WINDHOEK

After a long weekend in Swakopmund I crammed into a local minibus for the three hour ride back to Windhoek. My flight back to Johannesburg didn’t depart until the following evening so I had a day to hang out and explore the city. I was at a café in Zoo Park when I heard the sound of drumming and singing, and after my meal I walked across the park to see what was happening. On the lawn facing Independence Avenue a group of people dressed in traditional clothing had started a song and dance to promote an upcoming arts and culture festival. The sidewalk facing them became crowded, passersby stopped to watch, and those enjoying an afternoon in the park gathered around to see the show. It was a great performance. But what I thought was really interesting was the group of Himba women that strolled over from the nearby market and plopped down on the grass to watch. The Himba, who live mainly in the north, are some of the most traditional people in Namibia, maybe in all of Africa. And there they were watching a cultural performance in the park. They weren’t dressed for any particular occasion, just wearing what they always wear, which isn’t much from the waist up, except for their necklaces. The Himba coat their skin in a red paste called otjize, which is made from butter fat, ash, and ochre. And use the same paste to cover their long, braided hair, creating what looks like shiny red dreadlocks. They find this look to be beautiful, and I must say, something about it is very stunning, their complexions are immaculate. Anyways, they didn’t need to perform any song and dance to promote their culture. Meanwhile I just sat there and thought about how cool Africa was. Africa. I’ve been here for three months and have only seen a very small part of it. There’s so much more out there! But that’s what traveling does - the more I see, the more I realize that there’s more to discover…