We had to go to Namibia last week, a neighbouring country north of South Africa. Friends had recommended that we visit the little seaside town Swakopmund while we’re there.
Our first impression: it’s a desert.
A little more than 100 years ago, Namibia used to be a German colony. Much to Kai’s delight, the German influence is still strong.
For example, our Airbnb host Ulla: although she is the fourth generation of her family in Namibia, Ulla speaks better German than English. She has three adult daughters: the oldest one took over the family farm in North Namibia (where it’s greener) and the other two have emigrated to Canada.
Most of the roads in Swakopmund are unpaved. I was struck by how wide and empty they were. Even the town centre was fairly empty. It felt surreal.
We went running by the seaside and even that was empty. We did spot two ladies in traditional Namibian dresses who kindly posed for a photo.
Next day, we needed to do some hill repeats. Without any hills, this turned out to be a very easy workout.
The main attraction in Swakopmund is the sand dunes. It only took a few minutes to climb but it was a nice workout. Come to think of it, these would have been perfect for hill repeats…
On our next run, we discovered that this little town even has its own football club. The club’s field was the greenest thing we saw all week. Such a nice sight!
When we continued along the (empty) promenade, we were surprised to see that it was a Parkrun route. There must be runners in Swakopmund!
Things livened up a little when school ended and a few kids hung out at the beach.
We ran past a “Brauhaus” with a typically German menu.
And there were plenty more German shops.
And then we finally found a café that was open. We couldn’t resist the “Schinkenröllchen“, the traditional ham rolls.
Our friends – the same ones who had recommended Swakopmund – told us that their great-grandmother is buried here. Because there was nowhere else to run, we ran to the cemetery and asked the staff for the “inventory” list. Although the great-grandmother had died in 1948, we still found her grave. It was quite amazing.
Back in Cape Town, I have a new appreciation for greenery. Seeing green grass, bushes and trees never felt so good!
- Could you live in a desert? Ever been in a place that felt empty?
- Do you sometimes visit cemeteries “for fun”?
I’m joining Kooky Runner and Zenaida’s link-up, Tuesday Topics. I’m also joining Runner’s Roundup with Mile By Mile, Coach Debbie Runs, Confessions of a Mother Runner, Runs with Pugs and Laura Norris Running.
Those empty streets are a bit eerie, where is everybody! 😀 The colonial past is indeed very visible.
I have to admit I like to visit graveyards (but only in daylight…) and especially to look at the older headstones. Old names are lovely, and it´s interesting to match people´s lives with important historic events – “oh they were alive when this and that happened” etc.
Exactly what I thought, Riitta! Where are all the people?!
I am fascinated with graveyards, too. I thought about that great-grandmother – she lived through two World Wars. What was her life like?
I also like examining the age gap between the deaths of a couple. There was one headstone where husband and wife died on the same day – things like that leave me wondering what might have happened to them.
I have been desperate to visit Namibia, but, we have tried to plan a holiday about 3 times and it never works out, but, we will get there! Amazing sites! We sometimes run the beach dunes here at home, when we get bored of the roads – nice for a change, but they make one work VERY hard!
I’m sure you will get to visit Namibia very soon, Birdie!
I would also love to see other parts of South Africa – I only know the Western Cape. And I’d like to visit Botswana – it must be amazing!
Ah yes, you have beach dunes, how lucky! I was surprised how hard it was to walk uphill in the sand – snow seems to be easier!
Liebe Catrina,
was für ein Gegensatz zu den grünen Ecken Südafrikas, die du immer wieder mal gezeigt hast!
Auch wenn ich es schön finde, wenn ‘Kolonialherren’ (endlich) wieder rausgehen und die Länder (versuchen) wieder selbstständig (zu) werden, ist es sicherlich interessant und vielleicht ein bisschen vertraut so vieles noch aus dieser Zeit zu sehen. Da kann ich Kai durchaus verstehen.
Die Küche des Brauhauses scheint bodenständig deftig zu sein. Was mache ich aber als Vegetarier? 😛
Hügeltraining auf Sand, ernst genommen, halte ich für sehr anstrengend. Erinnere mich an so manche Läufe am Sandstrand im Urlaub. Auch wenn es eher einsam war, schön ist es, dass ihr ungefährdet laufen konntet! … und jetzt wieder in grünerer Umgebung!
