Photo Credit (Greety Images)
As a travel photographer, I visited some amazing and far-flung locations. Meeting locals, learning about their cultures, and recording locations and people that are distinct, changing, and disappearing were my favorite aspects of those travels.
I’ve met five of the most incredible people and cultures:
- The Namibian Himba.
The Himba reside in Namibia, primarily in the northwest, and in Angola on the other side of the border.
I wanted to learn more about the Himba culture, but I spent some time in Namibia’s north and witnessed their interactions with the outside world. After asking around, I was able to locate a young Himba man who works as a guide in Opuwo, the main town. I asked him if he knew of any bush families we could visit and hang out with. He mentioned that we could visit a relative who lives in a more isolated estate.
We arrived at a modest family compound after several hours of travel and forty-five minutes of off-road 4x4ing. I discovered a great deal about these amazing people over my two days there. On the majority of the hot days, I would sit beneath a big tree with the women and kids as they produced jewelry, baskets, and cooked, while I played with the kids and showed them their pictures.
I went around all the homes and spoke with the people after meeting the chief in his hut and sharing some goat milk, which wasn’t very tasty. The chief was pleased with the food we brought as an offering, which included bread, sugar, oil, and pap.
- The Panamanian Wounaan.
Panama’s Darien Gap is a remote and hazardous location. I was blown aback when I simply ventured into its boundaries. Being the first visitor to the Wounaan village of Cemaco was a great honor, as it has never been visited by visitors. For four days, I was treated to dances, conversations, family visits, and their way of life.
I had the opportunity to observe and buy directly from the women who manufacture these incredible baskets. They also honored me by getting me “tattooed” with a jagua nut. It looks awesome and lasts for two to three weeks.
Over the course of the four days, we talked about how to preserve their culture while still drawing tourists. We discussed resources, sustainability, and the kind of travel people desire. I think I made a difference, and it was a terrific use of my training in cultural geography.
This was a remarkable spot because of being taken in, living with the tribe for four days, sharing a hut with a family, dining with them, processing sugar cane, and taking a river bath with everyone.
- Northeast India’s Apatani.
a distinct tribe that is geographically secluded. 50,000 is the Apatani number. They reside in a valley in Arunchal Pradesh, India, which is in the foothills of the Himalayas. For millennia, they have managed to survive and live in this valley in a self-sufficient manner. They are raised on rice paddies, which double as fish ponds. As the primary meat and ceremonial meat, they raise pork and wild mitun, a kind of bovine.
I walked from village to village throughout my five days of house stay, exploring the countryside. Despite the presence of contemporary conveniences like television, vehicles, and cell phones, the manner of life is still the same.
The majority of the population is animism, but Christianity is spreading.
The older woman is one of the most fascinating features of the Apatani. They have nose plugs and facial tattoos. The origin of this practice, which ceased in the 1960s, is unknown.
In addition to the area’s natural beauty, this place is unique because of its inhabitants. warmth, friendliness, and a smile.
- Laos’ Akah.
One of the most insane journeys I’ve ever taken! I thought it would be interesting to travel to northern Laos, which borders Myanmar and China, after seeing a map of the region. The Akah people live here, and it was fascinating to take pictures of them. I traveled to the small village of Muang Long, where I got lodging and began making inquiries. I wanted to walk to the Mekong over the mountains. a four-day journey. I had a simple map with communities written on it after reading a lot of phrase books and translating from English to Lao to Akah.
One amazing adventure after another filled the four days. When a white person showed up in their communities, the Akah were astonished and hospitable. I stayed with the village chiefs, interacted with the locals, played with the children, took a tribe bath outside, and shared meals with the family around the fire.
It was a truly amazing journey into a dangerous section of the drug trade where people used opium, but all I encountered was friendliness and charity. Twelve years later, I returned and completed the hike again. This time, things were different. I needed a guide because the government was cracking down on the drug trade and the region was being policed more. I was able to bring all the pictures to share, and I was able to locate folks from 12 years ago who recalled the weird white lad that was strolling there.
- Ecuador’s Shuar.
Another enjoyable excursion into a far-off place was the Shuar encounter. The primary distinction with this tribe is that a large portion of their culture’s external look was already altered. They had access to motorized boats, began building with wood instead of thatch, and wore western attire and boots. They did, however, continue to hunt, fish, collect, and make chicha because they lived in Ecuador’s rainforest, distant from everything else.
I traveled there by overnight bus over dirt roads, followed by a three-hour boat ride up the Upano River and a forty-five-minute hike through the jungle. For three days, the young guide I hired—who has family there—was treated like family. To explore the area, gather food, and visit sacred sites, the chief and I hiked every day. Basic cuisine and Chicha, a fermented maize beer that is chewed by women in the jungle, spat in a vat, and allowed to ferment until it becomes mildly alcoholic, taught me a lot. It was disgusting stuff, but I had to eat it.
Making friends was the greatest reward, even though exploring was fantastic. Such kindness and hospitality. The children were adorable and bashful. They were anxious on the first day until we made friends, but they were also thrilled to see a white person.