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Kennington to Cape Town
HIMBA TAXI
The following morning we were up early and drove on to a community campsite run by the local Himba tribespeople. The Himba are one of the most recognisable tribes people in Namibia as the women cover themselves with red clay and animal fat for warmth and to fend off the insects. Camilla was fascinated to see how the Himba lived their lives and went with Sofie to see a local village.
The Himba live in small villages - usually dominated by one man who may have several wives and many children. Each wife lives in a separate hut made from cow dung. The men look after the cattle whilst the women stay in the village. Each morning the women crush ocre into a powder and mix it with fat to keep their skin the red colour and keep their hair in clay braids. It was fascinating to spend a couple of hours with the villagers and in return we gave them some maize flour and sugar. Camilla also gave a lift to one of the Himba women who wanted to be driven the 10km to Epupa. As there was no room inside Biggles, she sat on the roof, having a wail of a time (literally!) Rich was pleasantly surprised to see Biggles appearing at the campsite with a large breasted Himba woman on the roofrack!
Epupa Falls is a stunning location. Over a kilometre of waterfalls is perched on the Angolan border. We thought the falls are more beautiful than the Victoria Falls, especially as they only get a fraction of the visitors. The campsite was located right on the top of the falls and we were periodically drenched from the spray. A welcome relief from the heat of the mid-day sun.
From Epupa Falls we headed south and camped in a secluded spot before reaching the Van Zyll's Pass. The roads were pretty bad but great fun!
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