Geluk to Lüderitz, Namibia 7 - 8 Nov 07

Colonial diamond boom town

After our Sossusvlei tour, it was 1.30 p.m. by the time we took off for Lüderitz and I was expecting a lot of turbulence due to thermals. It turned out to be fairly smooth after all but, as predicted, the wind got up in Lüderitz in the afternoon and we landed with 25 - 30 knots from the south-west.
The owner/manager Wilhelm of the Bay View Hotel picked us up and drove us past the ghost diamond mining town of Kolmanskop, abandoned in the 1950s when richer pickings at Oranjemund ended its heyday. Thanks to the strong prevailing winds, the buildings are now mostly invaded by dunes.
We could get internet access at the Bay View Hotel and we still had some internet duties, but were determined to take a walk round the charming little diamond mining and fishing town of Lüderitz. There are numerous colonial buildings in Art Nouveau style dating from the beginning of the 20th century. By the time I could tear Flemming away from the computer at about 4.30 p.m., the main attractions such as the museum and Goerke Haus were already closed, so it didn’t take us long to make a tour of the town with its cute little Lutheran church on Diamond Hill. And with the strong, cool wind blowing, I didn’t mind returning to the shelter of our hotel.