Was Friedhöfe angeht, habe ich sie noch nicht einfach so besucht, obwohl wir in den 80ern bei unserem 1. USA-Besuch auf 2, 3 Friedhöfen waren. Die Eltern meiner Frau waren dabei und Schwiegervatern, der ein großes Geschichtswissen hatte, besuchte gerne Friedhöfe, da sie ihm viel über die Gegend ‘erzählten’. – Bei US-Friedhöfen muss ich an Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) denken. Er machte sich in Europa über Friedhofsmauern lustig: “Es gibt nichts unsinnigeres als Friedhofsmauern. Die die drin sind, können nicht raus und die die draußen sind, wollen nicht rein!”
Richtig einsam war es bei meinen Läufen von Las Vegas aus, oder im Hinterland in Maryland, wo wir einen Cousin von Schwiegervatern besucht hatten. – Auch wenn ich etwas abseits wohnen könnte, Städtnähe wäre immer gut, zwecks Versorgung im fortschreitenden Alter, so wollte ich nicht in der Wüste leben.
Aus dem jetzt trüben Darmstadt
liebe Grüße Manfred
Lieber Manfred
Namibia war so anders – in jeder Hinsicht!
Es war wirklich komisch, überall Deutsch zu hören. Unsere Airbnb Gastgeberin meinte, dass früher mehr Deutsch gesprochen wurde – auch die Einheimischen konnten Deutsch. Heute sprechen die Einheimischen mehr Afrikaans – der Einfluss von Südafrika macht sich immer mehr bemerkbar.
Salat und Pommes! 🙂 Nö, du hast Recht, die Speisekarte sieht wie in den 80ern Jahren aus…. da hat man als Vegetarier keine Chance (und schon gar nicht als Veganer).
Ich war froh, dass die Dünen verhältnismässig klein waren – das wäre mir sonst zu anstrengend geworden. Schlimmer als Schnee! Da bin ich lieber auf den soliden Trails unterwegs.
Der Mark Twain Spruch ist super!!! Den muss ich mir merken! In den USA waren wir auch ein paar Mal auf den Friedhöfen. Ich erinnere mich an Arlington – der war riesig! Ich besuche gerne Friedhöfe. Ich schaue mir die Namen und Daten an und stelle mir vor, was diese Leute wohl alles erlebt haben.
Las Vegas ist ja auch so ein Wüstenort – das glaube ich dir, dass du da einsame Läufe hattest. Stadtnähe oder in der Stadt ist mir auch lieber. So bist du nicht abhängig vom Auto und bist gut versorgt.
Liebe Grüsse aus dem verregneten (!) Cape Town! (so bleibt es wenigstens schön grün!)
Wow, wow, wow, so interessant, dich in Namibia zu sehen, wie sich dort das Deutsche immer noch fortsetzt, die Landschaft, der Sand, Brauhaus & Co. Danke für diese Impressionen eures Aufenthaltes.
Durch den Sand laufen das kenne ich ja auch zu genüge, wenn auch der anderen Art, weiß nur, dass es sehr anstrengend und nervig sein kann, dazu noch die relativ hohen Temperaturen ( wie viel Grad hattet ihr ?), aber man muss alles mal ausprobiert haben, um mitreden zu können 😉 .
Friedhöfe habe ich oft genug besucht, wo immer ich war, besonders erinnere ich mich an einen in Paris, auf dem viele Berühmtheiten ihre letzte Ruhe gefunden haben. Auch hier in unserem kleinen Ort gehe ich hin und wieder auf den Friedhof – einfach so – nicht zuletzt der Ruhe wegen !
In der Einsamkeit zu leben, wäre auch nichts für mich, allerdings auch nicht das Leben in einer Großstadt, so bin ich sehr zufrieden, dass ich hier in einem ruhigen, beschaulichen Ort leben darf (außer in der Hochsaison ), aber dort, wo wir leben, ist es dennoch ruhig !
Danke für diesen schönen Einblick, liebe Catrina !
Das war wirklich eine interessante kleine Reise, liebe Margitta. Insbesondere dieser starke deutsche Einfluss habe ich nicht erwartet.
