763 You get a stick this size 288 00:18:58,846 --> 00:19:02,475 and put it here to hold the trigger in place. 289 00:19:02,558 --> 00:19:04,477 I have no idea how that's gonna work. 290 00:19:05,770 --> 00:19:07,897 You don't just put a trap anywhere. 291 00:19:08,022 --> 00:19:10,566 - Yeah, yeah. - You have to see 292 00:19:10,608 --> 00:19:13,486 in what they are digging, and you use that as the bait. 293 00:19:13,569 --> 00:19:16,447 Yeah. Yeah, it's wild. 294 00:19:16,489 --> 00:19:20,201 It's such intricate knowledge and understanding. 295 00:19:21,202 --> 00:19:24,497 I remember doing a lot of these growing up. 296 00:19:26,165 --> 00:19:29,168 I made my first trap when I was about five years old. 297 00:19:29,210 --> 00:19:31,337 My father was my mentor. 298 00:19:32,797 --> 00:19:36,384 I want to teach our children our ways. 299 00:19:37,301 --> 00:19:40,888 If I die they must know how to survive in the bush. 300 00:19:43,057 --> 00:19:47,103 In San, survival is not for today or tomorrow, 301 00:19:47,186 --> 00:19:49,522 it's for the future. 302 00:19:49,605 --> 00:19:53,359 Passing knowledge to the younger generations is key. 303 00:19:55,403 --> 00:19:57,530 My great-grandmother used to say 304 00:19:57,655 --> 00:20:00,783 "Bought sense is better than that you borrow," 305 00:20:00,825 --> 00:20:06,372 meaning, the things that you learn through actual experience, 306 00:20:06,497 --> 00:20:09,709 that kind of knowledge is really powerful, 307 00:20:09,792 --> 00:20:12,920 and the comforts of the city have kind of broken 308 00:20:12,962 --> 00:20:17,925 that basic simplicity in the transfer of knowledge. 309 00:20:20,344 --> 00:20:21,804 That's very cool. 310 00:20:25,224 --> 00:20:27,393 In the modern world, people think success 311 00:20:27,518 --> 00:20:32,356 is having all those fast cars and big houses. 312 00:20:32,440 --> 00:20:34,775 But in Qhuikhao's world, 313 00:20:34,859 --> 00:20:38,571 success means understanding the environment. 314 00:20:38,696 --> 00:20:42,116 It's more about knowledge, teaching the youngsters, 315 00:20:42,241 --> 00:20:44,660 passing on the knowledge to them. 316 00:20:47,872 --> 00:20:50,583 They are going to set traps all around here. 317 00:20:50,708 --> 00:20:53,544 We can come and check the traps in the afternoon, 318 00:20:53,586 --> 00:20:56,547 just in case one of the traps has caught something. 319 00:20:56,589 --> 00:20:58,424 That's amazing. 320 00:20:58,549 --> 00:21:00,968 Yeah, if it was up to me, we wouldn't be eating tonight. 321 00:21:12,605 --> 00:21:14,899 Yeah, trying to-- trying to get some food 322 00:21:14,982 --> 00:21:17,485 is a-- is an all-day gig. 323 00:21:20,613 --> 00:21:22,865 It's like an oven out here right now. 324 00:21:22,907 --> 00:21:25,409 At least the bird'll already be cooked if we catch it. 325 00:21:30,080 --> 00:21:32,583 You look like you are thirsty, Will. 326 00:21:32,625 --> 00:21:34,293 Water? 327 00:21:34,376 --> 00:21:35,753 Yeah. Definitely. 328 00:21:39,089 --> 00:21:40,591 He could see my lips were all dry. 329 00:21:41,926 --> 00:21:43,135 Oh, can I help with that? 330 00:21:43,219 --> 00:21:44,512 Sorry. Help with the dig-out? 331 00:21:44,595 --> 00:21:46,180 - Yeah. - Alright. Ouch. 332 00:21:48,140 --> 00:21:52,645 If you are not resourceful, to be able to store water 333 00:21:52,728 --> 00:21:55,189 in the Kalahari, you're going to die. 334 00:21:56,816 --> 00:22:00,152 Water is gold in the Kalahari. 335 00:22:00,236 --> 00:22:04,114 It can be up to eight months without rain. 336 00:22:04,198 --> 00:22:06,617 When the rains come... 337 00:22:07,910 --> 00:22:11,247 the water is soaked up by the Kalahari's sands. 