This close-up shows the hair with the red powder and oil, and with the lambskin headdress that shows she is a married woman.

This young woman had some faint decorative markings (knife cuts?) on her chest that she wanted to show us, but they don't show in the picture. On the day we visited, all the men and most of the children were off taking care of the cattle.

Three little boys with interesting hair styles and typical neck ornaments.

Laura's pale skin makes an interesting contrast.

This woman changed from her regular clothes to show us this outfit, which was her wedding dress.

More cute little boys.

This girl displays the height of preteen fashion. When she reaches puberty, her mother will start putting the red coloring on her.

This girl with her colorful beads is from a tribe in Angola. Her family probably came down to Namibia because of war and now they live with the Himba tribe.

The Herero tribe was originally part of the Himba tribe, but they separated on the issue of whether to adopt the new ways of the missionaries. They still visit and intermarry.

A Herero woman selling souvenirs at the gas station.

This Himba woman was also selling souvenirs, making me wonder how long the Himbas will be able to keep their traditional ways.

The women seem to be amazingly graceful at all times.

When we approached the village, we parked 100 yards away and our guide went to each hut to ask permission to visit.

We went first to the hut of the village headman and greeted all of his wives in their language, as instructed. All four of us said "morrow" to each Himba woman we met and shook hands with each of them..

This woman is showing us how they grind a red rock into red powder, mix it with oil, and rub it on their skin and hair, twice a day, as a beauty and protective treatment. Only the women do this.