Genau, du weisst wie das ist mit dem Sand. Beim Hochgehen rutscht man dauernd weg und man hat das Gefühl, immer einen halben Schritt zurück zu machen. Die Temperaturen waren angenehm – so um die 25 Grad. Die Nähe zum Meer kühlt die Luft zum Glück etwas ab.
Ah, auf einem Pariser Friedhof war ich noch nie. Das stelle ich mir interessant vor, besonders wenn grosse Persönlichkeiten da begraben sind. Friedhöfe sind sehr friedlich und besinnlich – das gefällt mir auch.
Ich glaube, du hast deinen Lieblingsort gefunden an der Ostsee! Nicht zu hektisch aber auch nicht zu einsam. Wer weiss, wenn es etwas belebter wäre würde dir vielleicht Swakopmund auch noch passen.
Jetzt sind wir wieder in Cape Town und es regnet in Strömen. Aber das ist mir lieber als eine Wüste! 🙂
You are so lucky to visit and run in such interesting places.
No I could not live in a desert. I like water and greenery. We have driven from Colorado to Wyoming. Miles and miles of nothing.
And yes I think cemeteries are fun. I do run around them.
It was a very interesting trip, Darlene. I never expected to see so much German influence in an African desert!
Neither could I. I just checked the stretch from Colorado to Wyoming on a map. Wow. I can imagine that being quite long and boring.
Haha, another cemetery friend!
I think the emptiness might’ve creeped me out — although then again, maybe not. Maybe it would feel good! The ocean always feels good!
As soon as you said sand dunes I thought hill repeats. 🙂 That would’ve been really hard!
The ham rolls look delicious — even though I’m not really a huge fan of ham (like, I almost never eat it).
Seems like a nice little bit of exploring, Catrina!
It was very strange, Judy. On the one hand, it was nice to have the quiet roads to yourself. In fact, that’s something I forgot to mention – it was a very quiet place. On the other hand, I missed the liveliness of a little town.
Even walking up those dunes was hard!
The ham rolls were great, especially the pastry. We should have gotten more of them because they were so small!
I had no idea Namibia had such a strong German influence! Kind of nice! Where was everybody? Is the population in the area low?? Looks like you had some nice weather but I suppose clear skies are common for a desert climate. The last desert climate I’ve been to is Dubai. It’s so crazy not to have much if any grass!
It was a very interesting trip, Marcia.
I once learned that Namibia used to be German, but I had no clue that the German influence would still be so strong!
It’s a total mystery to me where everybody went to. The population is around 20’000 – a nice size for a small town. It was a really eerie feeling to see the empty streets and shops.
The weather was perfect! Thanks to the ocean, it’s not too hot or humid.
Oh, Dubai! At least that’s a lively place in the desert!
Namibia is a huge country but sparsely populated. But Swakop is a big tourist destination (with tourists from Europe and also surrounding countries like Botswana, South Africa etc) so I’m guessing the pandemic may have really affected the number of tourists. When I visited, it was so much busier so it’s so strange to see it so empty. I hope normal comes back soon!
Thank you, Shathiso! This is a good explanation and it’s exactly how it felt like.
I’m glad to know that you have experienced it as a busier place before the pandemic – that means that it’s a matter of time until it’s back to normal. This means we will have to go again! 🙂
I am always amazed at the European influence in so many countries around the world! Did you find a lot of German speaking people in the town where you stayed? In Chicago, there used to be a lot of German restaurants and a neighborhood that was settled by Germans. Sadly, that influence has faded (I’m mostly German). I would not like to live in a desert. I definitely need to be by the water and I need some color in my life! Thank you for sharing this!
Yes, when we came across other people – like in the café – we heard a lot of German. Ulla, our Airbnb host, said that in the past, even the local Africans spoke German.
It’s a shame the immigrant influence gets lost over time. Imagine what interesting cities the USA would have if those different neighbourhoods had kept their local traditions. It would have been amazing!
