Join us on a 6500km flying adventure through Namibia starting at Rundu on the Angolan border and ending at Oranjemund;the quirky mining town of the Sperrgebiet
Namibrand has a short sand runway which made us a little nervous so we got to the airfield at dawn, packed our gear and took off in the cool morning air before the desert heat started to build.
Landscapes south of Namibrand
Captivating dunefields south of Namibrand in the Naukluft National Park
Our next destination was Luderitz a small mining town on the edge of the desert. Luderitz is famous for the old abandoned mine buildings of Kolmanskop, the herds of wild desert horses between Luderitz and Aus and of course for its oysters.
If truth be told this was the flight we were dreading. We had heard from many other pilots that what with the strong winds, desert storms, extreme temperatures and coastal fog, one really needs to think twice before landing in Luderitz.
However as luck would have it EZP glided across the desert over endless dune fields and through a perfect break in the coastal fog to land in light and variable wind conditions on the Luderitz airfield. The only thing we weren’t banking on was a serious bout of carb ice as we landed; the aircraft felt like it was going to be shaken apart. This happens when you continuously descend from a high altitude to sea level, and ice forms as a result of sea moisture and a drop in temperature (descending requires low power settings which cools down the engine). The experience reminded us of saying from the Neurotic’s Notebook by Mignon McLaughlin “Whenever we safely land in a plane, we promise God a little something”.
The life giving fog that brings moisture to the many creatures of the desert
The bay of Luderitz
The Bay of Luderitz
To give you a little more background on Luderitz; the bay of Luderitz was first discovered in 1488 by the Portuguese seafarer Bartholomeu Diaz who named it Angra Pequeña. Centuries later, in 1883, Adolf Luderitz, a merchant, bought the bay from a Nama chieftain at the time of the Diamond rush.
Adolf Luderitz - the only man that has had a bronze done with his glasses on
The bay of Luderitz
Colourful fishing boats and oyster buoys
Luderitz is a quaint harbour town built on a sparkling harbour filled with brightly coloured fishing boats and oyster buoys. The architecture is predominantly German and oozes a quiet charm that contrasts peculiarly with its arid surrounds. Coffee shops, oyster bars, delicatessens, museums and restaurants make the town a fascinating and gastronomically pleasing visit.
The Luderitz skyline
The old Lutheran church Felsenkirche
The hospitality of Namibians never ceases to amaze us and in Luderitz we weren’t disappointed. We met a fantastic couple who gave us a guided tour of Luderitz on a whimsy and took us on an oyster tour. The oyster tour was absolutely fascinating and equally distracting as the host was the spitting image of John Travolta. With each step we thought he might break out into a rendition of Grease Lightening, but no such luck. We had an amazing evening drinking champaign and eating oysters at the Shearwater Oyster Company and getting to know each other.
We had booked into the quaint little guest house of Kratzplats that was exactly as advertised - quiet, comfortable and centrally located. We can definitely recommend the restaurant which has a fantastic atmosphere in the evenings and gives one an opportunity to meet the locals. http://www.kratzplatz.com/
The quaint guesthouse of Ktratzplats - love the bike on the roof!
We only spent one night in Luderitz but wished we had stayed longer as it truly is a unique little town filled some really fantastic people……
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