Holiday in Namibia (5): Swakopmund
On our second and last evening at the Desert Camp in Sesriem, there was bad news, followed by good news, followed by more bad news.
The first bad news was that the air conditioning on our bus had broken down, it was not possible for our driver/guide to repair it, and there was no question of continuing without air-con because the temperatures would be far too high. The good news was that the local company, Spirit of Africa, would be sending a replacement bus and it would arrive during the night. The further bad news was that the replacement bus would be would only be a 14-seater compared to our 22-seater – more than enough for a group of nine, but no longer providing a double seat for everyone.
So, on Thursday, we were off in a new coach to a new location: Swakopmund. This was ‘only’ a journey of six hours, but we had to leave early (7 am) because we had to be at Swakopmund early (1 pm) because seven of the group of nine wanted to take a flight over the Namib desert and there was a slot this afternoon but not tomorrow.
On this latest stretch of our road journey, we saw oryx and a porcupine, we stopped at the tiny location of Solitaire to find lunch to eat on the coach, we recrossed the Tropic of Capricorn, and we traversed the Gaub Pass and the Kuisseb Pass. Finally, we skirted Walvis (pronounced Val-vis) Bay or Bay of Whales, which was only returned to Namibia by South Africa in 1994, and drove along the Atlantic coast before rolling into Swakopmund. Here we are staying at a delightful hotel named after the town which was originally the town’s railway station. After five consecutive nights in lodges, it is good to have a couple of nights in a spacious hotel.
The afternoon flight was provided by a company called Eagle Eye Aviation and the aircraft used was an eight-seater Australian-designed Airvan GA8. Since I am the tallest in the group, I was allocated the co-pilot’s seat. This provided a great view, but I could not help wondering what I would do with the control column between my legs if the pilot should become incapacitated.
It was a two and a half hour flight, basically south to Sossusvlei, where we had seen the sand dunes at ground level, and then back north along the so-called ‘skeleton coast’ on the Atlantic. This special view of the Namib desert drove home just how vast and remote it is and how variable is the terrain and the shapes of the dunes. Nature is a remarkable sculptor.
Previously on our trip, dinner has been included but, here in Swakopmund, we have to make our own arrangements. The four London ‘golden girls’ broke with their normal travel arrangements by inviting me to join them for dinner and we had ‘a jolly good time’ at a place called “Jetty Restaurant” located at the very end of the 1905 jetty.
We were left to do our own thing on Friday. I was still asleep when Carlos called me at 8 am to say that I was booked on a catamaran cruise from Walvis Bay. I had completely forgotten that I had pre-booked this many months ago when I booked the holiday itself. I decided to pass, so I missed dolphins and cormorants.
However, I was perfectly happy to look around the town and took yet more photographs.
Founded in 1892 as the main harbour for German South-West Africa, the city’s German origins are visibly evident from the colourful Bavarian-style buildings and a significant part of the town’s population is still German-speaking. Since it has a pleasant summer climate and decent beaches, the city is the most popular holiday destination in Namibia for locals. However, the location is notorious as frequently having four seasons on one day – much like home then. On the day of my walk around, it was cool and misty – a good thing that we did our flight yesterday.
Two experiences in this town will be particularly memorable for me.
First, when I stopped for coffee, I sat at a table with a Dutch mother and daughter and we had a really good chat. Mother is in her mid 80s and lives in Swakopmund; daughter is in her late 40s and lives in The Netherlands. It was interesting to discuss how each chose where to live and how they manage to keep in touch and see each other.
Second, I was fascinated, and somewhat disturbed, by the war memorial at the base of the lighthouse. It was created by the Germans to commemorate those marines who died in what the plaque calls the first Herero war but was in fact the first phase of the German genocide of the Herero and Nama from 1904-1908.