Not enough waterskiing in a desert for you, Wendy! 🙂
That would have been an awesome workout “running” the hills of sand! Major resistance, LOL! The lake that I sometimes run around is right next to a cemetery. A bunch of us usually do a run there on Memorial Day. It is all hills, and not small ones either, so it’s a great workout as we pay our respects to the fallen. Those streets really look “open,” kind of a nice change of scenery.
Haha, yes! You probably would have enjoyed it, Kim, a nice change from your stair workouts!
That is so cool that you can run in a cemetery on Memorial Day! And with hills as well. In Switzerland, we weren’t allowed to run in a cemetery, but that has changed now. In fact, they are trying to encourage more people to come to the cemeteries to have picnics and the like. I think it’s a nice idea to make those places a little less sad.
Wow! You do visit fun and exciting places! I do wish I could travel as much as you do. Thanks for sharing your experiences with us. I love it!
It was a great opportunity to get to know a place we’d never been to before.
I’m looking forward to seeing your posts from your trip to Mexico, Zenaida. There’s a place I’ve never been to!
At the rate I am going, I think you will go before me! 🙂
This is fascinating! I love the photo of the “sand” sign (oh, really?) The desert looks really nice to me, but I think that’s just because it’s such a contrast to where I live- I think I would get tired of it if I actually lived in a desert. And who would have thought there would be such a German influence here? This must have been an amazing trip.
I loved that photo, too, Jenny! Pointing out the obvious.
Florida is such a green and lush place – you would definitely not enjoy a desert. It’s all flat and bland… somehow quite depressing.
I was expecting a little bit of German influence – but not to that extent. It was quite surprising!
How interesting! When we visit New Mexico, I am always surprised at the lack of greenery. And the dryness! The desert has it’s own beauty but I agree that seeing nice green grass is a welcome sight. I don’t think I’ve ever visited a place that felt empty though! I’ve never run through a cemetery. There aren’t too many on the paths I run.
Oh, I’m sure New Mexico must be very similar to that part of Namibia. You are right, seeing green is a refreshing sight!
I think Swakopmund could be quite a lonely place – I was happy to get back to Cape Town which is livelier and above all, greener! 🙂
Hill repeats in the sand would have been quite the workout!
There is a cemetery within a mile of my house and although I don’t run there very often I do enjoy it. I’ve never been sure if it’s “OK” to run in the cemetery, but I do feel a deep sense of history and respect while I’m there.
I’m happy we only went up once, Birchie! No repeats for me! 😉
I have to say that we didn’t actually run in the cemetery, only to the cemetery. Like you, I’m never quite sure if it’s ok to run there. I know in Zurich they now allow it, but I wasn’t sure about the local rules in Namibia.
You are right about the sense of history and respect… those dead ones would have so many stories to tell.
What I loved about this part of the world was the contrast – desert meeting the ocean! It’s something that I found fascinating and contradictory! The Herero are also found in the northern part of Botswana (the side that borders Namibia) and I’ve always loved their majestic outfits and headgear
Absolutely! And it made for a very agreeable climate. Although we were out in the dunes around midday, it didn’t feel hot at all. There was always a nice cool wind from the ocean.
I loved their outfits! Olga was also very tall – which added to the grandeur.
I regret that we didn’t have the time to visit a lagoon in neighbouring Walvis Bay. I read that there’s a beautiful nature reserve there with flamingos. I’m sure we would have loved that!
Wow, this is amazing! I have never been to mainland Africa, so I really loved seeing all the pictures of your trip.
I don’t think I could live in a desert, but I wouldn’t mind visiting one for a while.
Where I used to live in Southeast London, there was a beautiful, ancient cemetery I sometimes visited. It had graves from the 1800s, so it was a wonderful piece of history and also quite a natural, overgrown area to enjoy. I don’t think there’s a similar one in my new area.
It was very impressive, Kat! So different from Cape Town. And we’re only scratching the surface – I still haven’t quite grasped in my mind how huge the African continent is.
England must have spectacular cemeteries! I imagine them to be like in the films – a very natural area with old headstones. As you know, Swiss cemeteries tend to be very tidy and the graves are removed/replaced after 20ish years. Not quite as romantic! 🙂
I did not know there was a German influence there. Not sure I would like to run through a cemetery for fun! Running in desert areas is really hard sometimes it the heat and sun.Thanks for sharing these great photos love to see all of your travels
It was quite a cultural experience, Deborah! 🙂
I should have clarified that we only ran to the cemetery, not through it. When we got there, we walked through the cemetery and read the headstones. It was quite meditative. 🙂
Running up the dunes was pretty tough! Like taking two steps forwards and one back.
