Well, here we are in a new port for us in Namibia. We hope for continued smooth sailing. We arrived at our anchorage right on time and the ship was cleared at 9am. It is a tender port. The tender ride was 5 or more minutes long to the Yacht Club floating dock but it wasn't too rough. We were on a 8am departure of a ship's tour ashore. Pasted below is a description.
EXCURSION $129 each
DIAMONDS & SAND: KOLMANSKOP GHOST TOWN
This gem of an excursion takes you to the
diamond-era ghost town of Kolmanskop, an otherworldly place where tall drifts
of sand fill empty rooms, once filled with the people and furnishings of a
robust economic heyday.
LEVEL
MODERATE
DURATION
2 HOURS
Behind the town of Luderitz, a road runs into the
desert interior, passing Kolmanskop, now a ghost town. Arrive in Kolmanskop
after a transfer of about 15 minutes and begin your walking exploration of the
ruins, crumbling yet eerily beautiful on the sand dunes of the treeless
landscape.
Situated in the Spergebiet, or “forbidden
territory,” just outside of Luderitz, Kolmanskop became a bustling mining town
after a railway worker discovered a sparkling stone in the gritty dirt in 1908.
During the ensuing “Diamond Rush,” Kolmanskop provided a home for miners hacking
out a living in the harsh environment of the Namib Desert. Large, elegant
houses were built, and soon Kolmanskop resembled a German town, complete with a
ballroom, theater, sports hall, casino and two-lane skittle alley, along with
such essentials as a hospital, power station, school, ice factory, butchery,
bakery and one particular point of pride: the first x-ray station in the
southern hemisphere.
The development of Kolmanskop peaked in the
1920s, with approximately 340 Germans, including 40 children, and 800 Ovambo
contract workers living in the town. After a drop in diamond sales and the
discovery of richer deposits farther south at Oranjemund, the bright future of
this diamond outpost began to dim. Within a span of 40 years, Kolmanskop rose,
flourished and crumbled, today a mere shell of its former self. Marvel at
what’s left of the stately homes and buildings, nearly demolished by the wind
and gradually being enveloped by the encroaching sand dunes.
Afterward, enjoy time at leisure to explore more
on your own. You may wish to have a snack at the coffee shop or browse the
souvenir shop for mementos of a town that is slowly disappearing. Your memories
of your ghost town experience, however, are sure to endure.
Rejoining your vehicle, make your return to your
Crystal ship.
While well-maintained, transportation used for
this excursion is basic and may vary in type, quality and size. As this
excursion involves extensive walking over sometimes uneven, sandy and uphill
terrain, it is not recommended for guests with walking difficulties. It is
recommended that guests dress in casual clothing and wear a hat, sunglasses,
sunscreen, and flat, comfortable shoes. This excursion will operate in all
weather conditions.
Luderitz itself is a very small working-class town. I am not sure where they all work but it was a bustling grocery shopping day at the local Spar on this Saturday. They eat a lot of rice here judging by the baskets, carts, checkout counters and pedestrians. The air was cool here with a breeze but the sun was scorching. We didn't spend much time here. The tour was done in 9 passenger vans. Our tour had 6 vans that shuttled back and forth with groups crossing paths. Our tour was run hourly from 8 to noon. The tour got us out of town where we saw the SAND signs on the highway that we remembered. The Sand sign had more impact nearer Walvis Bay with the giant dunes than here where there is a lot more exposed rock. I guess that explains the diamonds. Even though we visited a ghost town, they are still actively mining diamonds in the area. The vans stopped and dropped us off in town several blocks from the harbor. It wasn't clear but perhaps they'd stop by again at 11 am to drive the rest of the way to return passengers to the Yacht Club where the tenders docked. We just walked back and it looked like most others did as well. We did some shopping and were back aboard Serenity by shortly after noon.
Clay went to the 2pm movie, "Journeyman". It was a boxing movie which I don't usually enjoy plus I am almost certain we'd seen it before. Last tender back is 3:30 and sail away is 4 pm. We'll have dinner at Waterside tonight. It is casual. Tomorrow is Walvis Bay. We are on the ship's Desert Wildlife excursion there. Dinner will be ashore as the 2nd exclusive WC shore-side event in the desert. We've had a few additional letters as well as received our tickets to this event. We are advised to dress casual and in layers as the temps will drop as the sun sets. We are advised to wear closed, flat shoes because the event will take place in the sand. It is advertised as having a "Star Wars" theme due to the Tatooine-like setting. We'll see.
This afternoon we received another charming small holiday gift from our Signature TA network hosts Tom & Bob. They remembered, unlike us, that tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day. They gave us each a green rubber shamrock bracelet. Now we're prepared.
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