Thursday 2020/01/02
Lüderitz - Kohlmanskop - Aus
We wake up early of course and after showering we feel a bit better. After a small breakfast on a wall sheltered from the wind, we take a walk through this historical site and take a look at the various memorials.
In conversation with Namibians it has already been shown that they do not want to problematize the very problematic history of colonialism, but try to understand it as a common history so as not to look to the future in a divided way. This place is a symbolic for this attitude. There is also a commemorative plaque for the Herero interned here, many of whom have not survived, such as for fallen German soldiers as well as for the shady city founder Lüderitz himself.
Lüderitz itself is a funny place. You can see earlier (German) wealth. Many houses are generous and, for their time, built very modern in German style. However, some houses are in bad condition and maybe the unpaved roads are the reason why everything seems a bit improvised. After a second breakfast, we visit the Visitor Center and spontaneously book a guided tour for Kohlmanskop, a ghost town from the time of the diamond rush, which is only a few kilometers from Lüderitz to the inland.
The tour is very interesting and recommendable. Because of the wealth, this place in the middle of the sand was equipped with the latest technology and the best infrastructure. However, only for the German administrative employees, of course not for the African diamond seekers who had to sign two-year contracts.
A sandstorm comes up and so we decide just to shop in Lüderitz and to cancel the planned museum visit. In this supermarket there is only a rudimentary offer, hardly any fresh fruit and vegetables. On the way back we stop in Aus for a early dinner and decide to spend the night in the nearby campground Klein-Aus-Vista, a campground that is located nearby a lodge belonging to the Gondwana group.