Diary for Sailng on Windwanderer.


Luderitz 29/11/15

2015-11-29

Luderitz

29th November 2015

Well what a fantastic couple of days we have had, and we so needed a bit of fun, and to get us away from the preparation of getting this boat ready for ocean mode.

Liz a lovely lady who lives here and runs the local tour guide shop, had invited us to her place for a late lunch, early dinner, we have actually been trying to make a date for awhile now, and it's either too windy to go ashore or Liz was busy, but finally we got all our ducks in a row.

If you remember Marcie and David from Nine of Cups, introduced us to Liz when we first got to Namibia were we all shared a lovely meal and a lot of wine at her house.

Well this time was just the same, we had a lovely time and the food was superb, thanks again Liz.

Liz being the tour guide expert around town, we asked her about some places of interest and what would be good to see, also I so wanted to find a desert rose. 

Way back in South Africa, when we knew we were going to Namibia, I read up a little bit about this country, like I always do before we go to a new country.

The thing that really got my interest was Desert Roses.

They are actually formed over thousands of years, from minerals and sand and actually look like a crystal rose.

Most times you have to dig them up out of the sand, but sometimes you can be lucky enough to come across some just lying on top of the sand.

We had heard that there are a few places around that you can still do this, Liz told us it's illegal to pick them up now, but hey we are pirates we wanted to find the booty...haha

While I was outside I ran into Paul the owner of this place, there are around five units here, Paul the owner and his wife live in one, Liz in another, and we have seen the others but I'm not sure who they are, two of the units are actually old fishing vessels turned into apartments, they are so great, I would live in one, maybe.

Paul is the one responsible for this fantastic garden here, it has every old antique thingy you could imagine, most he has picked up from an old dump site.

Well he had just been there and found a few more bits and pieces to add to his collection, and we got chatting, did I say he was a sailor as well, so we were chatting for a while...haha

But I quizzed him about the desert roses, if anyone knew where to look Paul was the guy, he told me about a few places to go, and with that in mind, the treasure hunt was going to begin.

After dinner Liz showed us her desert rose collection, and all the other stuff she has collected over the years, man I so loved it all, and the desert roses she has were huge, I never knew they could be that big.

Then she gave me a smaller one of hers, I was just blown away, and five minutes later Paul comes in with another one for me, so not only one but two desert roses and I did not have to get dirty and dusty or arrested looking for one.

Thank you so much guys, I love them, and they will have a pride of place on this here vessel, and in our home one day when we come back to land.

Liz offered to take us site seeing the following day, which was just fantastic, we are always shocked at how people are so friendly and helpful no mater where or what country we are in, it just blows us away.

It was very dark when we left Liz's house, and as we were walking, walking walking, and hoping we were going in the right direction, with maybe just a little too much wine under our belts, we finally make it to the waterfront, only to be hit by massive fog, that's another character of this place if it's not windy the fog rolls in.

It's amazing how quick and thick it is, I was a bit worried about how to find Wind Wanderer, as we could not see very well, but we made our way very slow and careful and found her just fine.

Oh and I have to mention we have a new crew member, we now are the proud owners of Harry the hippo, he is huge and I love him, not sure where his home will be yet, but I'm sure I'll find a spot somewhere.

This big guy I have had my eye on for a few weeks now, there is a local guy here who always has a display of wooden crafts on shore, we walk pass him daily he always says hello and we back.

I decided I just had to have a look at his stuff, I could hear The Captain groan behind me.

Well it was love at first sight, he was big fat and just well made, it took a few days before we decided to ask the price, on man it was so expensive, I lot of tourist come for day visits here and I know they spend big, but we are not one of them, we shook are heads and he said the usual spiel, you tell me how much we make a deal.

We politely refused and set off once again.

Now The Captain, had to go past him everyday, sometimes five or six times a day fetching water, so the game  was on, he would ask how much the hippo was today and The Captain would just shake his head, and so on it went, I actually think they both really enjoyed it.

Until the day came when he accepted a price. I had no idea The Captain was going to buy it, until he brought it onto the boat.

It was a bit too much than we should of paid, but it was worth it, it was good workmanship, and it's so hard for them to make a living, he is there all the time, I'd like to say Rain Hail or shine, but it would have to be, Wind, Sand, or extreme heat, he unpacks all his stuff, every morning and packs it away every night, I know he does not sell much, so it was kinda nice to be able to help a little.

Well tomorrow is another day.