Day 8 Cross Point Seals and Native Tribes

Tuesday December 21. Today we had breakfast by the A frames and then headed north up the coast. We stopped seven times today for different activities. The first stop was at Cross Point to see the largest Cape Fur Seal colony in the world. We were there at a good time, as the mothers had all just given birth. There were hundreds of pups around, but unfortunately, a number were dead, either crushed by the bulls, or orphans whose mother hadn't returned from the sea.

The second stop was to see a shipwreck along the Skeleton Coast. The ship had run aground last year after being towed.

The third stop was at a small village called Uis. This town used to be the site of the world's largest tin mine, but now the mine is exhausted. So, the town is also focusing on the tourist trade.

The fourth stop was at a roadside stall to buy some trinkets from some women of the Himba tribe. They are almost naked, cover themselves with a red ochre mud and apparently never wash. They were selling some small jewelry bracelets and we were encouraged to buy something as a means of supporting “sustainable tourism”. The tribes are having a hard time in their traditional roles as herdsmen and farmers, so they sell things to tourists in their traditional clothes. That way they get to stay themselves, preserve their culture and make a living.

Next we stopped further down the road to see some members of the Herero tribe. We met one of these ladies in the townships. The women wear a horned hat, to symbolize the cows that they tend, and beautiful patterned dresses.

The sixth stop was at Namibia's first World Heritage site, called Twyfelfontein. It's a rocky area that has rock pictograph art created by Bushmen 5000 years ago, depicting various African animals.

Finally we stopped at a strange geological formation, where the rocks are formed in large crystal tubular shapes.

We arrived at our camp, Abu Huab, in Damaraland, shortly afterwards. As we set up our tents, the guides changed a flat tire that we discovered that we had. Then we had a delicious homemade soup. The guides had arranged a tribal sing song for us at the bar in the camp. Five women and one man sang a number of tradional tribal songs and then we had to join in and sing and dance with them. They sounded great, like Lion King type songs.

Then back to the camp to have a fish (large snook fish), sweet potato and beet root dinner.