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On the south coast of Namibia lies the port city of Lüderitz, often overlooked but scenic, surrounded by majestic dunes on one side and a roaring ocean on the other.
Windy but hospitable, it now seems to be a stop for more with the opening of the Tsau // Khaeb National Park (Sperrgebiet), which is co-funded by the governments of Namibia and Germany.
The Sperrgebiet area was once closed to the public for mining purposes, but the Ministry of Tourism has received permission from the Ministry of Mines and Energy and the mining company Namdeb. establish a controlled tourist park.
The park encompasses the ghost town of Kolmanskop and impressive historical and natural attractions, including an imposing rock arch, the Bogenfels Rock.
Journalists as well as delegates from the Embassy of Germany and the Ministry of Environment and Tourism those who were invited to attend the inauguration event .
From the airport, we went to Kolmanskop, a deserted mining town some 10 kilometers from Lüderitz.
It was like being in a time chain. The sand envelops dilapidated houses built in the German architectural style of the early 20th century. We were greeted by our enthusiastic guide William, who gave us a lesson in history about the area, including how and when the first diamond was found.
Moving from the building to the building, you could see wicked brick structures standing strong: theater, butcher shop, bakery, general merchant, ice factory and hospital, among others.
There were warning signs at the entrance of some buildings because some sections were dangerous. Some guests warned me every time I wanted to take a look at the places I was walking with my camera tied around my neck and my phone firmly in my back pocket.
In one of the most stable rooms, William showed us how, at the time, residents were installing blocks of ice on their fridges, which looked more like ordinary closets. Any excess of water was used to water the plants.
A house particularly caught my attention because she had such an authentic German feel, ein kleines Deutschland. It was a small two bedroom house with wooden floors and brown furniture. The beds have been carefully made, with most of the structure still intact.
One thing that I noticed about the town of Lüderitz is that its history has been preserved, the inhabitants building houses around old structures. bear the imprint of German colonization. It houses railroads that are no longer functional, buildings, old and new, and a port.
The next day, we embarked on a nine-hour crossing through the national park to spend the night in Oranjemund, about 300 kilometers away. Before entering the previously forbidden diamond area, we were greeted by Namdeb staff, who conducted breathalyzer tests on the drivers before letting them in.
Our guide, Mendes Vinte, said the test was essential. we were in a state of drunkenness in the event of an accident.
As we were going to the park the next day, we fed each other in the car. There were laughs interspersed with lessons of history.
Vinte would highlight areas to which William had previously referred, and explain how the extraction process was done.
We visited a small colony far from the mining sites where residents stayed at the time. There they had stone houses and a cemetery, at a certain distance, overlooking the desert. Even with the gravestones, the division between poor and rich was visible.
Some tombstones had messages engraved in German with the names of the deceased below, while two or three graves had simple wooden crosses. The cemetery was surrounded by large rock structures and rusty chains.
Then he made his way to Bogenfels Rock, a 55-meter high rock arch that is a landmark on the breathtaking Atlantic coast
. our cars, everyone was impressed by its wild beauty, even those who have been there before.
Vinte told us that when former US President George Bush visited Namibia last year, he asked to be transported by helicopter to the rock, just to see him. I can clearly understand why he wanted to see it before leaving Namibia.
My fear of heights did not prevent me from climbing on Bogenfels Rock because I knew it was there that we could have the best view. My clumsiness took the best of me when I stumbled on stones, and my phone fell several times. Fortunately, the screen has not cracked.
Once at the summit, we were greeted by the Atlantic Ocean that stretched out before us, a perfect shade of blue with waves bumping against the rocks at a rapid pace.
After our adventure on the rock, we had lunch quickly before returning to Oranjemund. The ride was calm this time. We were lost in our thoughts, and tired of all the excitement. Before leaving the park, the routine breathalyzer for drivers was done
Our last night in Oranjemund was spent at the golf club, where we had dinner, played darts, shared more laughs and admired the beauty of our country.
The long ride was filled with self-reflection, laughter, smiles and sneaking behind cars to relieve themselves because there's no toilets in the desert.
Even though I did not have the opportunity to see Shark Island, note my words: this will be the target of my next trip to the warm and windy Lüderitz region.
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