Fascinating Namibia: Photos 42 to 54

Let me get the most FAQd (FAdQ?) question from my near, dear, not-so-near, and not-so-dear first - Namibia? Why Namibia? I am tempted to quote Mallory and say "Because it's there", but considering that several countries are "there", and that I didn't disappear in Namibia for my body to be found 75 years later, I will resort to one of the following, and the reader may choose what (s)he likes best. I do not offer any guarantee of the truth, though I do suspect that it might well be c. below :-)

a. I have always wanted to visit ex-German colonies, and there really aren't too many of them around, given Germany's historical disinterest in colonization.

b. Africa sounded cool, (literally, as we are talking southern hemisphere in July here), and Namibia's official language is English. (rather strange for an ex-German colony, huh?)

c. I like being asked the question under discussion right now. I've gotten so used to it over the past few years - why Bhutan? why Cambodia? why Mongolia? why Sumatra?...of course sometimes the interrogative used is "Where???"

Arrival and Windhoek

Waiting for the flight to board at Cape Town Airport, the most

Full Text Entry: Fascinating Namibia

Regarding your comments on ex-German Colonies and there being not too many of them etc.. I think the main reason you will not find too many ex-German Colonies is not Germany's historical disinterest -- they were as interested and eager as any other -- the reason is that they lost the first two world wars. Pre WW-I maps will show that the Germans had pretty much taken up substantial portions of Africa (along with the Belgians, French and Dutch) and left the British out of the picture. The Brits I guess were more focused on their Mid-East and Asian Colonies. After loosing WW-I they had to give up most of their prized African Colonies to the victors of the war (East Africa went to the British), Namibia went to S. Africa , etc.... I guess loosing World War -- II did not help either, but by that time colonization was flagging anyway and any colonies they may have had ended up being protectorates of UN or the allies (UK, USA). So that explains the curious lack of ex-German Colonies as well as the fact that German is not spoken in Namibia. After WW-I, the widely spoken German in Nambia was replaced by English, Dutch and Afrikaans -- languages of the S. Africans. Afrikaans and Dutch was dropped due to the connotations with Apartheid and the hated S. African regime and English became Lingua Franca of Namibia. Same is true of E. Africa, where German was replaced by English after the WW-I. HTH

the impression I had was that they were reluctant colonialists - they were happier with their neighbours too busy building empires to focus on them. Bismarck remarked, circa 1885 - “my map of Africa lies in Europe. Here is Russia and here is France with Germany in the middle; that is my map of Africa.”

Fabulous pictures. Particularly those of Namib desert. Saha, you dont seem to have stayed in hotels in smaller Indian cities, where cold chai, insects in the room, damp and stained sheets, damp walls, etc are par for the course.

maybe not, but I have stayed in 300 dollar Sheraton hotels in the United States where lousy service and depressing rooms are par for the course...

I just went on a historical dune tour with Fanie while I was in Namibia and I completely agree with you that he is fantastic. I wrote a bit about it on my food blog: www.beyondrecipes.blogspot.com. Are you from India? My father is from India. I wish I had more time to travel around Namibia; it really looks like you got to see a lot! I unfortunately only got to explore the area around Swakopmund.

saw your blog - yes, I was equally enamored of the !Nara fruit :-) I am from India, but live in Singapore. Spent 12 days in Namibia but even that was far from enough...

Really enjoyed your account of your travels in Namibia. I am planning to go there April 2008, so it has whetted my appetite even more. Thanks for sharing your fascinating experiences with us! Mike...UK.

The link in my blog to Kuiseb Delta Adventures is wrong. Please use this one instead - http://www.kuisebonline.com/

I have the right link now for Kuiseb Delta Adventures. You may click on the link in the text of the blog, or click here - http://www.kuisebonline.com/

Regarding your comments on ex-German Colonies and there being not too many of them etc.. I think the main reason you will not find too many ex-German Colonies is not Germany's historical disinterest -- they were as interested and eager as any other -- the reason is that they lost the first two world wars. Pre WW-I maps will show that the Germans had pretty much taken up substantial portions of Africa (along with the Belgians, French and Dutch) and left the British out of the picture. The Brits I guess were more focused on their Mid-East and Asian Colonies. After loosing WW-I they had to give up most of their prized African Colonies to the victors of the war (East Africa went to the British), Namibia went to S. Africa , etc.... I guess loosing World War -- II did not help either, but by that time colonization was flagging anyway and any colonies they may have had ended up being protectorates of UN or the allies (UK, USA). So that explains the curious lack of ex-German Colonies as well as the fact that German is not spoken in Namibia. After WW-I, the widely spoken German in Nambia was replaced by English, Dutch and Afrikaans -- languages of the S. Africans. Afrikaans and Dutch was dropped due to the connotations with Apartheid and the hated S. African regime and English became Lingua Franca of Namibia. Same is true of E. Africa, where German was replaced by English after the WW-I. HTH

the impression I had was that they were reluctant colonialists - they were happier with their neighbours too busy building empires to focus on them. Bismarck remarked, circa 1885 - “my map of Africa lies in Europe. Here is Russia and here is France with Germany in the middle; that is my map of Africa.”

Fabulous pictures. Particularly those of Namib desert. Saha, you dont seem to have stayed in hotels in smaller Indian cities, where cold chai, insects in the room, damp and stained sheets, damp walls, etc are par for the course.

maybe not, but I have stayed in 300 dollar Sheraton hotels in the United States where lousy service and depressing rooms are par for the course...

I just went on a historical dune tour with Fanie while I was in Namibia and I completely agree with you that he is fantastic. I wrote a bit about it on my food blog: www.beyondrecipes.blogspot.com. Are you from India? My father is from India. I wish I had more time to travel around Namibia; it really looks like you got to see a lot! I unfortunately only got to explore the area around Swakopmund.

saw your blog - yes, I was equally enamored of the !Nara fruit :-) I am from India, but live in Singapore. Spent 12 days in Namibia but even that was far from enough...

Really enjoyed your account of your travels in Namibia. I am planning to go there April 2008, so it has whetted my appetite even more. Thanks for sharing your fascinating experiences with us! Mike...UK.

The link in my blog to Kuiseb Delta Adventures is wrong. Please use this one instead - http://www.kuisebonline.com/

I have the right link now for Kuiseb Delta Adventures. You may click on the link in the text of the blog, or click here - http://www.kuisebonline.com/