The Drive to the Funky "Beach Town" of Swakopmund

I had experienced what I came here to experience, the Dead Vlei, but as long as I put in the time and effort to get here I might as well check out what else Namibia has to offer. So today I would be driving up to Swakopmund, to what I was told was a funky beach town. The first five hours looked like this.




I then crossed the Tropic of Capricorn. This was the first sign I encountered that was complete and dust free. Along the way I would encounter a number of signs that had me getting out of the car in order to brush off the dust to confirm that I was going the right way. Sometimes the signs were broken and parts were missing, however there were always at least enough letters for me to match and confirm I was heading in the right direction.


The last hour was actually quite nice as I drove up the coast from Walvis Bay to Swakopmund.








I got to the Brigadoon Guesthouse and like the rest of my accommodations it was a perfect fit for me. I checked in and then went to check out the town. While this is a beach town it’s not a great beach town and I’m not sure why anyone would vacation here. Few restaurants and bars, and not much of a beach.




Even the shops and downtown had a lot to be desired.




The fake beach fit well with the fake Starbucks.


I never had a language problem this whole trip until I got to Swakopmund. It was not because I did not speak Afrikaans, it was because I did not speak German. For whatever reason the Germans seem to love this place and vacation here. I originally thought “Great, there must be a number of places to get a beer and bratwurst. My afternoon will be filled with activities.” I was wrong. There was a single German restaurant with a very limited beer selection and a sub-par bratwurst and sauerkraut. So I’m still at a complete loss as to why Germans vacation here. There is probably a Wikipedia entry to explain this so I’ll let you do your own research.










The local lighthouse.


After a disappointing lunch I went in search of a cure for my depression.


A Windhoek lager is just what the doctor ordered.


I returned to the Brigadoon Guesthouse where there was a guard outside keeping an eye on my car, which was nice but also concerning. What has happened in the past that he needs to be here on guard.


Even the TV illustrated how the Germans have infiltrated Swakopmund.


For dinner I headed out to the limited selection of restaurants. I found one that served oryx, however it was so heavy covered with peppercorn and garlic sauce that I have no idea what the actual meat tasted like. I'm going to need another Windhoek lager.


At least the views were acceptable.


And with that I walked back to the guesthouse and turned in for the night. How could anything live up to my Dead Vlei experience, from this point on it was just filler. I just hope the minibar had enough "filler" for this evening.

VIDEO: Namibia - Day 17 - Swakopmund