338 00:22:12,873 --> 00:22:18,629 Animals can trek over 300 miles in search of a drink, 339 00:22:18,712 --> 00:22:21,340 but we have the secrets to overcome this. 340 00:22:22,758 --> 00:22:24,969 We store water in the ostrich eggshell 341 00:22:25,052 --> 00:22:27,888 - and bury it for later. - Wow. 342 00:22:27,972 --> 00:22:29,557 That's fantastic. 343 00:22:32,726 --> 00:22:34,395 The hardest problem, 344 00:22:34,478 --> 00:22:38,274 solved with the most ingenious, simple solution. 345 00:22:38,357 --> 00:22:41,735 I've never seen anything like that before. 346 00:22:41,819 --> 00:22:46,782 One that probably worked just as well 100,000 years ago as it does today. 347 00:22:47,825 --> 00:22:49,118 That's amazing. 348 00:23:08,304 --> 00:23:10,264 That's amazing. 349 00:23:10,389 --> 00:23:11,932 Yeah, yeah. 350 00:23:14,727 --> 00:23:17,146 That's fantastic. 351 00:23:17,229 --> 00:23:20,232 This will be our meal. It will be your meal tonight, eh? 352 00:23:20,316 --> 00:23:21,734 - Wow. - Yeah. 353 00:23:21,817 --> 00:23:24,403 Like, that counts as like a good score for today. 354 00:23:24,486 --> 00:23:26,280 That's a very, very good score. 355 00:23:26,405 --> 00:23:27,948 That will-- makes me happy. 356 00:23:28,032 --> 00:23:29,491 That also makes them happy. 357 00:23:29,575 --> 00:23:33,078 It's an achievement. We have got something to eat. 358 00:23:33,162 --> 00:23:35,539 That's enough for how many people? 359 00:23:35,623 --> 00:23:37,124 Depends on our numbers. 360 00:23:37,207 --> 00:23:38,709 - Everyone should have a piece. - Mm-hmm. 361 00:23:38,792 --> 00:23:41,337 But at least we have a meal to share. 362 00:23:41,420 --> 00:23:45,215 Alright. Whee! 363 00:23:45,299 --> 00:23:48,135 For you to survive as a hunter-gatherer, 364 00:23:48,218 --> 00:23:52,181 you have to share what you have with one another. 365 00:23:53,307 --> 00:23:56,018 As a child, there was times where I was very hungry 366 00:23:56,101 --> 00:23:57,811 and I was very thirsty. 367 00:23:57,895 --> 00:24:00,731 There was also times when I thought we are going to die, 368 00:24:00,814 --> 00:24:02,524 you know, because there's nothing. 369 00:24:04,610 --> 00:24:09,448 Kalahari taught the San to be cooperative, 370 00:24:09,490 --> 00:24:11,867 to be caring to one another. 371 00:24:15,329 --> 00:24:20,751 When you take everything away, all of the modern comforts, 372 00:24:20,793 --> 00:24:25,756 and you-- you get down to the basics of human survival, 373 00:24:25,839 --> 00:24:28,717 things just get really simple and really clear, 374 00:24:28,801 --> 00:24:33,681 how much we actually need each other. 375 00:24:33,764 --> 00:24:40,646 It's not different in New York, you know. You need each other just as much. 376 00:24:40,771 --> 00:24:42,606 It just feels like you don't. 377 00:24:44,233 --> 00:24:47,111 Yeah, "all for one, and one for all," 378 00:24:47,194 --> 00:24:51,323 is a-- is a real idea in the Kalahari. 379 00:24:54,785 --> 00:24:58,414 As many pieces of chicken and turkey 380 00:24:58,497 --> 00:25:01,959 that I've eat-- I've never seen this process before. 381 00:25:08,132 --> 00:25:09,216 Mm. 382 00:25:11,802 --> 00:25:13,095 Wow. 383 00:25:19,727 --> 00:25:22,813 Yeah, I'm a city boy. I can see that right now. 384 00:25:23,814 --> 00:25:26,108 I think I would be in charge of entertainment. 385 00:25:28,235 --> 00:25:32,823 If you all go hunt, you know, and you all can prepare the food, and... 386 00:25:34,908 --> 00:25:36,660 Oh, man. 387 00:25:43,250 --> 00:25:45,044 I got some matches in my bag. 388 00:25:47,588 --> 00:25:50,632 You have other ways of making fire. 389 00:25:50,716 --> 00:25:53,385 You run out of matches. 