Namibia is a tremendous contrast to the other African countries we have visited. It is much more first world and is also very sparsely populated. Elsewhere in Africa there are people everywhere, walking on every road, standing at every road crossing, carrying water or firewood at any time of the day or night. In Namibia the roads are virtually deserted, the towns are tidy paved enclaves and the German immigrants who originally settled here have made it a reflection of Europe. Our last few days have provided both a wonderful cultural experience and an immersion in the wildlife we came to see. The two animals we had yet to see before our visit to Etosha were cheetah and African wild dog and we saw both this week. We also visited a traditional village of the Himba people where the women never bathe after puberty and instead cover their bodies daily with red ochre paste and waft fragrant smoke over themselves. Their hair is covered in ochre and they wear intricate jewelry including leggings which are decorated according to how many kids they have. We were uncertain what sort of welcome we would get in the village but they were open to small numbers of visitors and glad for both the large sack of cornmeal we brought and the income our visit provided to the village.
Rob