What a cool place to visit! I can’t believe how wide and empty those streets look. I think I would miss the green too. Next time you should try your hills repeats on the sand dunes!
The empty streets felt so calm – and yet it was a strange feeling of emptiness.
Haha, I will definitely try that, Lisa! The hardest hill repeats ever!
Liebe Catrina,
oh, das sind ja höchst interessante Eindrücke! Der deutsche Spät-Einfluss ist ja wirklich deutlich. Bei der Speisekarte musste ich sehr schmunzeln, und das Café… wie hier! Nur das “Fachwerk” wirkt etwas Disney-like. Interessant auch der Kontrast zu Südafrika, was die Menge an Sand und das Fehlen von Grün angeht. Und die Leere der Straßen…
Mich würde es durchaus reizen, einmal einige Tage in einer Wüste oder einem anderen einsamen Ort zu verbringen. Aber erlebt habe ich das noch nicht.
Friedhöfe haben durchaus einen speziellen, besinnlichen Reiz, finde ich. Sie regen sehr an, über das Leben nachzudenken. Und je nach Land oder Region sind sie ja sehr unterschiedlich gestaltet. Oder sie beeindrucken wie z.B. der Soldatenfriedhof am Landungsstrand in der Normandie, der mir sehr eindrücklich im Gedächtnis blieb. Möge es noch lange dauern, bis wir uns selber dort dauerhaft hinbegeben…
Liebe Grüße aus dem kühleren Rheinland!
Elke
Liebe Elke
Haha, das sagte Kai beim Fachwerkhaus auch… bei der einen Haushälfte ist das Fachwerk nur aufgemalt, und bei der anderen Hälfte ist es zwar Holz, sieht aber aus wie angeklebt. 🙂
Ich hätte nicht gedacht, dass es so wüstenartig trocken ist. Es herrscht auch eine ganz andere Stimmung – irgendwie sind die Leute (die wenigen, die wir getroffen haben) nicht ganz so fröhlich wie hier in Cape Town.
Für ein paar Tage würdest du den einsamen Ort bestimmt geniessen. In der Schweiz ist es schwierig, einsame Orte zu finden. Dank den Bergbahnen hat es fast auf jedem Gipfel Jubel-Trubel. 🙂
Den Soldatenfriedhof in der Normandie würde ich gerne mal sehen. Auch in Belgien soll es solche eindrückliche Friedhöfe geben. Ich bin immer fasziniert von den Namen und Daten auf den Friedhöfen. Kürzlich las ich ein Gedicht, in dem unser Leben als ein “Bindestrich zwischen zwei Jahreszahlen” beschrieben wurde. Habe ich noch nie so gesehen, fand ich aber sehr treffend.
Genau, möge unser Bindestrich noch möglichst lange ohne zweite Jahreszahl dastehen! 🙂
Liebe Grüsse aus dem immernoch regnerischen und kühlen Cape Town!
Liebe Catrina,
einen spannenden, interessanten Ausflug habt Ihr da erlebt, in ehemals Deusch-Südwestafrika.
Ich hatte schon mal gesehen, dass es noch sehr viel deutsches Leben dort gibt. Ich stelle mir das merkwürdig vor, mitten in Afrika. Auch wundert mich die Menschenleere dort. Das hätte ich nicht erwartet. Das ist schon etwas befremdlich und ich habe so etwas noch nicht erlebt. Nicht einmal in Berlin zu Lockdown-Zeiten 😆
Da ich noch nie eine Wüste gesehen und erlebt habe, kann ich die Frage nicht wirklich beantworten, dort leben zu können, aber wohl eher nicht.
Ich habe einmal den Friedhof Hamburg Ohlsdorf “einfach so” besucht, weil er als einer der größten Friedhöfe der Welt gilt, es fahren sogar Buslinien dort. Es ist ein riesengroßer, unendlich schöner Park. Der Besuch hatte sich wirklich gelohnt.