390 00:25:53,469 --> 00:25:58,307 Well, this one, you'd never run out. 391 00:25:58,390 --> 00:26:00,559 Mm-hmm. 392 00:26:00,601 --> 00:26:02,561 Oh, and you take turns, yeah. 393 00:26:02,644 --> 00:26:04,855 Alright, hold up. Hold up. 394 00:26:07,608 --> 00:26:09,485 We give it... 395 00:26:09,568 --> 00:26:10,736 Oh, damn. 396 00:26:13,572 --> 00:26:15,240 - Alright. Ah! - Ah! 397 00:26:15,324 --> 00:26:16,784 The tip broke off. 398 00:26:16,867 --> 00:26:18,577 - Alright-- Oh! Okay. - Ohh! 399 00:26:18,660 --> 00:26:20,913 Alright, you got it, you got it. You got it. 400 00:26:22,331 --> 00:26:23,916 Oh, look at that. Look at it. 401 00:26:23,999 --> 00:26:26,168 Oh, oh, there you go. 402 00:26:26,251 --> 00:26:28,462 We not got a fire yet, because of me, yeah. 403 00:26:32,466 --> 00:26:34,009 There it is, there it is. 404 00:26:36,595 --> 00:26:37,679 Wow. 405 00:26:38,680 --> 00:26:40,641 That's just an ember in there. 406 00:26:44,937 --> 00:26:47,272 That's fantastic. 407 00:26:47,356 --> 00:26:49,858 Come on, man, come on, come on. 408 00:26:52,194 --> 00:26:54,321 Wow. 409 00:26:56,615 --> 00:26:58,617 Yeah. Yes. 410 00:27:00,911 --> 00:27:07,751 I am in awe of Qhuikhao's ability to just conjure life in this landscape. 411 00:27:07,835 --> 00:27:09,711 Wow. 412 00:27:09,795 --> 00:27:13,048 We walked into the bush holding nothing but a few sticks, 413 00:27:13,132 --> 00:27:18,303 and by the end of the day, we were cooking a full dinner. 414 00:27:19,888 --> 00:27:23,267 Survival is not about the possessions you own. 415 00:27:23,350 --> 00:27:26,186 It's about what you know. 416 00:27:26,270 --> 00:27:32,401 There's a self-reliance that develops where you really know you can make it, 417 00:27:32,484 --> 00:27:34,945 no matter what, you know. One of the reasons 418 00:27:34,987 --> 00:27:39,408 they're the longest-surviving group on Earth 419 00:27:39,491 --> 00:27:43,662 is because of that resilience. 420 00:27:43,704 --> 00:27:46,081 It's such a different way to live, 421 00:27:46,164 --> 00:27:49,960 and one that's barely left a mark on the planet 422 00:27:50,002 --> 00:27:51,753 for all of those years. 423 00:27:51,837 --> 00:27:55,465 That was a-- a new kind of revelation for me. 424 00:28:00,721 --> 00:28:03,473 I grew up in this lifestyle. 425 00:28:03,557 --> 00:28:06,518 - Mm-hmm, yeah. - You find food, and you survive. 426 00:28:06,602 --> 00:28:08,395 - Mm-hmm. - You see your family, 427 00:28:08,478 --> 00:28:11,857 you see your grandkids, you teach them how to survive. 428 00:28:18,155 --> 00:28:21,450 But the truth is, hunter-gatherer populations 429 00:28:21,533 --> 00:28:24,870 are in dramatic decline across the world. 430 00:28:24,995 --> 00:28:27,915 This could be the last generation of San... 431 00:28:27,998 --> 00:28:30,375 - Mm-hmm. - ...to still live in the Kalahari. 432 00:28:34,755 --> 00:28:37,174 Life in the bush used to be good 433 00:28:37,299 --> 00:28:39,801 but a lot of changes have happened. 434 00:28:41,345 --> 00:28:44,389 We are struggling and aren't allowed to hunt 435 00:28:45,557 --> 00:28:49,853 because it is not our land anymore. 436 00:28:50,771 --> 00:28:54,983 Now our children have to go to town and attend school. 437 00:28:56,735 --> 00:28:58,904 We would like to be free to live our culture 438 00:28:58,987 --> 00:29:01,740 and teach our children our ways. 439 00:29:06,119 --> 00:29:09,748 These changes are happening so fast that my younger brothers, 440 00:29:09,790 --> 00:29:11,583 they did not get the last bit 441 00:29:11,667 --> 00:29:15,462 of the raw hunter-gatherer lifestyle I had. 442 00:29:41,279 --> 00:29:43,198 Now, I live in a town. 443 00:29:45,450 --> 00:29:48,787 I'm a man that crosses two worlds. 444 00:29:51,123 --> 00:29:56,628 When I start talking about my origin, I can see myself. 