40 |^ Caravan & Outdoor Life Magazine July 2019
theSeeheimhOtel
the Seeheim Hotel has quite
a shady history, apparently.
During the diamond rush
in 1908 at Kolmanskop, this
tiny hotel became a natural
stopping point for the tough
characters making their way
over the scrublands and
desert to the diamond fields.
First, part of a farm, the
settlement of Seeheim grew
to a village with a post office
hotel,railwaystationand
evena brothel...
a man by the name of
Carl Bamberg applied to
the Provincial Council for a
license to opena brothelin
thetown,andwasgiventhe
greenlightinapril1909.
the permit was tied
to conditions, including
that the brothel-keeper
wasonlyallowedtohire
five prostitutesof
europeandescent.
the women were to
be ‘examined by the
Gouvernement’s physician
once a week’, and were only
allowedinSeeheimbetween
11h00and18h00.
approaching men in the
street, loitering about to
attract attention, stopping
and any other conduct
intended to entice men was
also prohibited.abOve&leftIf you
arecampingatCanyon
roadhouse (the sites
are tucked behind the
lodge, on the banks of
a dryriverbed),youcan
havea greatmealatthe
restaurant.the burgers are
amazing,andrememberto
treatyourselfwithsome
amarula cheesecake for
dessert.
belOWthese days the
Seeheim Hotel (between
Keetmanshoop and
Gaogeb) offers splendid,
rustic accomodation, but
I learnt that it has a rather
uncouth past!