Liebe Grüße aus dem kalten und jetzt auch regnerischen Oldenburg
Volker
Lieber Volker
Ha, du bist gut! Genau so hiess es: Deutsch-Südwestafrika! Was für ein komplizierter Name!
Das ist eigentlich ein sehr guter Vergleich – es fühlte sich an wie ein kleines, verschlafenes Städtchen im Lockdown-Modus. Nur das ab und zu zum Glück ein Café offen war.
Ich glaube auch nicht, dass es was für dich wäre, Volker. Zumal dein gemütlicher Bornhorster-See fehlen würde. Und die kleinen Zwergschafe. 🙂
Oh, von diesem Friedhof in Hamburg habe ich noch nie was gehört. Der muss ja riesig sein, wenn da sogar Buslinien durchfahren! Das nächste Mal, wenn wir in Hamburg sind, werde ich den besuchen. Vielleicht darf man da sogar rennen, das wäre sehr cool. Danke für den Tipp!
Liebe Grüsse aus dem kühlen und herbstlichen Cape Town!
I’m in shock of the wide open streets – such a runner’s dream!
Ha, yes, Kim! That was a great advantage – so much space to run!
I love old cemeteries. I wouldn’t say I visit “for fun,” but I do like to visit and see the history that is there.
I don’t think I could live in the desert. I have always lived within an hour of the ocean, and the idea of being landlocked is not appealing.
Beautiful trip! I love the German influence!
I agree, Jenn! I love to think about what kind of lives the deceased may have had, depending on their birth and death dates.
Florida and the desert are such opposites! I’d rather deal with Florida’s humidity and heat than the dry, lonely desert.
Liebe Catrina,
was für eine fremde Welt! Es mutet schon sehr seltsam an, die Kombination aus deutschen Überresten in der Wüste. Die leeren Straßen wirken so erholsam. Vielleicht schaffen wir das hier ja auch noch mal, wenn die Ölpreise noch etwas mehr steigen. Wäre doch schön! 😉
Dünenlaufen stelle ich mir extrem anstrengend vor. Da würde mich vermutlich der Sand in den Schuhen, in den Augen, auf der verschwitzten Haut zum Wahnsinn treiben. Ohne Spezialgamaschen ist da wohl kein Laufen möglich, oder?
Unter Schinkenröllchen hätte ich mir allerdings etwas anderes vorgestellt – eher so eine 70er Jahr Schinkenrolle mit Mayonaisesalat gefüllt! 😆 Das sind für mich Schinkengipfel.
Der Friedhofsbesuch war sicher interessant. Ich hatte mal einen Geschichtslehrer, der den Satz gesagt hat: “Sag mir wo dein Grabstein steht und ich sage dir, wer du gewesen bist.”
Liebe Doris
Ha, ja genau! Ich kann mich noch erinnern, wie es mal in der Schweiz autofreie Sonntage gabe wegen der Ölkrise. Genau so kam mir das vor! 🙂
Ich fand das eigentlich auch sehr erholsam. Auch die Ruhe nachts war schön – da war nichts zu hören!
Das glaube ich auch – bei mir kam der Sand durch das Obermaterial des Schuhs. Eindeutig nicht Dünen-tauglich!
Haha, das hätte noch gepasst! So voll 70s-mässig! Ich dachte auch, dass das eher wie ein Schinkelgipfel aussieht…allerdings im Mini-Format. 🙂 Wir hätten je zwei davon bestellen sollen.
Oh wow – das ist ein guter Satz. Es ist etwas makaber, aber ich weiss jetzt schon, wo ich mein Grab haben will. Da wo ich in Zürich meine Mittagsläufe mache, gibt es einen sehr schönen Friedhof, mit Blick über die Stadt. Wunderschön!
Hah hah ! More about that sandy place & warnings about children.🤣🤣🤣
The desert is a nice place to visit quickly. No like scorching dry heat & mutagenic sun rays. Argh. Worse nightmare for me. Need lush vegetation & humidity. Also seeing rocks & sand as far as the eye can see is also a nightmare for me. Reminds me of reading stories about people dying in the desert looking for water & cooking in the sun, being bitten by rattlesnakes or stung by scorpions. Argh. Even flying over the Sahara! Seems weird, but not a fan of deserts at all.
