Today we anchored in Luderitz, Namibia - the first German settlement in South West Africa. The town was founded in 1883 and in 1909 diamonds were discovered nearby.
We took a ship's excursion to Kolmannskuppe which is located several miles from the port in the Namib desert. Kolmannskuppe was once a thriving diamond mine but when mining moved away, all the people left and it's now a ghost town which is gradually being covered up by the desert.
We saw the main street where the shop keeper's home was located and also along this strip were a butcher, ice maker and baker. There were 44 children who lived there so there was a school. There was also a bowling alley and a gym. Each day a small train went from house to house to deliver the day's food and ice.
One of the buildings was turned into a museum and one of the exhibit rooms was dedicated to the ways in which people tried to smuggle diamonds out.
Here are a few additional photos from Ludertiz:
Next stop is Walvis Bay, Namibia.
We took a ship's excursion to Kolmannskuppe which is located several miles from the port in the Namib desert. Kolmannskuppe was once a thriving diamond mine but when mining moved away, all the people left and it's now a ghost town which is gradually being covered up by the desert.
We saw the main street where the shop keeper's home was located and also along this strip were a butcher, ice maker and baker. There were 44 children who lived there so there was a school. There was also a bowling alley and a gym. Each day a small train went from house to house to deliver the day's food and ice.
The bowling alley |
Buildings where diamonds were processed |
Bedroom in the shop keeper's home |
Building where the ice was made |
The bakery ovens |
Shop keeper's dining room |
One of the buildings was turned into a museum and one of the exhibit rooms was dedicated to the ways in which people tried to smuggle diamonds out.
Here are a few additional photos from Ludertiz:
Next stop is Walvis Bay, Namibia.
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