Himba Village in the Kunene Region

December 10, 2021

Archive Alert

I recently completed a school report regarding the impacts that prolonged drought events are having on the HImba in the Kunene Region. My photographs were taken in 2018 and the drought had continued since then through 2020 with predictions for unpredictable weather patterns to continue in the region at large.

I enjoyed my visit and learning about some of the cultural traditions that the Himba live by. It is humbling how well they have adapted to living in this arid environment for generations.

Chief of village

Epupa Falls

cool respite

Giraffe leaving as elephant arrive to water hole in Western Etosha NP

Giraffe in Etosha National Park

June 21, 2021

At dusk giraffe gather in sheltered locations to prepare for the night. Most of the group will lay day and sleep for a few hours while one or two group members stay alert to watch out for predators. Giraffe’s nocturnal behavior is structured to benefit their community.

Wild giraffe populations are declining due to human development, political unrest, habitat loss, and poaching. We have the responsibility to conserve their habitat. As we learn about their complex social systems the responsibility is even more fundamental. The recent article published in Ecology and Evolution outlines the current studies of giraffe’s nocturnal behavior patterns hoping to provide guidance to human behavior towards wildlife.

Burger, A.L., Fennessy, J., Fennessy, S., & Dierkes, P.W. (Feb. 2020) Nightly selection of resting sites and group behavior reveal antipredator strategies in giraffe. Ecology and Evolution, 10(6), 2917–2927.

DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6106

Angolan Giraffe in Etosha N.P. near Dolomite Lodge

Quiver trees in Namibia

June 14, 2021

An endemic tree species of Southern Africa the Quiver tree is an example of another endangered species that may have a very short future. Quiver trees have been disappearing from the landscape…

Self Supported Camping in Namibia, Feb. 2018

March 7, 2019

Courtship with my current husband was a series of backpacking trips throughout Colorado during our first summer together. Peter took care of all of the details, even preparing freshly brewed coffee for me at first morning light. I was hooked. The novelty of sleeping out in a tent, waking up to the sounds of nature is something I look forward to every summer since.

Several years ago Peter upped the ante by signing us up for a two-week overland/camping trip in Botswana. I came back home talking of little else convincing my brother to consider travel to Africa. Self-driving tours of Southern Africa are amazingly easy to plan. There are many rental companies that provide fully equipped 4X4s so you simply show up and drive away. Ah, but then there is the question of a route!

My brother, Ethan, and I began planning a Namibian road trip in early 2017, obsessively reading blogs, watching YouTube, and making lists. He would be the driver and this directionally challenged cyclist would plan the route.

We planned to camp along the way and do our own cooking, mostly because we enjoy cooking outside but also not knowing if there would be restaurants along our rural explorations. Ethan’s girlfriend Chris gamely decided to join us a month before we left and she proved to be the best animal spotter in this group.

Other than Epupa Falls, located on the Northern border of Namibia, Ethan didn’t express much opinion of what he wanted to see. I decided to cover a lot of the country. We were undaunted by the distances being from the American Southwest the three of us are accustomed to long road trips.

Camping out in Namibia was an absolute blast. All of the campsites had flushing toilets, showers, drinkable tap water, and a braai area in which to cook. The Etosha NP campgrounds were the most trodden, much like the big campgrounds in Yellowstone USA, but the Namibian camp sites were exceptionally clean. We chose to camp at Etosha 2 nights and stay at a lodge 2 nights, our only lodge accommodation for the entire trip. The lodge options in Namibia cover a wide spectrum of experiences but we kept to the theme of a camping trip instead.

There was one day that I misnavigated our route. That was the day we punctured 2 tires and the campground was below our now elevated standard. But my travel companions were good sports, all of our other experiences made up for the one dud of a day. Seriously a not-so-perfect day in Namibia is a day offering a bit of adventure from home.

I feel confident that we will all return to Africa again. Next time I will be careful not to arrive with expectations but to just be ready to learn and perhaps strive to be more thoughtful. There is something to be said for the unknown to keep life interesting. When I have the opportunity to travel abroad I look forward to being outside of my comfort zone, which this trip did achieve. My lust for travel was re-ignited in Namibia, I don’t think I will wait 3 years for my next 2-week vacation.

Lodging and Campsites

Omatozu Lodge

Halali Camp, Eastern Etosha

Dolomite Camp, Western Etosha

Epupa Falls Camp

Hoada Campsite

Hauchabfontein Camping in Naukluft Mt.

Etosha Pan

Dolomite Camp

Quiver Trees

Siblings

sunset to stars

February 4, 2019

Yes, I alone directed the sky that night

galaxies above so bright

a humble camp bathed in magic and moonlight.

Venus winked through the stillness

she then turned her course for that far horizon

in the cold morning hour.

