Yes, folks, Namibia is a place of desert and winds. Lots of sand moved around to form huge dunes and to create harsh environments for plants like the unique Welwitschia Plant (a giant, strap-like sprawl). The Hererro people (and numerous other ethnic groups) managed to use the land for centuries as cattle herders before the area of present-day Namibia was coloniz(s)ed by Dutch, British, German and finally South African governments. Visitors can see influence of the German occupation (1885-1915) in the town of Swakopmund, north of Walvis Bay, in both the architecture and the graveyards. Contrasts become thematic in my travels around the areas of Coastal Namibia. I didn’t make it into the capital, Windhoek, but I’m sure it is much different than the coastal environments.
Heather and I arrived and woke up early to watch as our ship approached its landing in Walvis Bay last Friday. We didn’t get to see much as the fog was thick, one of the reasons for its nick name, the “Skeleton Coast.” And for good reason, it only took a short taxi ride to see an actual, fairly recent shipwreck. I read a local newspaper and saw a report of one ship sinking while an attempt was being made to raise another shipwreck from the depths. Regardless, there wasn’t much to see on the way into port and thankfully, our Captain isn’t color blind because the red and green buoys were already obscured by the fog.
The local dock workers were cheering for us upon arrival, but they might have been laughing too. What they knew (and we soon found out) was that the town center was about a mile away through the Port Authority Checkpoint, a gated and fairly secure entry way. Only taxi’s with certain licenses could enter the port gate, about ¾ of a mile away from the ship. Being on a limited budget, Heather and I walked that distance most of the time. In the process, we got to see up close the workings of the Trans Namib Railway.
The weather was comfortable, much like Santa Cruz in the late spring. It was windy and a bit cool, overcast in the morning followed by sun in the afternoon on most days in port. Walvis Bay itself has a legacy of apartheid government in Namibia until 1990, when the country gained it’s independence from South Africa. The valuable deep-sea port at Walvis Bay (the only one between South Africa and Angola), was actually the reason that South Africa did not relinquish Walvis Bay back to Namibia until 1994. The city is laid out a bit sparsely, with concrete and stucco homes and buildings, no more than 2-3 stories high. The highest point in town is the Catholic Church steeple (Mass was celebrated in English and Portuguese). The highest point around the entire area is the huge oil rig at the port.
There was lots of really good food there too…in fact, Crazy Mama’s is a quaint little joint that had some of the best pizza in Namibia, according to our guidebook. I can confirm that the pizza was, in fact, quite good
One other very interesting part of my trip was a visit to a cemetery in the town of Swakopmund, about 20km north of Walvis Bay. I went with the historian and inter-port lecturer, Mohammed Adhikari, from the University of Cape Town, to visit the Hererro graves from a 1906 genocide by the German Army. The German General at the time was quite proud of this deed, according to what little has been written. What is easy to see are about 3000+ unmarked graves of the Hererro people interned and then murdered at the site. I was moved to tears at this place. The Hererro people were subject to the vacillating weather of the coast, malnutrition and violence from 1904-1906 and harassment from the German government before and after.
The graves are in the property of the current cemetery, which looks much like other modern cemeteries (including some Heinrich families). The site is now being marked, not individually, but in some significant ways. The current German government has apologized for the atrocities and is in the process of funding and building five memorial markers designed by Namibians to remember the area for future generations. The first marker has been installed. It’s a large stone with unfinished edges and a finished surface with text, about eight feet tall, A 9 foot cinderblock wall has been built to surround the whole site and keep out the many ATV drivers who frequent the desert to the south. Private homes have been built literally up to the wall on the north side and between the sounds of new construction near the east side, I could hear school children playing at recess. The community is literally surrounding this site and perhaps the place will look different in a few more years. Right now, the unmarked graves are easy to identify mounds in the sand. As many historians are uncovering smaller scale genocides, sociologists and anthropologists are coming up with explanations for them. These acts aren’t confined to small, colonial governments, but are more wide spread than we’d like to admit (think native Americans circa 1815 and the doctrine of Manifest Destiny).
My trip ended with a really boring tour of the Namibian Police station in Walvis Bay, but that’s another story for another time
Keep well and thanks for your letters and emails. Its’ great to hear from you all!!!
Bill
From Heather:
Bill summed up a great deal of our 5 days in Namibia. It's so extremely difficult to capture the feel of an entire country as large as Namibia - it's roughly twice the size of California. The people we met of all backgrounds were extremely kind and helpful, minus a few swindling taxi drivers. The men in the markets, selling their wares, were fun to talk with - I met many folks who asked about our presidential election, always wondering what I think of Obama. They always wanted to know where I came from and facts about my family. The game of haggling for prices got easier as I gained more practice. I have a set of ornaments for our holiday tree made from a local nut and carved with our names that will always make us smile as we recall the story of buying them on the street.
I wish we had been able to get into the dessert - those that went said they really enjoyed the sunsets. Our time was quiet and reflective in many ways. I was very sad to pull away from the port two nights ago....a feeling of loss that I can't yet explain. I'm very happy that my feet will again touch African soil tomorrow. Our time was too short for such a big continent. I look forward to more eye-opening sites and sounds. As many of you know, I am a slow-processor so I can already tell that this trip, in general, will speak to me in various ways for days to come. For now, I will download some photos.
Thank you Woody, Joy & Mary Hackman for the notes and letters!!! So great to hear from you. I hope Taye is enjoying his postcards, Mare.
Much love,
heather ;)
No comments:
Post a Comment