What a Welcome. On the way a skull grins at lime-and-white, visitors – with the long horns. It is the Remnant of an Oryx antelope, which died here in the hot desert sand. Three years ago, a merciless drought that is taking the lives of many animals, then: “antelopes, Springboks, Zebras ruled,” explained Ballack, our guide and driver. The four-wheel drive Jeep has fought for almost one and a half hours from a Mini airfield in the middle of Nowhere on gravel roads and dust roads through the dry area.
“Why do people live here?” would like to ask just. As the car climbs a hill and sets free a dramatic Outlook: the yellow sand dunes and the reddish brown mountain ranges. They are cut from a lush, life-giving Band: the Kunene river, the border river between Namibia to the North and Angola to the South.
Nearly 20 percent of the more than 1.5 million tourists who come annually to Namibia, visit the Region. You will not be disappointed. The nature is largely unaffected, as are secluded life of the local people. Ballack shows on a village, easily visible from the dirt road. Where “village” is greatly exaggerated. On the desert floor a few simple huts are to be seen, in a semi-spherical shape, such as person Igloo tents. It is the dwellings of the Himba, a semi-nomadic tribe, the most traditional of the eleven largest ethnic groups of Namibia.
the Incomparable comfort of the Lodge Serra Cafema Wilderness Safaris directly on the banks of the Kunene. It is under the sign of the Himba. Artful black-and-white photographs show survival great women and men from the Region. The pictures take up a whole wall and blend with the earth tones of the decor and the dark wood floors of luxurious apartments.
front teeth pulled in order to speak differently
Selma Simaneka is full of energy and wit, as she greeted the guests. It is one of the five assistant to the Manager of the camp and is a member of the Owambo tribe, the largest population group of Namibia. Apparently, strong women dominate there. Selma has worked his way up from a cook to waitress and would like to soon become a General Manager of a camp, as you told in the evening on the terrace. It makes the traveling Alone with the delicious food and always has an eye on the employees. Quickly, she relaxes. The Team cared for the guests a warm and attentive welcome.
The next Morning, Ballack visited the three tourists in the Himba village. Ballack wears his nickname thanks to the Central German striker Michael Ballack. Not because he played good football, he says modestly, but because of his Position in the school team. Ballack is actually Kaitoorora, is itself a Himba and traditionally raised, until the parents gave in, his Begging, and he was allowed to visit the school.
On the desert floor huts are to be seen, in a semi-spherical shape remind you of person Igloo tents.
“Mora mora”, he had taught before the visitors, and the Himba-women respond well cheerful greeting. They speak Bantu as well as the Herero, the tribe to which belonged the Himba once. The Herero are in the 16. Century to Namibia immigrated. A small group of them, the Himba tribe, distinguishes themselves, however, after a dispute. The adults are not attracted to even the four front teeth, so that they spoke as the hated tribe of brothers, explained Ballack, a small corner of a cutting tooth is missing.
giraffes are The women sitting in front of stretched Ceilings with simple, self-made Souvenirs: tiny stuffed dolls, bracelets, chains, Wood. While the women and children live almost settled down in the village, and strip the men, rods hunting, by Region and sleep in temporary shelters made of wood and Ceiling, or work in the Camp as a gardener.
braids with a red Paste of ochre and fat
in addition to the reddish-painted bodies, the hairstyles are the most noticeable to the residents. It is shown, in which phase of life you are in. In the case of the young girl with two braids grow from the back of the head in the forehead. If the braids are so far in the face, that they can be tucked behind the ears back, the girls are in the age of the first Menstruation.
image to enlarge
as soon As a woman can have children, it bears the eye-catching head of Hair, which is so typical of the Himba: braids, with a red Paste of ochre and grease, insert it and down in the lush, bulging black hair tufts. You lie like a fur collar around the naked torso. Earlier the hair were tufts of the brothers. Today, hair extensions were widely used, which bought the Himba women in the Chinese shops in the town of Opuwo, writes Margaret Jacob, the son in a book, which is available in the Camp. The decades in Namibia-working environmentalist finds it fascinating that “traditions change”.
Ballack, in contrast, believes that the culture of the Himba will be extinct in 40 to 50 years. “Then who will still want to live in the village?”, he asks. It doesn’t sound wistful.
In contact with the Damara culture
400 kilometres further to the South the Damara have done the step in the Modern a long time. The ethnic group lives in the Erongo Region, where already thousands of years ago people moved. The ancient Rock paintings of Twyfelfontein, the rhinos, giraffes, ostriches, or a magical man-lion creature witnesses show. Hunters and gatherers have the Petro glyphs at least 2000 years ago artfully carved in the Rock.
Here is groups of tourists climbing under the merciless sun with their leaders on paths and rocks. A short drive on a gravel road, removed the Damara present in a Museum of their culture. The Locals, which takes the tourists in the reception, emerges as a tough business woman, bared her bosom, revealed the explanations of medicinal plants, and craft and gives commands: “take a picture!” Then you dance with me at the show and towed the visitors in the Shop. There are actually artfully-crafted necklaces and bracelets made of plants, seeds and ostrich eggs to buy shells.
For European ears, to sound the four different Snapping or clicking of the language of The sounds completely unusual.
the Pleasant guests of the Damara culture come closer to the Damaraland Camp, especially as in the evening, the waitress, Patricia, the menu of English in the translated The language. For European ears the four different Clicking sound or click is not loud, which will complement the consonants and vowels, just completely unusual. It large are laughter, as they try to imitate them.
Because it was easier to say goodbye to in the North of the Himba women with “Oku hepa” and “Karee nawa”: “Thank you and Good luck.” The women waved enthusiastically back. They had taken a little bit of money for Corn and, maybe, a new tuft of hair.
The trip was supported by Wilderness Safaris and Private Safaris.
Created: 17.10.2019, 17:44 PM
