Sunday, July 27, 2008

Himba Village and Skeleton Coast


The Himba tribe is one of the oldest in Namibia. The women paint their bodies and hair with fresh butterfat everyday, which gives their skin a lovely red tint. They are great craftswomen, as they hand-make all their jewelry and clothing (usually with their babies on their laps) They were also very welcoming and warm.

Himba children playing at dusk, wearing the beads their aunts and mothers make.

Some of the oldest bushman engravings are still clear on the side of this sandstone rock. Bushmen were nomads and traveled all over the country from desert to sea.

Famous "desert elephants," pictured below, are rare in Namibia. They are slightly leaner than elephants you find in the parks and are built to last longer without water.

On the Skeleton Coast (i.e. named after bones from beached whales) you are likely not to see another vehicle for hours. It is not a good place to run out of gas or get a flat tire. This photo was taken just before our right back tire went flat. Luckily, there were two vehicles on the road at that time!
View of the Atlantic Ocean from our porch at Cape Cross Lodge.

The larges fur seal colony in the world, pictured below, lies near Cape Cross, Namibia. Noisy little guys.

1 comment:

Kelly said...

Wow...amazing pics and video! Thanks for sharing these and the awesome DVD you put together in IL.
I was serious about the special "baby elephant" edit... :) They are so cute!!
It was great seeing you guys! Have a great time in Ireland...safe travels! Love, Kelly & Robert.