Stuck in Lüderitz

Only 350 km to Lüderitz from Brukkaros - a nice short drive for a change. Now that there are 3 of us, I commander the backseat and stretch out to relax. As I lie back, there is a shooting pain in my shoulder... Yikes! I look down to see a giant yellow wasp. I calmly tell my companions that I've been stung, and the South African promptly pulls over, grabs the med kit, and proceeds to extract the giant stinger from my shoulder like a pro. Not 2 minutes later, we're back on the road. Pain subsides some, and I'm very happy with his reaction time! The rest of the drive was pretty uneventful in comparison. A stop in Aus was planned, but there wasn't much there so we carried on. 

We arrive just before dark and start looking for a place to stay. We happen across Element Riders Backpackers, who doesn't have camping only rooms... Real bed #5! I say yes please! It's windy and chilly in Luderitz, and at this point in the trip my tent-tolerance is dropping! Element is a very laid back place, and the owner, Rainer, is an avid kite surfer. Highly recommend.

It was Thanksgiving when we arrived, so went out to search for a nice dinner. We found one of the only restaurants in town - Ritzies – where we wait 2 hours for frozen fish but have plenty of time to talk about how thankful we are we made it that far :)

A visit to Dias Point is worth it, where you can make the treacherous climb to see the Dias Cross or sit below and watch the waves crash against the cliffs. It is lovely, and there happens to be a cute little coffee shop with excellent chocolate cake. There is also a spot to see a colony of penguins, if you are lucky not to blow away. You can also see oryx, flamingoes, and springbok on the way to Agate Beach where you can go treasure hunting - and perhaps come away with a lovely new diamond. We tried!

We end up staying 6 days in Lüderitz for no concrete reason. I was enjoying a real bed, we all made some friends, and there was Diaz Coffee Shop around the corner with delicious toasties on homemade bread. Civilization was a welcome change. One evening a group of us even stopped by a church service to check out the famous Pastor Isaac Lucas. Check out my video clip "Holy Ghost Naked Wire". 

While at Element, we met some great fellow travelers - two of whom ended up joining us for our drive to South Africa. This couple had purchased a car in Cape Town to travel around southern Africa. They had gotten nearly to Luderitz when it broke down, so they had it towed to town. Each time they went to get it, something else was broken. Finally - the day it was supposed to be ready - they were told it needed a new engine. They were still stuck in Luderitz! The South African felt bad the couple, and generously offered them his other car... incredible! It is in Kuruman, about 1,000 km east, so we'll have some time to get to know each other :) We finally leave Luderitz for Fish River Canyon ~ once again with a full Landie :) 1 South African, 2 Americans, 1 German, and 1 Brit!

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