Interesting that German settlement was in Namibia. What kind of German did they speak I wonder? Could you understand them? How was the German cuisine?
That place looked like a ghost town. Like someone said, due to Covid19 restrictions. But is Namibia a hot spot? Hmm? I remember when I was in Ghana, beautiful beaches were a abandoned. Reason was the beaches is where the slaves were boarded in ships for anywhere on the planet. Beaches are a bad places for many Africans. Maybe same in Namibia?
Well, great you got to go and see the place. Did you find any diamonds? Lots of mining there. Oh and that is where Richard the sailor had to stop his trans-Atlantic voyage in his super up kayak. Wonder how he is coming along?
Haha, right, Yves! They seem to love their signs!
Same here – a desert is nice for a quick visit but otherwise I find it quite depressing. Funnily enough, the weather was perfect – I’m guessing it was due to being close to the ocean. There was always a nice cool breeze. Even climbing up that sand dune didn’t feel too hot. I find it amazing that the first German settlers decided to stay there. It must have been a tough place to live – where did they get their fruits and vegetables from? Today, it’s imported from South Africa – but what about 100 years ago?
Their German was absolutely perfect! I would never have guessed that I’m speaking to someone born and raised in Namibia. The German cuisine was also spot on – good old solid German food, the way Kai’s mum cooks. 🙂
Yesterday I asked a friend here in SA who is originally from Namibia (she’s tall and blond and speaks German!) about the emptiness. She agreed that it must be due to Covid. Interesting point about the beaches! I never thought of that. Also, I have learned that depending on the background, not everyone has learned to swim.
No diamonds, unfortunately! 🙂 You remember Richard! Exactly, he landed in Walvis Bay. I just checked his website – he hasn’t updated it. But I’m pretty sure he’s planning a second attempt. This time, he will need to make sure all his gadgets work properly. 🙂
Cemeteries are actually fun for history of an area, such as family names, how long people lived and such. We have 3 cemeteries on our road that were final resting places for those who lived on our road mainly. The road was owned was the land owners from the 1800’s. There is even the original landowner of our land there who was the patriarch of the family who owned most of the land at the time. Interesting place.
Oh, that’s very cool if you can link the names on the graves to the history of where you live!
Your cemeteries go back a long time. In Switzerland, they “delete” the grave after 20ish years – except for historically famous people.
I’m sure your patriarch’s grave would still exist!
Oh oh oh. 20 years only! That is interesting. I guess available land is the issue.
Now more & more cremation is the way to go. A box of ashes is what is left. I will get cremated for sure when the time comes. I find is ghoulish to have a body made up in a box. Yikes😱
Yes the patriarch grave stands there proud & tall. Hah.
I will get cremated, too. It makes no sense to keep the body – it will decompose anyway. And it won’t be prettier if it happens in a box! 🙂
A beautiful place to visit and to run through. Too nice that they have a Parkrun route!
I’d like to live in an ancient and quiet place instead of a city but the desert is too quite! Some years ago, during a cruise with my wife, I spent a whole day in the Sahara desert, it was a wonderful experience.
In Scotland I visited “for fun” some cemeteries, the graves there have a particular architecture and are mainly located in ancient and scenic areas.
Those Parkrun signs were so nice to see, Stefano!
Ah yes, I agree. Peace and quiet are nice – but a desert is way too lonely for me, too. Lovely that you could visit the Sahara desert – such a unique experience.
Oh, I can imagine that those Scottish cemeteries were fascinating. Someone also mentioned the cemeteries in London – they must be interesting too.
I miss your weekly posts on Italy! How is your running going? I hope you will soon find the time to give us an update! 🙂
Unfortunately, the things go wrong, my last run was on feb. 20. I suffered the crushing of a vertebra which limits my movements very much. I got a heavy treatment with anti-inflammatories but it didn’t work, now I am following a therapy based on magnetotherapy for 4 hours a day.
Oh no! I’m so sorry to hear that, Stefano! That must be very painful and frustrating. A daily 4-hour therapy sounds very time-consuming too. I wish you a speedy recovery and that you hopefully can very soon return to running again. Good to hear from you!
