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Tag: Walvis Bay

Coastal Living: Swakopmund

On Thursday our group of 14 took off for a long weekend in Swakopmund.  Located on the coast and next to the massive Namibian port Walvis Bay, Swakopmund was originally inhabited by Damaras and later settled by the Germans.  Despite the four hour drive to the coast it passed relatively quickly between naps and breathing in the cooling air.  The heat break as we drove West was so welcome — there’s a twenty degree difference between Windhoek and Swako.  The most incredible thing about Swakopmund was the scenery as we drove up; we were greeted by palm trees, beautiful rising dunes, and the Atlantic Ocean.  Seeing the ocean meet the desert will always be one of the most breathtaking things.

The Desert Meets the Sea

The Desert Meets the Sea

Before settling in we visited the memorial site for the OvaHerero/OvaMbanderu genocide that occured from 1904-1908 at the hand of German colonialists.  The site is right before the bridge the leads from Swako to Walvis Bay.  Many people are not aware that this site exists and I think it is important to overlook the German influence in the town and realize what that really means.

Monument

 

The next day we headed to Walvis Bay which boasts the largest Ports in Southern Africa.  It’s also a safe place for Sea Vessels and Cargo Ships because it’s a natural deep water harbor.  This also contributes to the business since bigger Cargo ships can dock as well.  The imports from Walvis Bay service from South Africa to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  When we stopped at the Lagoon, I found a really beautiful dock and took a picture with it because I liked it so much.

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While in Walvis Bay we visted NACOMA (which is an enviormental centere), Walvis Bay Multipurpose Center (which is a youth mobilization community outreach that focuses on AIDS/HIV, relationships amongst genders, and preventional care and support) and NamPort –he shipping yard. Namport manages both the Port of Walvis Bay and the Port of Luderitz which is much further south.  Namport is essential in catering to the Import/Export needs of Southern Africa, increasing the competitiveness of SADC regions trade (through port services), and facilitate growth in Namibia by boasting one of the largest, most efficient trade routes in Africa.

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Before leaving Walvis Bay we did what we came here to do: climb Dune 7.  Dune 7 is the highest Dune in the world and located in the Namib Desert and is 383m tall.

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Miranda and I before the climb!IMG_1156

The climb up was practically vertical and it took about 5-7 minutes to climb to the very top.  However, the view from the top was absolutely breathtaking (literally… I sat in the sand and caught my breath for a little) and made the “breathless” assent completely worth it.

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That night I traveled down to the jetty and was able to take some amazing shots of the sunset. (Again, I’m kind of obsessed).

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On Saturday we had a free day, we could do whatever we wanted.  Some people choose to go ride ATVs in the desert, others went skydiving, some hung out at the beach, and me and three friends went on a Boat Ride.  We saw Seals, Pelicans, Dolphins, and tons of other cool critters. One of the coolest things we witnessed was Pelican Point which is home to THOUSANDS of seals. It’s one of the largest seal colonies in the world according to our Captain.  We also had a seal jump in our boat which was kind of a shock (Seconds before the Captain was telling us how just last week an aggressive male seal took a chunk out of a passengers arm… yikes).  They’re quite dense creatures up close.  I also tried oysters for the first time and they are very much so an acquired taste.  Afterward, my friend Louise and I decided to make the whole day ocean themed and walked to the Swakopmund aquarium and hung out there for a while and then ended our day at the beach.  It was an awesome day and I took plenty of pictures.

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Visiting Swakopmund and Walvis Bay was probably one of my favorite adventures to date and it was wonderful to get away for the long weekend. Not only is it a beautiful place, but it’s rich in history. It’s definitely on my list of places to return to one day.

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Coastal Living

This weekend our group of 15 set out on a 4 hour road trip to a coastal town called Swakopmund- an area inhabited originally by locals, settled by Germans, and houses a genocide in its history known by few around the world. The four hour drive quickly passed through naps and a stop for some junk food at a rest station we passed along the way. Swakop greeted us with palm trees, and beautiful desert dunes meeting the Atlantic Ocean. Though I definitely could have gone for weeks longer stay, it was the perfect little taste of what the coast has to offer.

Desert meet coast

Our first day was spent touring the beach town, the local township Mondesa, and the informal settlement as well. During these tours we got to visit a traditional Herero woman, a Dama lady as well as the chief of the Damara tribe who is the first woman chief. While speaking with the Herero woman, we learned a little about the Herero genocide and the effect it has had on the survivors lives today. During the genocide from 1904-1907, 80% of the Herero population were killed by the Germans. . . Yet in the middle of Swakopmund stands a large statue dedicated to those Germans who lost their lives, while the Herero men, women, and children have just a small piece of marble dedicated to them on the outskirts of town.

