Swakopmund - More German than African

Swakopmund is a place I never lingered too long when traveling Namibia in the past. In fact, I had only had fleeting glimpses of Namibia's premier beach destination in passing. It's a hot tourist destination, the type of destination that is not exactly my modus operandi. Frankly, there were always more intriguing places for me to spend my time. But, it was compulsory for me to swing in here this trip to pay a visit to my old colleague and good friend Gift Ngulwa. During my first year at Enguwantale, Gift (from the Silozi tribe in Namibia's Caprivi strip) and I were the outsiders in the village. As a result, we hit it off and developed a strong friendship.

This is the part where I should give a little history about Swakopmund that I assume lends to its uniqueness on the continent. Unfortunately, I don't know too much about it. What I know is that it is an old colonial town dating way back. This is evident in the town center's very German architecture, German-speaking locals, and general un-African like feel. It is set in one of the most inhospitable places on this planet with next to no annual rainfall; the few plants and animals survive on the mist produced by the coast's frequent fogs. The Namib desert encroaches on the fringes of town, contrasted with a frigid Atlantic Ocean. Not really sure how a place becomes so well-established against these odds, but its here and thriving.

Like many other African towns in the region, there are two contrasting sides. Amongst the clean paved streets and colonial buildings, you will find a predominately white community. But, on the outskirts you find what is called the "location" where the streets are dirt, houses more ramshackle and squeezed, and an entirely black and coloured (mixed race) community. When making plans with Gift for meeting up, there was a bit of a reluctance for him to come to town and a bit of a reluctance for me to go to the location. These conflicting worlds are something I was never really exposed to in the north of the country, where essentially everywhere is already the location. There is a clear division, not just in Swakop, but in many of the towns across the southern parts of Namibia, and I assume South Africa. I knew it existed, but as a foreigner it is too difficult to immerse in both. Travelers just don't visit the locations. In the end, we hung out in the location.

Gift and I spent the evening hitting a few of the local shebeens (bars), eating street meat, and people watching. The vibrancy and energy in the location far exceeded what could be found in town. It was a neat experience to rub shoulders with people from all of the country's tribal groups; Damara, Hereo, Owambo, Solozi, and coloureds. Despite being the only white guy, I never felt unwelcomed or out of place and surprisingly didn't attract much attention.

Later that evening, on my way back to my accommodation in town, I swung into a pub to meet up with some other travelers. Needless to say, I didn't stick around too long. Lacking the same energy of the location, I quickly lost interest; it felt like any other bar back in the States. After finishing a beer, I called it a night.

 Looking towards town from the jetty dating back to the early 1900's.

 The dunes of the Namib desert encroaching on the edge of town.

Sunset over the frigid Atlantic.

When walking the streets of Swakop, it's hard to believe one is in Africa.