The Himba

I really wanted to go see the Himba people. 

I was afraid to rent a car and drive into the unknown, but I did it anyway.

Not only was the drive pretty easy, it was amazingly beautiful and it brought me into contact with this amazing tribe of people.

 The village I went to is an orphans village. When there's no money and the kids have no family they come here.

 Here they are raised in the traditional Himba fashion, and they have a school on site so the kids don't have to change their way of dress to go to a western school.

The tours of the village are given by the Himba people, you are allowed to talk to, photograph, and spend as much time in the village as you like.

I showed up on my own and felt a little nervous walking off into the bush with a strange man, but my guide was awesome, and suffered through my countless questions.

In the end it was so much better to be there alone with the people.

This was the cheifs and his ladies hut, she showed me how they used sweat to was in the morning and how to apply the body paint.

Take note world, all women are the same, these are the clothing options, we ladies always like to have a selection in our dress.

The Himba look tough, and serious when you turn the camera on them.

But really they're just as curious about us as we are about them, and I have to say this is one place where my tattoos and piercing were a great ice breaker for some cultural exchange. 

I'll never forget the look of horror in these women's eyes as I pulled the plugs out of my ears and showed them how they were stretched.

The anklets are to protect the women from snake bites. 

I loved every moment I had in the Himba village, I would do it again in  a heartbeat.

And more than anything it is a reminder to me that fear can stand in the way of truly amazing experiences.

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