Exploring Namibia #3: Kolmanskop to Betta

Kolmanskop

Kolmanskop is a former mining town in the restricted zone of the Namib desert. It had seen its best years in the beginning of the 20th century and is totally deserted since 1956 and most houses are slowly taken back by the sand and the atmosphere cannot be describe nor captured on pictures, although it’s impossible to not take hundreds.

I arrived before sunrise and hoped the low-hanging clouds would disappear soon. They did not, which made this experience even spookier.

Tickets must be purchased in advanced and the lady in the shop told me that there would be no security before 8am, but the permit allowed me to enter at any time and the key for the gate would be hidden somewhere. The key … where was that key … I got a bit nervous when I not found it immediately and thought about simply climbing the gate. I had read that the security takes the job serious so was not too sure how good that idea would be, and I was released when I eventually found it.

Walking through this deserted town is fascinating. From the outside, the houses look damaged but are still clearly visible. Broken windows, open doors, sand-covered entrances, and collapsed roofs dominate the view and make me feel like I entered a different world. The constant wind wiped out nearly all footprints of former tourists (that are anyhow not too many now) and makes this place appear even more abandoned and while walking around, I actually wonder that after over sixty years still so much of the former settlement is left.

Exploring the inside of all the houses was awesome and the atmosphere a mixture of adventure, sadness, and depression. But excitement and curiosity about what hides behind the next door clearly dominated. I loved it and of all the fascination, I nearly stepped on a Horn viper that in the early morning hours just woke up and luckily announced herself last second and even moved out of the way. They are not deadly but their powerful venom that consists of about 13 different toxins is known to cause several symptoms like massive local swelling, acute pain, excessive bleeding or clotting, necrosis, nausea, abdominal pain, sweating, exhaustion, vomiting, hematuria, kidney failure and heart irregularities. Nothing I need to experience, and especially not while I am alone in the desert.

Namtib Biosphere Reserve

After several hours in Kolmanskop, the road led me back to Aus where I turned north towards the Namtib Biosphere Reserve that was my next targeted stop. There was literally NO CAR that I met on my way and for the first hour, only dry grass accompanied me before the landscape finally changed: dunes on the left-hand side and dark mountains on the right-hand side announced the Tiras Mountains.

The campsite is only a few kilometres outside the lodge area and beautifully placed on a plain area with the mountains stretching from the left to the right and allowing a stunning view on the plains in front. I arrived just in time to set up the tent and still enjoy a bit of the afternoon before the sun was setting. Several trails around the camp can be walked, but I choose to only climb up the hill the next morning to enjoy my coffee with a view.

Betta & Duwisib Castle

Betta was planned to be my next stop on the way from the Tiras Mountains to Sesriem but only about half an hour after I left the Namtib Biosphere Reserve, the Landy got slower and slower, and finally stopped completely in the deep, loose sand that made the road. After several attempts to get out, I realised that the tyres only sank in deeper. I got stuck! With no shade, no shovel, no four-wheel-drive experience, and no hope that anyone would come along soon, I needed a plan!

I first made a coffee (mainly in hope that in the meanwhile somebody would pass by and rescue me), before I searched the car for anything that would be helpful. A proper piece of carton box made a good shovel, and the user manual I hoped would help me with the rest. It took me a while to understand that the manual covers several different version of the car and that some of the described buttons are not available in the version I was driving, but eventually I thought I had the understanding to manoeuvre me out and luckily after only a couple of minutes, I was free.

When I finally arrived in Betta, I was surprised that this “town” literally consists of a farm, a petrol station, a car graveyard, and a campsite only. Namibia has obviously so few people, that even tiny settlements are worth a dot on the map! Nevertheless, people (realistically speaking the one lady that was there) were nice and the campsite clean, so I did not care and of course stayed.

The camping area is nothing special, each spot having a braai place (of course), tab water, electricity, and a nice and shady sitting area. But outstanding was the ‘carport’ that not only provides shelter for the car, but makes a nice, elevated spot for the tent at the same time.

Only about 20 km from Betta, the sandstony Duwisib Castle makes a nice excursion. It was built in 1909 by Baron Captain Hans Heinrich von Wolf and the architecture reflects his commitment to the German military cause. The middle-age styled house definitely seems a bit out of place, but I believe it is worth a visit. Unfortunately, it was closed when I arrived, but even from the outside it looks impressive and also holds a campsite on the property which seemed to be a nice spot for a night or so.

The next morning, I was still sleepy and only longing for my coffee, a totally unexpected guest surprised me from around the car. She seemed tame and only to come with good intentions, but these lance-like horns are not to be underestimated so after she followed me a couple of circles around my camp, I rather seeked a safe spot – where we come back to the carport roof that also makes an amazing escape route!