Set along the foggy desert coast of Namibia, the picturesque town of Luderitz looks like something right out of Bavaria or the Rhineland. Yet it is truly an African port, and the German style of the local architecture has much to say about its origins. Before the Europeans came, the southern part of Namibia was inhabited largely be the Namas people. The Namas are still very resourceful at finding and producing food in a land which lacks everything. They had no interest in ocean travel, and little contact with outsiders, especially from the sea. Dangerous rocks and poor visibility along the beach have given the grim title “Skeleton Coast” to a long part of this shoreline. The peak of excitement for Luderitz came in 1908 when diamonds were discovered on the outskirts of the city. Many of the most sumptuous buildings in the city date from this period, when easy wealth demanded showy display. Pretty churches were built alongside half-timbered houses, with gingerbread decorations. It all came to an end when geologists discovered that most diamonds were actually much further south. The attractive buildings remained in a short of cultural limbo until the recent development of tourism.
There were 9 of us this morning and we all walked into town after breakfast at about 8:30. It is a lovely town though not much to see or do. The most impressive sights are the beautifully colored buildings and the architecture. The street are all dirt and very hilly. We walked around for 3 hours and stopped for coffee/tea. Our ship was leaving at 1:30 so we had to be back early. By 11:30 we were ready to come back & have lunch. Tomorrow we are in Walvis Bay which is similar in interest but larger. The picture from left to right: David D., me, Anna, Joaquim, Barbara, Tess, David & John (Gary took the picture).
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