Kamanjab (Namibia)

When I get to Kamanjab, I see the pretty rocky formations which encircle this very quiet, small town and and also discover the possibility of encountering a Himba village. 

A Himba guide comes to meet me to escort me to his village a few hundred yards farther away, where there are a few huts with lots of children, some women and a few goats hanging all around. As the visit progresses, I discover the way of life of this nomadic people who have preserved their ancestral traditions. The Himba guide explains the customs and habits of this people to me, in particular the ways of the women present who smile and look at me attentively. The guide gives me an explanation of their way of putting ochre on themselves, of washing, of communal living and teaches me a few words of Himba vocabulary so that I can converse a little with these women and their children ("Okuhepa" - thank you; "moro" - hello...).

The visit lasted about an hour and enabled me to learn a little more about this very symbolic people even if it was not as authentic a visit as I had expected. Indeed, I get the feeling that their attitude is less than "natural", this is no doubt linked to the influence of western civilisation and the fact of being used to meeting tourists on a daily basis. Nevertheless, it is thanks to this visit that I got a chance to meet the Himba people, talk to and learn more about them.