Hi Catrina,
thank you for the impressions of Namibia, I only knew it from my pandemic watching of the Amazing race. In some seasons they go to Namibia. Amazing that the German colonial history still has such an impact.
Deserts – I’m ok with the landscapes for a while. But I really don’t like the sun and heat in them. So no I wouldn’t want to live there. Cemeteries – I always feel it’s inappropriate to run there, so no I seldom visit them.
Hi Roni
I just googled The Amazing Race – how come I have never heard of that before?! I need to look into that, thanks for the tip!
I was surprised that the heat was quite bearable. It must be the influence of the cold Atlantic – we always had a cool breeze and the temperature was around 25°C. Even going up the dunes in the midday sun felt ok.
Ah, I should have clarified that we did not run through the cemetery. We only ran to it and then wandered around inside it, studying the names and dates on the graves. It always reminds me of how preciously short our lives are.
Namibia looks so fascinating, Catrina. It is really neat reading perspectives of people who have spent time there. We talked previously of Ray Zahab. And Shane Little of Shane Cycles spent 2 months cycling through it. Both talked about the remoteness and the barrenness. I’ve been in remote wilderness, but it has always been “green wilderness”. I haven’t experienced desert wilderness, and I would really would love to and see what it is like.
I do spend a fair bit of time walking through cemeteries. I often have my good old reliable 15 year old camera with me taking pictures. Oftentimes doing research on the cemeteries and the earliest burials. Two or three (have been up to four) times a year I have been asked by different cemetery boards to speak at what is known in Canada as a Decoration Day service. It is often a time for families to gather, and they will lay flowers on the graves of their loved ones. Not sure why but the services always seem to be in June. It is good weather and I am guessing families often go away on holidays during the summer. One year I was booked for the 1st Sunday of June. Three months before another cemetery board tried to get me for that day and I apologized I was booked already. They immediately booked me for the following year, 15 months down the road. Which blew me away. 😀
I think I would prefer a green wilderness like Copeland Forest any day, Carl! From a survival perspective, I think it would feel a lot better to be lost in a forest than in a desert. 🙂
I remember reading Shane’s Africa experiences on his blog! I could never imagine cycling through such a remote area. Amazing!
When we were in the cemetery, I remembered your blog where you mentioned the poem about the “dash” on the headstones. I talked about it with Kai. It’s quite sobering when you think about it – all our lives are summed up in a simple dash.
Ah, yes, you are the Cemetery Expert, Carl! 🙂 If I was on a cemetery board, I would make sure to book you too! I’m sure you find just the right words to comfort the mourning families. I have never heard of the Decoration Day service – is it similar to the All Saints Day on 1 November? Or is it something additional?
This is a really good question, Catrina. The only bit of exposure I have had with All Saints Day was in 2019 when I was in Mexico with the Monarch Ultra. I’m not sure if it is held the same day around the world, but in Mexico it is Nov. 1st each year. I left for Canada 2 days before that day and people were gearing up for it a week early. There are parades and very elaborate costumes. We don’t celebrate All Saints Day in Canada.
Decoration Day services are very laid back. Very similar to a traditional Christian church service, with some hymns, prayers, scripture reading, perhaps a guest soloist or choir and then the main message. An offering is sometimes taken with the money used towards maintenance of the cemetery such as grass cutting and monument repair.
I hope this helps! 😀
Ah, I see now! Thanks for explaining that, Carl! Now I know what Decoration Day in Canada is.
In Switzerland, All Saints on November 1st is a public holiday in the Catholic cantons, but not in Protestant cantons like Zurich. Traditionally, the families bring flowers to the graves of their deceased.
I can see how this would be a big day in Mexico, which is predominantly Catholic. That must have been an interesting experience.
I do enjoy visiting cemeteries, especially when you can read the markers. I like to wonder about the people and their lives.
Interesting on the dessert terrain. It would take some getting used to for sure!
Yes! It’s so fascinating to think about what the world must have been like when they were born (e.g. 1870s) and what it was like when they died (1940s during the Second World War).
I also wonder what they would think of the world we live in now. I’m sure they would be surprised how comfortable our lives have become and that we need to reserve time to exercise!