Day Trip to Lüderitz from Aus
Good day, this is February 23rd. So we went on our way to Lüderitz, just a day trip, and then back to Aus to stay again in the same place at the Bahnhof Hotel. I’m not sure there’s any active railroad there, but it’s still the Bahnhof Hotel, a very well-run place, and it is actually for sale if you’re looking for an opportunity in Namibia somewhere.
Kolmanskop: The Abandoned Diamond Mine
So just before we get to Lüderitz, about 10 kilometers before, is a place called Kolmanskop. And Kolmanskop is an abandoned diamond mine. So at some point it was a place where they had probably housed at least 300 people to dig for diamonds. And now it’s a tourist trap, I guess. You have to pay to get in, and it’s mostly open in the morning only. But they have exhibits, and they have maintained, or they have kept most of the buildings. They’re maintaining only a few, and some of them are loaded with sand because there’s no windows in those buildings, and the sand just piles up. You get a sandstorm and that is what you get.
Exploring Lüderitz
So then we went all the way down to Lüderitz. It’s a— there’s a plateau and then you had to go down and the scenery is just always breathtaking. It’s not a very big town. It does have some character buildings and plenty of places to eat and drink and do whatever. Nice, nice, nice visit. So then we also realized that later that Lüderitz is a place where a speed record was broken for sailboarding, sailboarding, or anyway, with a surfboard and a sail on it. And we did not necessarily make it to that exact place, but it’s good to know they have good places to do stuff like that.
Meeting Fellow Travelers
So then we made our way back to Aus and had some more interactions with a pair of Germans, a father and son, that had taken a cruise to Cape Town and then flew to Windhoek and rented a car and had come down to the same place where we were staying. They weren’t too impressed with Lüderitz, but there’s no such thing as being impressed with a place or not. It is what it is, and you can appreciate all you see, and I do. It’s— when you think of the people that establish places like that, it’s mind-blowing that they were able to do it. And had the guts to do it. And then what it takes to get equipment there and so many other things about that. Anyway, that is it for Aus Lüderitz today. Thanks for coming along.
