A diamond in the rough: day 5
Posted by Piers Ward at 11:00AM on Tuesday 15 January, 2008 0 Comments
Part of the reason for going to this part of Namibia is that it isn't the most touristy spot in the world. Too much desert, not enough fluffy animals.
But one of the big destinations of the area is the old diamond mining towns, which have long ceased to be lived in by anyone. But oddly enough, Pomona isn't all that eerie. I don't think it would feel like that even if we went there when it was dark.
But it is seriously bloody windy. We were constantly parking in the lee of buildings because you can't physically open the doors otherwise. And when you do get out, it's one person at a time so you don't get a through-hurricane and blow out all the stuff in the car.
And because we're still in the Namib Desert area, the sand in the wind is lethal. I honestly think it would be less painful if someone replaced the sand with knives. It bites at your legs with a million teeth and it gets everywhere.
I've just got back to the hotel and keep finding sand in different areas of my anatomy. I've even got a small dune parked at the bottom of my pockets.
Everyone around Lüderitz has sticky tape over their headlights and I can understand why now, because the Land Cruisers fog lights look like they've been sand blasted. Which I suppose they have.
The only respite from this lethal wind was when we got to Bogenfels Arch, which is a truly spectacular rock arch on the coast. It's still windy here, but there's less sand. On the way to Bogenfels, we pass over some hideous corrugations in the gravel road. Real jarring stuff.
But the Land Cruiser copes admirably. I thought it had air suspension at first, because it just seemed to absorb bumps with so much more composure than the old one. And the Namibians in the car for this trip, including guide Lewis Drucker, are seriously impressed.
In fact, I think it's this that really sets this car apart for them. They drive over a lot of corrugated gravel roads, so the fact that the Cruiser stays comfortable would make one hell of a difference to them. Land Rovers on air suspension are all well and good, but the low profile tyres fitted to them don't help. They're terrible on the dunes as well. Balloon tyres are de rigueur out here.
Read the next instalment of Piers' Namibian voyage
Find out why Piers is driving through Africa
Photography: Stephen Perry
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