Epupa Falls and Himba Village along the Kunene

January 16, 2019

Epupa Falls

It’s been 11 months since I slept along the Kunene River. We drank the water, because our camp host said it would make us strong. He might have been right but I also think it steeped into my cells impressing the beauty of the surroundings directly onto my being. I am sad that I won’t be there again for a while but then wasn’t I lucky to pitch my tent on it’s banks, listening to the owls at night.

One clear, bright morning a local man, Kamburu, introduced us to a few Himba villagers. He is based in Epupa Falls, but frequently travels throughout southwestern Africa. It would be difficult for us, as tourists, to cross the Kunene River into Angola but residents of region do not recognize the Kunene River as a boundary. They cross freely to visit family and friends for this has always been their region.

Kamburu is a delightful, informative guide and this is what I learned;

the Himba traditions have survived colonialism, rinderpest, and war but it is uncertain if they will survive global climate change.
Himba women are certainly beautiful but their morning rituals take at least 4 hours a day. Clothes, jewelry, hair, ochre paste rubbed onto their entire bodies- this takes time!
Himba men take pride in their appearance too, their ensembles are striking.
We can all take lessons on how to do with less water and still smell fantastic.

That morning I was in awe with this vibrant community that happily adheres to their ancient traditions. These traditions and religious beliefs provide a stable societal structure. Individuals lean on their community for virtually everything. The cooking, child raising, and livestock grazing, are all taken care of as a group. There is a bit of materialism, even competition, present within the Himba village, but their materialism is so insignificant compared to what I see in my own U.S. American society. That morning I listened to jokes and saw love directed to the children, there was a calmness I don’t experience often.

Certainly there are some very complicated issues facing the Himba communities of northern Namibia ranging from long-lasting drought, the state of rangelands & perennial grasses, to the everlasting threat from the government to dam the Kunene River even further. I wish Kamburu and his community the strength and wisdom in addressing these problems.

Namibian Road Trip September — Opuwo, Namibia

Kamburu and me saying goodbye.

Namibian Travel Adventure

December 3, 2018

I have been traveling by myself for decades, taking the chance to be myself without the risk of disappointing travel companions I suppose.

There have been times when I have traveled with a group. In these situations I carefully conduct myself in an anonymous manner free to break away on my own terms. But there was that one trip, a few years back, when I happened upon a group of photographers who I thoroughly enjoyed traveling with. We all met on safari in Botswana by happenstance. Can this independent traveler tolerate spending 2 weeks in a 4x4 truck with complete strangers sharing meals, stories, and conversation for days on end in the African bush? Hella Yeah!

It was such an enjoyable experience that I contacted everyone to join me on a Namibian road trip which we just returned from this September.

Several members of our original group opted out but two new photographers joined in their stead. We all bonded through our common interest in wildlife photography and environmental conservation. Other connections formed organically as the days marched on. Jamie Thom, owner of Conservation Safari Company, expertly served as our travel guide organizing all of the little details that any group of photographers would require. He deftly kept an eye out to make sure all of us were engaged with the sightings we encountered, offering photography tips and creative ideas for us to explore along the journey.

Meet my crew

3 Californians who brought levity and artisanal rum to the group. Quick with the latest urban slang I had to stay on my toes to keep up with all of their hip cultural references.
2 South Africans. There isn’t a more charming man in the world than one from South Africa (excluding my husband of course). Friendly, attentive, and ready for levity our South African companions balanced out the loco Americans.
1 quirky brunette. I’m quick to laugh with a tendency to take solitary walks while others are sleeping.

Africa has been become my favorite continent to visit for so many reasons, the wild environments being the first. I find that I learn a little bit more about myself when I am abroad, in a totally different environment. This time my lessons were learned with friends.

Happy Hour before dinner outside of Sossusvlei

Deadvlei in the Namib-Naukluft National Park

Nambia: Sossusvlei and Deadvlei, Namib-Naukluft National Park

November 18, 2018

I planted the seed for a Namibian trip with a group of my photographer friends, who like to travel, over a year ago. We met on an African Safari led by Jamie Thom, owner of Conservation Safari Company, in Botswana three years back. We knew that, as a professional photographer, Jamie would take our interests to heart so we immediately contacted him to guide our next adventure. After a few communications back and forth, Jamie tailored a Namibian itinerary specifically to our group’s interests.

Photographers are a special lot with specific requirements;

A driver capable of positioning the 4x4 for optimal shots
Sufficient amount of outlets, in our vehicle, allowing everyone to charge camera batteries and various electronics
Flexible mealtimes, photographers will only return to camp when photographic opportunities are exhausted, usually after dark.

Our ten-day exploration of Namibia was filled with new experiences beginning with 3 days of camping in and around the Namib-Naukluft National Park. On our first day together we were up before dawn, downed quick cups of tea, and then hightailed it to the park to witness the sunrise over the dunes of Sossusvlei.

Here are a few of my shots from that first day out in the Namib desert concentrating on the dunes of Sossusvlei and of Deadvlei.