Our second day at Epupo Falls began with a sedate breakfast at 0800, a luxury for sure. Our Himba guide, Tom, arrived at camp at 1000 to escort us ten miles or so off the beaten track to the nearest Himba settlement. There was some doubt at first that we would be permitted to visit, as the village was mourning the recent death of a 12-year-old boy, and other Himba from further afield were in temporary residence awaiting the funeral formalities. Luckily we went ahead and spent perhaps an hour there. We took water in many of our 5-litre bottles, saved up over the course of the previous weeks and re-filled at camp. Also some basic provisions such as maize, cooking oil and pasta. This was handed to the head of the village for equitable dispersal around the huts.
The afternoon was lazy. The bar and internet featured quite heavily, although the net access was a touch patchy. The evening meal took place early, at 1800, so that a walk to the falls to watch sundown could be fitted in thereafter yet before the world went completely dark, and it certainly does around here. Nearing the end of the path, almost at the viewpoint, Trevor asked me if the cellphone he had just found was mine. It was. I had not zipped up my 'safe' pocket. Since the pocket was entirely empty, this meant that my reading glasses were also AWOL. I had to set off back there and then, to be able to search while there was still some good light in the sky. I found them almost back by the camp gate.
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