Luderitz is
a bit anomalous. Not only is it nestled in some of the most
inhospitable terrain imaginable it sports German art nouveau
architecture. Yes, that is bizarre, especially when juxtaposed
between the Namib Desert and the Atlantic Coast. It will make you
wonder where the f*** you are. We chose the Shark
Island Campsite
to settle for the evening although as it turns out the ‘island’
is really more of a peninsula since it was connected to the mainland.
Setting up a tent can be a tricky endeavor seeing as the whole area
is blasted by wind most of the time but in the end the effort pays
off as the view and the vibe are excellent. However, I didn’t see
any sharks. Such bullshit.
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| Photo by Leslie |
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| Photo by Leslie |
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| Photo by Leslie |
After
setting up camp we went to check out Agate Bay north of Luderitz. It
is about as forlorn as any beach I’ve ever seen. Had it not been
for the wind and the excessive sand that it whirled in our faces we
might have spent a little time strolling along a beach right out of a
Cormac McCarthy novel.
Much
of the surrounding area is owned and administered by the Namdeb
Diamond Corportaion Limited which
pretty much means if you wander into a restricted area they will
probably blow your head off. Apparently the local diamond
industry has seen better days but we were not taking any chances none
the less.
It
is possible to visit the ‘ghost town’ of Kolmanskop not
far from Luderitz. The town, once a diamond company HQ, was
completely deserted by the 1950s. It has been partly restored as a
tourist attraction. We drove up to check it out but it was closed
(Sunday). Just as well because it appeared to be about as exciting as
a haunted house at the state fair. And you are required to buy not
only a permit to enter but also an additional photography permit. We
felt good about missing it.
So we
decided to go for a drive through more of the Namibian wonderland
west of Luderitz along the Atlantic Coast. Again a 4wd would have
come in handy especially while negotiating the barren hill area of
Essy Bay. I narrowly avoided another potential vehicle debacle when I
threw the Spark in reverse just before a precipitous decline
(precipitous for a Chevy Spark that is).
After
meandering through the region for a spell we found ourselves at Dias
Point. Here you will find a fine example of the quintessential
lighthouse and a replica of a cross first erected by Bartolomeu Dias
on his return from the Cape of Good Hope. Chances are you’ll also
get smashed in the face by a vicious headwind. I felt a little like
those dipshit reporters that stand outside in a hurricane to add
context and grit to a story.
We
then made a stop somewhere between Angra Point and Griffith Bay to
gaze across the inlet waters at Luderitz. We spotted a lone flamingo
loitering nearby. Flamingos are
naturally white, not pink. They obtain their well-known hue from the
carotenoid proteins found in the plants and animals they consume.
Huh.
We
came upon a curious sight at this beach. It was a de facto jellyfish
graveyard. There were hundreds, if not thousands, of an unfamiliar
type of jellyfish (unfamiliar to me that is) littering the beach at
varying stages of decomposition. They were a gooey putrescent
delight. I have no clue as to whether or not such a die off is
natural or otherwise but it was, I must admit, morbidly fascinating.
Their florescent crimson complexion gives them an extraterrestrial
air and makes one consider the possibility of cosmic, as opposed to
oceanic, origin. Where’s a marine biologist/detective when you need
one?
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| Photo by Leslie |
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| Photo by Leslie |
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| Photo by Leslie |
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| Photo by Leslie |
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| Photo by Leslie |
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'Love me or hate me, but spare me your indifference.' -- Libbie Fudim