This second instalment of the Namibia blog covers the journey from Swakopmund along the coast and then onwards through Damaraland to the town of Outjo.
At the end of Part 1 we were in our hotel room with the air conditioning set to ‘hot’. After a good night’s sleep we felt ready to explore a bit. Swakopmund is easily the most interesting and pleasant town we visited on our trip – despite the cold (and at times also wet) weather there.
There are quite a few nice buildings, mostly dating from the beginning of the 20th century (when, as I have pointed out, Namibia was a German colony). The building below is the so-called Woermann House. It was completed in 1905 and is named after the German trading company that had its Swakopmund headquarters here.
The building shown in the next shot used to house the administrative court.
The protestant church below was completed in 1912 and has been declared an official national monument of Namibia.
The old Swakopmund railway station has been converted into a hotel.
Several other buildings from the colonial past have also been turned into hotels.
Afternoon coffee and cake was and is a big thing in Germany and the colonists clearly brought this tradition with them. You still find many good bakeries/patisseries in Namibia and their offerings would not look amiss in any German town today. The bakery pictured below even kept its original German language sign.
There are other aspects of Namibia’s food culture, too, which show a German influence. The grilled pork knuckle in the photo was quite possibly the best I have ever had – and that includes those I have had in places like Munich! (If you’re ever in Swakopmund and like this sort of food – I wholeheartedly recommend the Brauhaus.)
The beach area of Swakopmund is quite attractive, but it certainly was not beach weather when we were there.
The attractive lighthouse is one of Swakopmund’s key landmarks and can be seen from many parts of the town.
Dozens of helmeted guinea fowl roam the area around it. (We did not know what they were at the time, but have since educated ourselves.)
One of the other key attractions is the Kristallgallerie (‘crystal gallery’), a combination of mineral museum and jewellery shops. One of the exhibits in the museum part is a huge quartz crystal cluster, claimed to be the largest on display anywhere in the world. Apparently it weighs some 14 tons.
To escape the steady drizzle we decided to explore what is called the Welwitschia Drive, a 140km round-trip inland from Swakopmund. (Maps and permits are available from the local branch of the tourism ministry.) Very quickly we managed to leave the dark clouds behind us and were back into blazing sunshine. The first section of the drive is through an area generally known as the ‘moonscape’. The two photos below illustrate why the name is very appropriate.
The drive is named after a rare plant which grows only here and in a couple of other places in Namibia and Angola. The Welwitschia mirabilis, to give it its full botanical name, survives in the desert through its ability to gather up tiny amounts of moisture that condense on the ground during the night. It is not a very pretty plant, but it is very long-lived. The largest specimen, at the far end of the drive and protected by a high wire-fence, is supposed to be around 1500 years old.
We very much enjoyed the drive, but eventually we had to return to the cold. Fortunately, the drizzle had stopped by then.
Early the next morning we set off for the area of Khorixas, in Damaraland. The initial section was asphalt, but that petered out near the town of Hentiesbaai. This stretch of the coastline is part of the Skeleton Coast. I understand that the name derives from whale and seal bones that get washed up here, but it could also quite reasonably stand for the many shipwrecks just off the shore – ships which fell victim to the perpetual fog and mist here. The shot below is of the wreck of the Zeila, an old fishing trawler which became stranded here in 2008 while being towed to India.
From here it is a short detour to Cape Cross, the site of an enormous seal colony.
The cold waters are very nutrient-rich and fish are clearly abundant here. The noise – and stench – is almost unimaginable, but it was worth it for the experience of seeing such huge numbers of seals.
Beyond Hentiesbaai the road inland is pretty rough in places. The sign in the photo below advertises a tyre repair shop. We had two spare tyres with us, but luckily avoided a puncture. However, we came across several people who had not been so fortunate.
Fuel is another potential problem and not just here. Petrol stations are few and far between – and they do not always have all types of fuel, or any at all. The golden rule is to fill up whenever you have the opportunity, even if your tank is actually pretty full.
We stayed in the Khorixas area for two nights. There are several interesting places in this region. The so-called Organ Pipes, strange rock formations resembling the latter, are worth a visit, especially when you combine that with a trip to Twyfelfontein, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with thousands of ancient rock engravings.
The bulk of the engravings at Twyfelfontein are thought to be around 6000 years old.
The engraving below is perhaps the most famous one. It is referred to as the Lion Man, due to its apparent depiction of a lion with human toes. The creature also has a strange long tail with a foot at the end of it.
Virtually everywhere you go in the Khorixas area you come across large termite hills. Not being used to such sights, we found them quite fascinating.
The one above was on the way to the Vingerklip, another strange rock formation. Vingerklip, roughly translated, means ‘finger of stone’. Looking at the photo below, you will immediately understand why it is called that.
From its base you get good views of the surrounding countryside.
Where we live you do not see many signs warning you of warthogs. As we found out, in this region the warnings are quite appropriate.
The photos above were taken just outside Outjo, the gateway to the Etosha national park if you are heading for its southern entrance. Outjo does not offer much to retain you for any length of time, but it is a pleasant enough little place with a fuel station and, again, a good bakery. There are also a couple of nice colonial-era buildings here.
This brings us to the end of Part 2 of this short series. As already mentioned, Part 3 will focus exclusively on the wildlife of the national park. Here is a preview:
Thank you very much for your comment, George. There certainly were times – after we had not encountered another vehicle or a building for ages – when our thoughts turned to what might happen if our car suddenly broke down. We found the local people very cheerful and most helpful. With older people the conversations inevitably turned to the bad old days of apartheid. Some of the stories were very disturbing indeed. As to modern buildings, we did not find much beyond the usual ‘shopping mall’ architecture. Namibia, of course, is a very poor country.
A colorful and very captivating travel story. Everything from land formations, cuisine, architecture, and wildlife. It wasn’t lost on me while engaged in your story on the remoteness of your explorations. Disaster could have befallen you anywhere and no cell towers, but you explained how you were well prepared and took great precautions. Very well written and photographed. Did you have many photos of the local people and their native architecture after colonialism?