Photo Album: Road to Roy Camp and Bushmans
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After 3 nights at Ngepi Camp at Popa Falls, It was time to move towards the famous Etosha National Park in northern central Namibia. It was a good 900Km drive.
I decided to divide the drive into two parts, with a break at Roy Camp, where I would go visit a bushman tribe, which until recent years, they were still living as hunter gatherers.
As Roy Camp is a good 600 Km from Popa Falls, I decided to leave early, just before 8 a.m.
The first part of the road was basically running in parallel with the northern border with Angola, along the River Cubango, the one that feeds the Okavango Delta. The road conditions was very similar to Botswana, where it is dotted with villages, but still thinly populated.
Selling firewood seems to be a pretty common trade along the road.
At a rest stop, I saw some locals came out of the bush in their pretty primitive form of transportation, a cattle sledge.
200Km later, I arrived at Rundu, a largish town, which seems to be a major center of Northeastern Namibia.
But it seemsedthat some people needed to queue for water just outside town.
The town boasts a sizable center with shops, supermarkets and decent sized bank offices.
I just adore the dress and head gear this lady has, I presume that it is the local tradition.
After a brief stop in town to pick up some foods at the supermarket, I decided to drive down to the river to see the border crossing with Angola.
Sure there were plenty of activities, people were crossing the river either by small boats or swimming.
I decided to divide the drive into two parts, with a break at Roy Camp, where I would go visit a bushman tribe, which until recent years, they were still living as hunter gatherers.
As Roy Camp is a good 600 Km from Popa Falls, I decided to leave early, just before 8 a.m.
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The first part of the road was basically running in parallel with the northern border with Angola, along the River Cubango, the one that feeds the Okavango Delta. The road conditions was very similar to Botswana, where it is dotted with villages, but still thinly populated. 
Selling firewood seems to be a pretty common trade along the road.
200Km later, I arrived at Rundu, a largish town, which seems to be a major center of Northeastern Namibia.
But it seemsedthat some people needed to queue for water just outside town.
The town boasts a sizable center with shops, supermarkets and decent sized bank offices.
After a brief stop in town to pick up some foods at the supermarket, I decided to drive down to the river to see the border crossing with Angola.
Sure there were plenty of activities, people were crossing the river either by small boats or swimming.
As I was taking photos, an officials from the border control tent came over and told me to put the camera away, fortunately, she did not ask me to delete anything, just waved me away.
I took the sandy track back to the town and headed for Roy's Camp down south, about 200 Km away.
One of the reasons for coming to
Roy Camp, other than that it was a sensible breakpoint for the long journey to Etosha was, at 80 Km to its east, there is a bushman tribe open for visits.
On inquiry at the camp, I decided to join their 4x4 transportation to the tribal village as the last 3 Km or so, is a sandy track.
When arrived at the Sans bush tribe, we were greeted by a tribesman , who was also our guide and translator.
He was educated in the city and has returned to the village to help with the new found tourism venture, hopefully, helping to bring about a smooth transition for the Sans people from hunter gathering mode of living to a more modernised way, for better or for worse !
We were told that only about 200 are left in the tribe, from the original of over 1,000 about 50 years ago. Such is the stress of modernity on their way of life.
These are the handicrafts made by the tribe on display for sales.
Slowly, other tribes people gathered, and they took turn to show us various essential skills for hunter gatherers.
Some are doing their daily work of making handicrafts.......
How to use wood sticks to start a fire from dry grasses.
Collect roots from plants which has medicinal values..
Make traps for catching birds and other animals,
The arrows pouch of a hunter,
Demonstrating how to make a bow and then arrows, first the weaving of the string with hemp strings,
And very importantly, knowing how to use bow and arrows to good effect.
And finally, the maidens are gathered for a ball game....
The have to keep the ball away from boys.
But this boy was clever enough to "steal" the ball away,
The girls were left wondering who would be the lucky bride for the boy....
All good parties will come to an end, so was this one, and we all bade goodbye to each other...
Next Post : On the Way to Etosha National Park
If I start a fashion shop there will I be successful? I think not.........
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