Namibia: Kolmanns- coup, the ghost town of diamonds
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Along the road is to put some cable operators telephony. A curious scene, as pipes point in a direction in which for some hundreds of kilometers there are almost Life. At the bottom, after sand ditches, some houses are scattered in the dunes. You can barely see the Atlantic Ocean to bathe the nearby town of Luderitz. Some oryx out of the reddish sand and walk under a sun that there seems to be perennial, no possibility of being off. We are in Kolmanskop (an African), the ghost town of diamonds.
Kolmannskuppe City (German) was lifted in 1908. The discovery of a diamond, by a young black, unleashed a veritable rush of fortune seekers. Namibia was then a German colony, almost by obligation created by the Kaiser, he saw as a German businessman, Adolf Luderitz, was installed on land that appeared vacant and became the most important Germanic colony in southern Africa.
Soon, a wasteland of sand and hot sun are chiseled as a thriving city born in the dunes. Here we installed the first x-ray machine in Africa. Workers in the huge operation had to go through it to see that no stones were carried in the stomach. The buildings were pushing in relevance and comfort. They are all there today, now eaten by the dunes and forgetting, but the trail is palpable in the ghost town.
For example, you can visit the old casino, the last building to be built, observed in stage, with his old piano, and the champagne room where they met women and the smoking room where the men were. It is also a great hospital, now looking bleak and desert sand to enter her womb, whose long corridors are the most advanced medicine practiced in thousands of miles. The carnage, with an ingenious system of blocks of ice and air ducts, had air conditioning. The old "train taxi", of six mules pulling, and transported to the ladies of that rich city. Bowling, wooden track with his old bowling standing still holding over time. The houses on the hill, in which kilos of powder could not erase its old glory. Those were the days when the water was brought by ship from Cape Town and was distributed at the rate of 20 liters per household and person. A liter of water cost the same as a bottle of champagne. It also built a rail line 127 miles long in ten months (serve as a comparison that are now ten years to do the same and still not finished).
Here we installed the first x-ray machine in Africa. Workers in the huge operation had to go through it to see that no stones were carried in the stomach.
But, how not, can be seen looking east barracks black workers. Houses built in the suburbs where most slaves were crowded drawing kilos of diamonds that made all, least they, filthy rich. It is estimated that during World War I drew a ton of diamonds in this town. But, after the race, and during the decade of the 30 and 40, production dropped sharply, which together with new mines were found south, along the Orange River (South African border), made in 1954 the grand final was abandoned Kolmanskop.
For those who go to Namibia, Ghost Town is a unique visit. Surprise trip, in the midst of harsh desert, with a group of houses that teach that money enables the human being installed in hell. Search, in the town of Luderitz, you can see another drop: that of a thriving city for fishing has also been going in recent decades some important shipping to other latitudes. The town with bars, hotels, restaurants and supermarkets, but it has a ghostly appearance that reminded her neighbor. This route is on a fascinating journey through time; a stroll through this past.
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-This location is also included in several of the routes that the agency Kananga, specializing in travel to Africa, included in his visit to Namibia. It comes in one of their trucks / bus. His route is excellent and full of magical places. Access to sites that are difficult to access individually. www.pasaporte3.com
-For those who want to go individually recommend renting a car. If you enter Namibia from Cape Town, South Africa, after crossing the border will take the B-1 and B-4 then (good roads). From Windhoek, capital, is the same route in reverse.
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-Kratzplatz: is the hotel where I slept. Building with garden and small and large rooms. Has bar and restaurant. Decorated with pictures of Prussian. It is a good choice. Luderitz. www.kratzplatz.com
-Nest Hotel: is luxury accommodation Luderitz. Sea Paste, has pool, gardens, restaurant and Internet access. The food is good. www.nesthotel.com
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-El Ritzi's, on the waterfront, is a good place to eat fresh fish. There are all kinds of seafood or grilled, although the service is somewhat slow. It has a nice terrace overlooking the harbor where a beer.
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-Have a drink in the disco Steps. It has a good collection of Latin and Spanish music led by Basil, Galician sailor who lives in the town.
-Stop on the road to Aus and watch the wild horses of the desert.
-S Off, mountain retreat in the Klein Aus Vista, You can see a car of the year 50, abandoned in the desert, which has over a hundred shots. Was about diamond thieves fleeing the police and were intercepted. The mountain lodge is fascinating.
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