Read Online No Stopping for Lions by Joanne Glynn - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Joanne Glynn
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a contender for an advanced four-wheel-driving course, but the position of the lodge is spectacular. Itâs perched on the very edge of the Klip River Valley, which includes elephant, zebra and rhino among its wildlife. If we were to stumble out our chalet door in the dark without a torch weâd be in danger of falling into the valley to join them.
Weâve been trying to pinpoint the cause of our diarrhoea and the lodgeâs manager confirms our fears that the water we put in the Troopyâs tank in Swakop is contaminated. Apparently garden water there is recycled waste water. He very kindly offers his staff to drain the tank, slush it out then refill it with his clean mountain water. I self-prescribe and get us on a course of antibiotics, Imodium and lots of water, mountain water. Apart from a daily walk through the surrounding bush we stay in the comfort of the lodge, content to take it easy. The manager takes to joining us when he is free, and over the next few days we learn about life in such an isolated location, and about the people who inhabit the region.
The two main ethnic groups up here in the far north-west are the Herero and the Himba. Theyâre relative newcomers to Namibia, both descendants of Bantu-speaking people who moved across from East Africa about 150 years ago. The group split and the majority, known today as the Herero, moved southward to the central plains of Namibia where they settled and became successful cattle ranchers. The ancestors of the Himba remained in the north and lived a semi-nomadic life as herdsmen, following their goats and cattle in search of water and pasture. Their way of life is much the same today, as their harsh homeland has always been inhospitable and isolated from the rest of the world, and an undesirable option for colonists and commercial farmers. On the other hand, the Herero have had to compete first with indigenous people, then with the Germans when they colonised the country. The Herero were greatly influenced by the Germans and the most obvious sign of this is in the traditional dress of the women. Reacting to the prudishness of missionaries, they moved from wearing very little at all to an adaptation of the clothing they saw on the Europeans â full, voluminous skirts with many petticoats underneath, long sleeves and high necks, and often a shawl as well. Their own unique touch is the headdress, which comprises long lengths of fabric rolled into wings resembling the horns of their beloved cattle. Today in the towns older women still dress up in their finery, but more often than not the younger generation wear simple Western clothing. The men once dressed in a variation of the German military uniform of the day, but this practice too has almost died out and is now rarely seen except for the odd old man at an important gathering.
Appearances are obviously important to the Herero, and the story of Ronald bears this out. Ronald is the nanny for the young son of a friend of the managerâs. He is an Herero and also a transvestite and he can be found on any one day wearing a stunning Capri outfit or perhaps an understated housedress and necklace, singing the child soft Herero lullabies or pramming him to sleep over the rocks and potholes in the car park. He favours wearing an outfit the colour of the Aeroplane jelly thatâs being served that day, and itâs understood that he has first option on the motherâs cast-offs. The parents have total trust in Ronald, who loves the little boy unconditionally. Apparently they are a familiar sight in the street of their town â the mother, father, and Ronald in high heels proudly pushing the pram.
Itâs time to hit the road and we drive northward on one of only two roads which traverse the land up here. After a couple of hours we start to see Himba by the roadside and in villages, but by the time we get to the small town of Opuwo, the last main centre of the north-west before the Angolan
Weâve been trying to pinpoint the cause of our diarrhoea and the lodgeâs manager confirms our fears that the water we put in the Troopyâs tank in Swakop is contaminated. Apparently garden water there is recycled waste water. He very kindly offers his staff to drain the tank, slush it out then refill it with his clean mountain water. I self-prescribe and get us on a course of antibiotics, Imodium and lots of water, mountain water. Apart from a daily walk through the surrounding bush we stay in the comfort of the lodge, content to take it easy. The manager takes to joining us when he is free, and over the next few days we learn about life in such an isolated location, and about the people who inhabit the region.
The two main ethnic groups up here in the far north-west are the Herero and the Himba. Theyâre relative newcomers to Namibia, both descendants of Bantu-speaking people who moved across from East Africa about 150 years ago. The group split and the majority, known today as the Herero, moved southward to the central plains of Namibia where they settled and became successful cattle ranchers. The ancestors of the Himba remained in the north and lived a semi-nomadic life as herdsmen, following their goats and cattle in search of water and pasture. Their way of life is much the same today, as their harsh homeland has always been inhospitable and isolated from the rest of the world, and an undesirable option for colonists and commercial farmers. On the other hand, the Herero have had to compete first with indigenous people, then with the Germans when they colonised the country. The Herero were greatly influenced by the Germans and the most obvious sign of this is in the traditional dress of the women. Reacting to the prudishness of missionaries, they moved from wearing very little at all to an adaptation of the clothing they saw on the Europeans â full, voluminous skirts with many petticoats underneath, long sleeves and high necks, and often a shawl as well. Their own unique touch is the headdress, which comprises long lengths of fabric rolled into wings resembling the horns of their beloved cattle. Today in the towns older women still dress up in their finery, but more often than not the younger generation wear simple Western clothing. The men once dressed in a variation of the German military uniform of the day, but this practice too has almost died out and is now rarely seen except for the odd old man at an important gathering.
Appearances are obviously important to the Herero, and the story of Ronald bears this out. Ronald is the nanny for the young son of a friend of the managerâs. He is an Herero and also a transvestite and he can be found on any one day wearing a stunning Capri outfit or perhaps an understated housedress and necklace, singing the child soft Herero lullabies or pramming him to sleep over the rocks and potholes in the car park. He favours wearing an outfit the colour of the Aeroplane jelly thatâs being served that day, and itâs understood that he has first option on the motherâs cast-offs. The parents have total trust in Ronald, who loves the little boy unconditionally. Apparently they are a familiar sight in the street of their town â the mother, father, and Ronald in high heels proudly pushing the pram.
Itâs time to hit the road and we drive northward on one of only two roads which traverse the land up here. After a couple of hours we start to see Himba by the roadside and in villages, but by the time we get to the small town of Opuwo, the last main centre of the north-west before the Angolan
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