German Memorial

OvaHerero Memorial

The following day we headed out to Walvis Bay, a short 20 minute drive from Swakop. Walvis Bay houses the large international port, NamPort, where goods are constantly being shipped in and out internationally. During our time, we met with a man who works for NamPort as well as a man who works for the export processing zones (EPZs). While in Walvis, we also got the chance to travel out to the Topnaar community. The Topnaar community grows a plant called the !Nara that sprouts melons, which they then roast the seeds and sell them. I actually got to try some of the seeds, and they were delicious!

Me with the !Nara melon

Last but not least, the adventures began. We set out to climb Dune 7; the tallest dune in Namibia and if that’s not cool enough, it’s the oldest desert in the entire world. The climb up took about 15 minutes, and was definitely way more tiring than it looked. As the sand slips underneath your feet, you feel like you’re getting no where, but alas, we made it! And the view from the top was worth it a million times over.  Our weekend was also comprised of nights spent on the beach, and dinners spent watching sunsets; I can’t complain!

Atop Dune 7

But the highlight of my weekend, and so far marks the best day of my life was when I decided to fly 10,000 feet in the air and jump out of a plane. Because 2 out of 4 of us were getting our jumps filmed, we had to split up. I was last, but to say I was excited would be a ridiculous understatement; my biggest fear being the tiny little plane I had to go up in, not actually jumping out; I’m not quite sure how I justified that one in my head. But nonetheless, I watched the altimeter climb up by thousands and the nerves kicked in quite a bit once we got to 9,000 feet. As I lifted my legs out of the door and let my feet hang out into the whipping wind, it suddenly became real. Head back, hands on the harness, move as one, ready.. set.. go!! I began to fly. As I free fell for 30 seconds and descended down for 5 minutes I looked out at the beautiful coastline; the only place in the world the desert sand dunes meet the ocean – absolutely breathtaking seeing the earth curve and feeling like I was just apart of the sky. And oh my gosh, I wish I could put it into words, but I truly believe it’s physically impossible. No, my stomach didn’t drop, no it wasn’t scary, it was literally human flight, and I would do it a hundred times over if I could. And.. come to think of it I just might have to.  So as a little plug for all the crazies out there, if you’ve ever considered skydiving, do it. And even if you haven’t, do it. Don’t think about it, don’t question it, just do it. It will be the greatest thing you will ever do. Hands down. Because I can’t put it into words, I’ll leave you with two quotes they left me with.

View on the way down

“You must jump to know. No words can describe the incredible rush when the wind invites you to play. You are one of the few, for a brief moment you doubt but the doubt is short lived. As gravity pulls you from the safety of the plane you understand, this is freedom. No turning back now but who would want to? the dream of human flight. you know what it means to skydive.”

Free fall

“Once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return.”

Thanks again for reading,

Xoxo

Maddy

 

What’s up in Swakop?

As an educational opportunity and to experience other Namibian cultures, we spent September 22-26th in Swakopmund. Swakopmund is located on the Atlantic coast and has more visible signs of European influence than Windhoek. Also, for those of you who are up on your celebrity know-how, Swakopmund is also where Brangelina delivered their daughter, Shiloh.

In Swakopmund (also known as Swakop), the German influence is everywhere. Many people continue to speak German as a first or second language. The buildings are modeled in the German style and, to my good fortune, a fabulous schnitzel is easily found. Tourists from the States, Europe, and the rest of the globe abound in this city of 86,000 permanent residents.

We met with the mayor of Swakopmund to talk about trade and how the city is run.

We spent our time during the week hearing from a few different organizations, including the Export Processing Zone, the mayor of Swakopmund, a government Environmental agency, the Mondessa Youth Opportunities, and Rossing Foundation Masters Math

Me and a friend I met at the Masters Math program we visited. She taught me how to use the program.

program. As a group, we climbed Dune 7, which is a huge sand dune. I was amazed by how much sand there was both on the ground and in my socks. We also had quite a bit of free time.

Six out of seven of the Valpo students standing on top of Dune 7, which we climbed in Swakopmund.

On the weekend, we got to choose what to do. I chose to go quadbiking through the Namib Desert with a couple friends. I don’t know if they call it quadbiking because the bike (what people in the States would call an ATV) has four wheels or because it gives you a great quadriceps workout. We spend just over two hours speeding up hills, flying over cliffs, and trying to dig me out when I got stuck. For my first quadbiking/ATVing experience, I have to say it went pretty well!

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