Page 100 - Forbes - Africa (March 2020)
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FORBES AFRICA
SOMETIME IN AFRICA
reallyneedtogo,orcouldIholditin,wassuddenlythemostpressing
questionofmyexistence.
Afewhourslater,wescreechedintoaghosttownabandonedinthe
1930s.Kolmanskopwasoncearichminingvillagebuttodayitsempty
buildingsarefloodedwithsand–aneeriereminderoftheviolent
stormsthatsometimessweepthroughthiscorneroftheworld.
Fordecades,Kolmanskophummedwithprosperitythankstoits
diamond-yieldingsoil.Butovertime,itsfieldsbeganshowingsignsof
depletionandby1928,newdiamonddepositsdiscoveredelsewhere
encourageditsresidentstoleave.
Asthesandsblewin,thedoorsofbuildingsfellofftheirhingesand
GRIT, windowsflewopentowelcomeinthedesertdust.Soon,theprehistoric
wastelandreclaimedtheoncevibrantvillageandtheinhospitable
remotenessoftheNamibDesertenvelopeditonceagain.
GRAVEL Africanadministrationfrom1915untilitbecameindependentin1990.
Formerlynamed‘SouthWestAfrica’,NamibiawasunderSouth
Withmorethan300daysofsunshineayear,itisthedriestcountryin
ANDA sub-SaharanAfrica.Unfortunatelyitslongdistancesposereallogistical
problemswhenitcomestoneedingatoilet–unlessofcourseoneis
contenttodisappearbehindasanddunewhichIlearnedtodowith
GHOST increasedabandonment.
Myfirstviewofthecapitalcity,Windhoek,wasapatchofgreen
grasshiddenbehindsomebusheswithmytrousersaroundmyankle
TOWN andarolloftoiletpaperinmylefthand.Idon’tknowwhogotmoreof
afright–meorthebewilderedkuduthatjumpedacrossmypath.A
fewmetersaway,agroupofgiraffesandelephantsgrazedquietlyinthe
afternoonheat.
The Namib Desert may seem empty TheNamibDesertmayseememptybutithidesmanypossibilities.
but it hides infinite possibilities. Anoxwagonappearsinthemiddleofnowhere–probablyonceused
tocarrydiamondswasheddownstream.Iviewitfromahelicopter
BY PAULA SLIER
ride–duringwhichIamfocusedprimarilyontryingnottothrowup
breakfast.
Inthelate1980s,atractionsteamenginewasimportedfrom
CURSEDUNDERMYBREATHFORTHETHOUSANDTH Germanytotryreplacethetediousox-wagontraffic.Amechanic,
timeasanotherclumpofredsandlandedonthecrackedcar whowasalsotoserveasadriver,arrived,andaftertakingonelook
windshield.ThetaxidriverwasnavigatingtheNamibDesert atthedesert,wenthome.Eventually,theenginewaspushedtothe
IatahundredmilesanhourwithChrisReasingingsomewhat country’sformermainharboratSwakopmundandforashorttimedid
propheticallyRoadToNowhereatfullblastthroughthesoundsystem. surprisinglywellbeforeitblewatubethatcouldnotbereplaced.
LocalsinNamibialaughinglycalltheexperienceofgritmeeting Todaytheso-called‘MartinLuthermonument’withtheinscription
gravelbeneathone’scarwheels“anAfricanmassage”.Redsunrayskiss “hereIstandandIcannotdootherwise”–paystributetothoseearly
sunburnedsandbanks,thehighestintheworld,astheNamibDesert effortsatindustrialization.
straddlestheAtlanticcoast. IfyoudomakeittoNamibia,youmustgosandboarding.Ididthe Images
Buttheelderlydriverbehindthewheelwasclearlyoutofcontrol. ‘liedown’versionthatthebrochuresproudlyadvertiserequiresno
Mydesperateshoutsof‘slowdown’seemedtoincentivizehimto experience.They’reright–theyjustforgettoaddtoexpectclumpsof Getty
goevenfaster.Twohoursintothisroller-coasterridefromhell,he sandinone’smouth.SothereIwasonmystomach,armsat45degrees via
suddenlyregisteredmypleasforatoiletandsowejudderedintoa withfingersdesperatelywrappedaroundthecornersoftheparaffin-
dejected-lookinggasstationforgottensomewheredeepinsidethe basedsandboard,wonderingwhatthehellIwasdoing.
desertdunes. Soon,agradualdeclinedownasanddunemakesthetaxidriver’s byMichael Toye
Everysooftenlifepresentsonewithcriticaldecisionsthatrequire anticspalebycomparisonandI’mshootingheadfirstintothe
deepintrospection.Thiswasoneofthosemoments.Ienteredatoilet unknown.There’snobetterwaytogetacquaintedwiththedesert than
cubicle with flies swarming all over the place. Just how badly did I this. Grit blowing into your face as the desert skies hug you. Photo
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