21 March, Tuesday - Day 78 - Lüderitz

Yesterday was Independance Day, everything was closed and we just wanted to drive around in the he surroundings (Luderitz is painted black).  We are above the Diamant Sperrgebiet.

We were to pick up linda & Erich Looser at 9 am at ‘Sandrose’ Selfcatering, their lovely guesthouse.

All blue and lovely decorated.

Linda & Erich Looser of ‘Sandrose’ at Diaz Oyster Bar after Church on Sunday.

Service at the Loosers’  Apostolic Church with a lot of singing, electronic piano and electric guitar.   Made me think of the ´Salvation Army’.

Back to Independance Day ... in 1881, Bremen merchant Adolf Lüderitz convinced Nama Chief Joseph Frederichs to sell him Angra Pequena (Angra Point) where he started trading guano.  Lüderitz then petioned the German cancellor for protection.  But Bismarck trying to stay out of Africa, politely requested the British at Walvis Bay to say whether they were interested in the matter.  They never answered.  Subsequently, in 1884, Bismarck declared that Lüderitz was officially part of the German empire.  Namibia slowly became a fully fledged protectorate known as German South West Afrika.   The first German farmers arrived in 1892 to take up expropriate land at the Central plateau  and were soon followed by merchants and other settlers.

Thereafter, the story is long and not all that nice.   First a German protectorate and then, when Germany lost WW1, a province under South African Occupation.

In December 1988 a deal was finally struck between Cuba, Angola, South Africa and Swapo that provided with withdrawal of Cuban troops from Angola and South African troops from Namibia.

Sam Nujuma, active freedom fighter since 1950 (Founder of the Swapo) returned to Namibia after 30 years in excile.  He became the free Namibia’s first president in 1990.    We are told, that there was not a real ‘war’ around the independance, but we are also told that ‘quite a few died’.   

Locals were to celebrate the event and in order to stay out of eventual and excessive drinking, we decided to drive the big ‘Coastline Tour’ with Linda and Erich Looser.

Pick up at ‘Sandrose’ at  9 am.  Hans is to drive our 4x4.

Our Kratzplatz ‘home’ is West of the harbour, just South of Haifischinsel, almost at the First Lagoon also called Radford Bay from where one can see the oyster farm, which unfortunately is closed today.

Grosse Bucht at the south end of the map

Little left of ‘Irmgard’, that shipwrecked at Grosse Bucht some 50 yrs ago.

Klein Bogenfelsen - with view on the Atlantic

Small Fjord.

The nature is immense.

Eberlanz Höhle, where I almost got lost .... and rescued by my three faithful comrades.

With ups and downs and potholes.

 Sturmvogelbucht west of Lüderitz -

- and what is left from the Whalefishing, that lasted only a couple of years.   Now the whales are coming back - to breed !

The beginning of the canal where the international ‘Lüderitz Speed Challenge’ takes place in Oct-Nov.  Kite- and Windsurfing on 500 m.  Last year’s champion came in with 53,27 knot/hr which equals 98,157 km per hour.   You can watch it on Luderitz-speed.com.   Amazing.

Waitress all dressed up to celebrate the Day at Diaz Oyster Bar.

The dresses are tribal - this beautiful blue is a Heroro outfit.

Hans with Erich and Linda to the left - the waitress is probably From the Nama tribe.

Dressed up for the occasion and so very proud to show us their colorful outfits.

Parading with me - even the man to the right has made the effort.   The lady at his side is probably from Angola.

- and with Hans.

We celebrated Independance and the end of a lovely day with 6 + 6 + 3, brown bread, salted butter (Emborg) and a glass of fresh Chardonnay Pinot Noir.