Three Himba boys just hanging out on the fence in the village

The first part of our second week in northern Namibia was spent getting in touch with the people of the indigenous people of the Himba culture. The Himba are well-known for their distinctive appearance, which includes a reddish skin tone achieved by applying a mixture of red ochre and cow butter to their bodies, along with clay and elaborate hairpieces on top of their heads. The Himba have thus far avoided (or refused) assimilation into mainstream Namibian culture, and as such have managed to preserve traditional cultural beliefs and lifestyle.

We camped about 200 feet outside a traditional Himba village. We visited the village to learn about Himba traditions and clothing, and also to attend the market they held for us. We enjoyed being able to support the Himba through purchasing jewelry from the market. However, we also felt very torn because our village guide told us earlier in the day that the two things would wipe out the Himba culture in the next 25 years – money and education.

We thought about the effects of education on the Himba culture when we visited a mobile school. The Himba are a nomadic tribe based on cattle herding, so they have created schools that travel with them throughout the seasons.

One of the students at the mobile school working on his studies

The mobile school we visited was little more than two classes sitting under a tree for shade, but we were told that the school had hosted 80 learners in the last year. That is a drastic improvement over the early 2000s, when no children were attending school.

After our visit with the Himba, we drove to Etosha National Park where we spent the next couple of days. We camped in the park, and had a pretty

A herd of elephants quenching their thirst in the watering hole!

relaxing couple of days. We made use of the gigantic swimming pool, went on a couple game drives, and spent some time watching animals drinking from the watering hole that was just up the path. What an astonishing experience it is to have an elephant or a rhino drinking water right in front of you!

After a great week in the North, complete with many questions, sunburns, and photos, we were ready to head off to Fall Break!