445 00:29:57,796 --> 00:30:01,425 Remembering the best moment I've had. 446 00:30:07,097 --> 00:30:10,517 My parents, I thought they were poor. 447 00:30:10,600 --> 00:30:15,731 But as I've grown up, I just sit and realize 448 00:30:15,814 --> 00:30:20,318 they were able to give us food and give us protection, 449 00:30:20,402 --> 00:30:22,821 without having nothing. 450 00:30:25,532 --> 00:30:29,536 Now, I realize my parents were rich of knowledge. 451 00:30:44,593 --> 00:30:46,303 Eat. 452 00:30:46,386 --> 00:30:48,847 Eat this. 453 00:30:49,097 --> 00:30:50,640 Taste it. 454 00:30:50,724 --> 00:30:52,309 - That's too much? Cheers. - Cheers. 455 00:30:56,146 --> 00:30:59,608 To live, you don't need many things. 456 00:30:59,691 --> 00:31:03,320 You have to judge between your wants and your needs. 457 00:31:04,488 --> 00:31:07,783 It's really nice to sit and watch the San people, 458 00:31:07,866 --> 00:31:11,369 and the love they share with the little they have. 459 00:31:13,080 --> 00:31:16,875 It'd be a real tragedy if, uh, the cave paintings 460 00:31:16,958 --> 00:31:21,129 were all that remained of this. 461 00:31:22,756 --> 00:31:26,218 You know, as life moves forward, 462 00:31:26,301 --> 00:31:30,889 and things change, and progress is inevitable, 463 00:31:30,972 --> 00:31:32,641 you know, the question is, 464 00:31:32,724 --> 00:31:37,646 how do we maintain the knowledge and wisdom 465 00:31:37,729 --> 00:31:39,940 of the ages? 466 00:31:45,320 --> 00:31:46,780 Wow. 467 00:31:46,905 --> 00:31:50,283 We're not going to go back to being hunter-gatherers. 468 00:31:50,367 --> 00:31:52,202 That's amazing. 469 00:31:52,285 --> 00:31:54,788 But spending time with the San 470 00:31:54,913 --> 00:31:58,458 made me think again about the history we tell ourselves. 471 00:31:58,542 --> 00:32:00,627 - Thank you, thank you. - You're welcome. 472 00:32:02,712 --> 00:32:06,925 The Egyptians built towering pyramids. 473 00:32:07,008 --> 00:32:11,054 The Romans laid the foundations for great cities. 474 00:32:12,347 --> 00:32:15,517 And our modern machines mean we can now reach 475 00:32:15,600 --> 00:32:17,102 beyond the sky. 476 00:32:18,395 --> 00:32:20,814 But alongside that, 477 00:32:20,939 --> 00:32:24,317 there is also a deep history of people 478 00:32:24,401 --> 00:32:27,529 successfully living with our planet, 479 00:32:27,612 --> 00:32:30,782 rather than trying to conquer it. 480 00:32:33,118 --> 00:32:37,330 Those of us who live in concrete jungles, 481 00:32:37,414 --> 00:32:40,292 what is the idea that we're missing? 482 00:32:40,375 --> 00:32:43,253 Humans are not separate from nature. 483 00:32:43,336 --> 00:32:45,255 We are nature. 484 00:32:46,673 --> 00:32:49,759 That is the secret of all the San. 485 00:32:50,844 --> 00:32:51,970 Yeah. 486 00:32:56,057 --> 00:32:58,602 - Ah, bring it in. - Yeah. 487 00:33:07,986 --> 00:33:10,572 Now, this is a real moment. 488 00:33:46,399 --> 00:33:49,319 North Pole is just ahead of us. 489 00:33:49,402 --> 00:33:53,782 The ambition of the entire journey is gigantic. 490 00:33:53,865 --> 00:33:56,284 - Ooh! Ooh. - Ooh, that was a big one. 491 00:33:59,329 --> 00:34:00,914 This could be a breakthrough 492 00:34:01,039 --> 00:34:02,123 for climate change. 493 00:34:02,207 --> 00:34:04,084 How can you not be all in? 494 00:34:04,167 --> 00:34:06,294 There's no way this is a good idea. 495 00:34:08,880 --> 00:34:10,590 Come on, Will. Come on, Will. 496 00:34:10,674 --> 00:34:13,802 If somebody offered me that script as a movie, 497 00:34:13,885 --> 00:34:16,471 I mean, like, come on, man. Come on, really? 498 00:34:16,554 --> 00:34:20,183 Three, two, one. 499 00:34:20,267 --> 00:34:22,727 - You send that to Matt Damon. - Go.