44 |Caravan& OutdoorLifeMagazine July^2019
Somehow over the
numerous trips we’ve
shared, he has learnt to put
up with me.
Reader of itineraries or
not, as a photographer I
could not wait to visit the
old diamond mining town
of Kolmanskop just before
Lüderitz. The remnants of the
town are slowly but surely
disappearing under the
unforgiving sands of
the Namib.
It’s not often that I’m the
first one up and packed
and ready for the day, but
I was champing at the bit
long before the sun started
warming the reddish rock
amphitheatre surrounding
our camp.
It’s a 115 km long stretch
of straight black tar with
occasional small curves,
from our Wild Horse
Campsite to Kolmanskop.
The closer you get to the
sea the more aware you
become of the rows of dunes
on either side of the road.
You cannot miss the
remains of what must
have been a bustling and
busy town.
As a photographer I was
drawn to the sand-invaded
buildings. A once ornate
hand basin, now filled with
sand. A strip of wallpaper
blowing listlessly in the wind,
a beautiful veranda that once
perhaps looked out over a
bed of roses.I had precious moments on
my photographic wonderings
where I was totally alone in
these haunted houses.
It seemed hardly possible
that in a mere 60 years the
diamond find was exhausted.
Rich, diamond-laden terraces
were found to the south
of Kolmanskop, and new
tenants moved in... the
rolling sands of the Namib.
I wondered idly if my new
granddaughter would be
privileged enough to one
day see this ghost town
from the past.
I think this is the point at
which I come to end of this
first part of our Namibia trip.
From here, our trip just
got Betta... that’s a bit of aweak play on words, but
Betta was the name of
our next campsite after
leavingLüderitz.tObecOntinUed
I will tell you about how
Harry and Clutch at Betta
can pre-pack you the best
steaks in Namibia. I will also
tell you about a crazy Baron
who built a genuine castle
out in the wilds of Namibia.
Add catching horned adders
and deadly scorpions to visits
of a massive seal colony...
and you get a taste of what
lies ahead.
Read the August issue of
Caravan & Outdoor Life to
complete your trip intothe
vastness of Namibia.