Day - 51 Walvis Bay, Namibia

Nov 29 -  Walvis Bay, Namibia We finally put our feet on Namibian soil today! The tour we took today was a “free” one for us through Travel Leaders Network, which Stuart arranged. We left at 11am. The first tour highlight was a scenic drive to Walvis Bay Lagoon to view the flamingos. It is a swampy-like area but there are a lot of flamingos! It was very windy with sand blowing so photos are not great.

Back into the small truck/bus/van vehicle with our next stop at Namib Dunes. This looked mostly like a place to rent dune buggies and take a drive. We weren’t there long, then we were off to Swakopmund.

Swakopmund was established by German colonists in 1892. This coastal city is west of the capital, Windhoek. Today it is best known for its unique blend of German colonial architecture, recreational activities, and as a gateway to attractions such as the Namib Desert and the nearby resort town of Walvis Bay. There are sandy beaches facing the Atlantic Ocean. (We will stop there later for Sparkling Wine & Canapes on the beach). Believe it or not, this is a German city in Namibia!

We enjoyed walking around this lovely town that resembles a Bavarian village. It looks German and they have a lot of buildings with German names, German restaurants, and much more. After the guided portion, we walked around, found a postcard, looked in shop windows, and made our way to Swakopmund Brauhaus a traditional German restaurant in the heart of town. We decided on a “small” meat and cheese plate and a beer. As you can see it was anything but small. The photos also show the German influence. Namibia was occupied by Germany from 1883 to 1916. We had a great guide but neither of us can remember his name! It was something like Varoom. 

Our final stop was on the beach for tapas and sparkling wine. Too bad we bothered with that huge snack because this was quite a spread. What a lovely stop with sand dunes on one side, and the Atlantic Ocean on the other. I picked up a piece of a shell that I might make into a necklace. It was a wonderfully cool day, which makes excursions so much more enjoyable. Now back to the ship to relax. Today was the first time I noticed the front of the ship says “Africa Grand Voyage” to announce us! 

After resting a bit we went on to immigration, tree lightening, kids concert, dinner, and Billboard requests the rest of the evening. Today was our LAST face to face immigration until we get to San Juan. It isn’t that bad but it can be time consuming. 


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