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40FOCUS-JANUARY2015AbandonedbuildingsintheghosttownofKoopmanskopNamibia.Continuedfrompage39peoplemostlyGermansmadetheirwaybyshipstothisuniqueplacewherethewhitesandsoftheKalaharimeetthefrigidwatersoftheSouthAtlantic.WhenIrstsawthetownIstoodinaweatthevastwhiteexpanseofthedesert.IhaveseentheSaharaandtheMohavebutnothingpreparedmefortheconstantsandblowingeverywherebytheercewinds.Koopman-skopasthesettlementwasknownisnownothingmorethanaghosttownbutlessthantenkm.awayisthepicturesqueseasideresorttownofLuderitzwhichnowistheonlyreasontovisitthispartofNamibia.ThepeoplewholiveinLuderitzhavecomefromallovertheworldthemajoritybeingGermanorofGer-mandecent.ImetawomanwellintoherseventieswhoarrivedasateenonherwaytoSouthAfrica.Shefoundworkasabarmaidandneverleft.Iwasntsurewhatat-tractedthepeopleforthewindshowledconstantlyandthe30degreetemperatureswereabitunbearablebutavisittotheabandonedghosttownandofcoursetheoceancertainlyhaveanappealfortourists.IsetoutfrommyhoteltovisittheghosttownofKoop-manskop.Thedrivealthoughonlytenkm.takesagoodhalfhourasthehowlingwindsblowsandsothickthatitislikedrivinginaheavyfog.ThewindnearlytookmycardooroffwhenIsteppedoutandIwasgratefultohavehadtheforesighttocarryaplasticweatherproofcoveronmycamera.Withoutitthesensitivemechanismswouldnothavelastedmorethanafewminutes.Thereareabout30build-ingsmostofthemruinsbuteachwithauniquenessandstorycenteredaroundtheinhabitantswholivedthereinsearchoftheirfortune.WalkingthroughsandlledhousesaschoolandahospitalIcouldimaginehowdifcultlifemusthavebeenfortheseprospectorsastheycrawledontheirhandsandkneesoverthesandlookingfordiamonds.ImsuremanypeoplewonderwhyanyoneletalonemewouldvisitsuchafarawaylocaleandbelievemewhenItellyouIwonderedthatmyself.Thereissomethingmagicalaboutstandingonaplacewheremostpeopleinmyworldhaveneverbeenandprobablyneverwillbe.AfewmonthsagoIcouldntevenpronounceNamibiaandnowIhavestoodamongthedesertedbuildingssandblowingharshlyeverywherecarryingtheanguishsoundsofthediamondprospectorsnowlongforgotten.AlthoughNamibiaismostlydesertlandscapeitisalsohometosomeofAfricaswildestanimals.AleopardjumpedfromthebushesameterfrommyLandRoverandatonepointIcountedaherdof32elephantsdrinkingfromawaterholebutthatisanotherarticle.PerhapsnextmonthIwillsharemyexperienceswiththewildanimalsofAfricasEtoshaRegionanareathesizeofLakeOntarioandhometocountlessspeciesofelephantsrhinosandthepredatorycats.48WaterSt.PortPerryON905985-3767vehicleletteringwrappingSignworkScaada.cmReachNorthportRd.PortPerry905-985-0802Since1996SIGNSGOTENOUGHCOVERAGEHOMEAUTOBUSINESSLIFEHEALTHGROUPBENEFITS1564KingSt.E.Hwy.2Courtice905-436-9090www.woinsurancebrokers.comW.O.INSURANCEBROKERSDaleGibbonsR.I.B.ONBroker