Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
PARE MOUNTAINS
The lovely and seldom-visited Pare Mountains, divided into northern and southern ranges,
lie southeast of Kilimanjaro and northwest of the Usambara range. Like the Usambaras, they
form part of the ancient Eastern Arc chain, and their steep cliffs and forested slopes host
a number of unique birds and plants. Also like the Usambaras, the Pares are densely pop-
ulated, with many small villages linked by a network of paths and tracks. The main ethnic
group here is the Pare (also called the Asu). While there are some historical and linguistic
differences among various Pare groups, socially they are considered to be a single ethnic en-
tity.
The Pare Mountains are not as developed for tourism as the Usambaras, and for any ex-
ploring you'll be largely on your own, which is a large part of their appeal, in comparison
with the now heavily visited Usambaras. Thanks to the relative isolation, the traditions and
folklore of the Pare have remained largely untouched. Also, unlike the Usambaras, there is
no major base with developed infrastructure from where a series of hikes can be undertaken.
The best way to begin exploration is to head to Mwanga and from there to Usangi (for the
north Pares) or to Same and then up to Mbaga (for the south Pares). From both Usangi and
Mbaga, there are hikes, ranging from half a day to three days or more, and English-speaking
guides can be arranged.
PARE CULTURE
The Pare (locally, Wapare) hail from the Taita Hills area of southern Kenya,
where they were herders, hunters and farmers. It was the Maasai, according to
Pare oral tradition, who pursued them into the mountains, capturing and stealing
their cattle. Today, many Pare are farmers, cultivating plots of vegetables, maize,
bananas, cassava and cardamom. Thanks to significant missionary activity, the
Pare distinguish themselves as being among Tanzania's most educated groups.
During the 1940s, leading Pares formed the Wapare Union, which played an im-
portant role in the independence drive.
Traditional Pare society is patrilineal. Fathers are considered to have great au-
thority during their lifetime as well as after death, and all those descended from a
single man through male links share a sense of common fate. Once a man dies,
his ghost influences all male descendants for as long as the ghost's name is re-
membered. After this, the dead man's spirit joins a collectively influential body
of ancestors. Daughters are also dependent on the goodwill of their father. Yet,
since property and status are transmitted through the male line, a father's ghost
only has influence over his daughter's descendants until her death.
