Page 36 - Fort Sesfontein

KAOKOVELD TOUR - with a VISIT to the HIMBAS.
Kaokoveld is even today a special region for tourism. The area is open to the public, but we advise to go with a local guide,
familiar with the people , area and an equipped vehicle.
With 50,000 km2 the area is bigger than Switzerland, but only 16,000 people live here, mostly of the tribe of the HIMBAS.
There are some chains of high mountains in the region and the now mostly dry rivers are crossing them. The attraction of
this area is the originality of the landscape. Together with the fact that this is a very lonely area, it contributes to its beauty.
In the mountains there are minerals and also precious stones. The
very seldom ocher-powder , the Himbas use as beauty-cream and also take as skin–medicine can be found only at one place
in Kaokoveld and that makes it valuable. We will visit that place.
Our tour goes from Sesfontein to the north. The pad follows a river bed and we feel the origin of this authentic area. The
mountains are covered with large mopane woods. We can imagine the time when elephants and black rhinos lived here.
Nowadays the existing animal is the kudu.
Köcher-tree, ghost-tree, tamboti and moringa as well as OMUMBORUMBONGA, the holy tree of the Hereros are a
welcome alternative to the Camelthorn allover. At last we reach the mine were the HIMBAS get their ocher-stones out and
can proof the stone material. We highlight our tour with the visit of a traditional and authentic Himba crawl. Our guide,
familiar with the culture of the HIMBAS coordinates the contact with this proud and fascinating tribe. We present our gifts
and receive a friendly welcome. With the help of our guide a certain conservation is possible and we become familiar to
their culture.
On our program the visit of a Depths - mine is the next. We have to go under earth to see where the stones come from.
On our picnic we will have a nice panoramic view. In this area is also the famous BAOBAB – trees ,growing for hundreds of
years. By measuring one of the biggest trees of 1000 years, one wonders about the stories being told under this trees .
While the sun is setting in Kaokoland, we drive back to FORT.