Moose Goes To Swakopmund!

[Mortymoose]

Yesterday was a Walvis Day where we dined at the Waterfront..After the building of the container terminal the port has boomed with the bay stuffed with ships and rigs. A new dual lane freeway was built behind the dunes up to the main road between Swakop.... it looks like something outta Dubai. The weather turned and I had to drive through a sandstorm to get back to Ssakopmund, where we hit Andy's for a good few cold ones and stunning nosh.... An expensive night as the moon rose above the Harsh Namibian interior..

 

[Mortymoose]

The Germanic architecture in this town just blows my mind and the odd camel..

 

[Mortymoose]

Another glorious day spent in Swakop, beer and bratwurst for lunch at one of many beer gardens... Namibians are super friendly and love to socialize with folk they do not know... kids went quad biking, lekker walk diwn at The Mole before yet another evening of fine dining at one of Swakops many restaurants...The Tug..... the place was packed, many tourists from SA and Europe..... covid seemed a world away....

Today we head north to Henties and 4000 seals at Cape Cross... u okes enjoy work today..

 

[Mortymoose]

The coastal road North was long flat and desolate.The odd Fisherman breaking the journey, a few South Africsn tourists. The many salt tables intrigued me, So I stopped..in the middle of nowhere were rows of tables adorned with huge Salt crystals and not a soul to be seen...on closer inspection we saw honesty boxes and handwritten notes stating that you could take a crystal but leave doshin the box..... I glanced around looking for a hawkerto jump out from behind a rock.... nothing, nobody..... these makeshift tables went on for many a mile

 

[Mortymoose]

The stench overwhelming, the seals in their thousands , shouting and barking, thr tourists snapped away.....

 

[Went_For_Beer]

We live in a country where people pay big $$$$ to go abroad on holidays, but seem to miss the glory that is in our own backyard.

Thanx for the pics Moose, make me wanna sell my **** and just travel our lands

 

[Mortymoose]

My mate arrived early, " I want to show you an old abandoned mine", he said with an air excitement before adding, " it's about 60 clicks East of Swakop, you can even head down the shaft..."

Yep we were excited and bundled into the bakkies before heading on the National road whilst he gave us his personal history of the area...

He explained that we would be returning nit by the same route but looping around and coming back down through the canyon to the same oasis restaurant we had visited on Sunday..

 

[Geoff.D]

Been along that road, but then no pipeline! That is a water pipeline?
Would have been stolen long ago in this part of the World.

 

[Creag]

What an epic road trip.

 

[Mortymoose]

Been along that road, but then no pipeline! That is a water pipeline?
Would have been stolen long ago in this part of the World.

It was installed by the Chinese when they built a uranium mine somewhere in the hood, then a few years later they got a new source for water and just left the now empty pipe..... according to my knowledgeable mate....

 

[Mortymoose]

My mate pointed out all the heavy caliber bullet holes in some of the walls and old car stating that the NDF had been here a few times for practice.

This Khan mine had 80 Europeans and some 400 Natives mining and smelting the copper that was taken to Germany. Thisall came to an abrupt end around 1918.

We explored and headed down the shaft.

 

[HunterNW]

My mate pointed out all the heavy caliber bullet holes in some of the walls and old car stating that the NDF had been here a few times for practice.

This Khan mine had 80 Europeans and some 400 Natives mining and smelting the copper that was taken to Germany. Thisall came to an abrupt end around 1918.

We explored and headed down the shaft. View attachment 1060439 View attachment 1060441 View attachment 1060443 View attachment 1060445 View attachment 1060447 View attachment 1060449

You still in the shaft ? What does it look like down there ?

 

[Mortymoose]

"In today's age it is a little known fact that during the German colonial era a copper mine was operational close to the current Rössing uranium mine. Of a once thriving operation with approximately 964 tons of processed copper produced from 32,450 tons of ore only an old mining tunnel and a few ruins remain. The copper was shipped to Germany. Several reports written around 1900 recorded the copper ore in the scenic valley close to the Khan River about 70 kilometres from the coastal town of Swakopmund"

For those of you that like this historical stuff....

"The ore, called bornite (Kupfererz) was found in pinkish-white pegmatite rock veins. The copper grade was about 6 to 7 percent. The Heckmann company in Hutten Street in Duisburg-Hochfeld establised a subsidiary, Khan-Kupfergrube GmbH. In 1908/09 preparations began to establish mining operations, which took seven years. This required long-term planning and extensive capital. The first priority was a sufficient water supply. A well was dug 7 kilometres away in the Khan River Valley, 180 metres lower in altitude. The well provided water reliably throughout operations. Machinery and equipment for the mining operations came from Germany and was installed. A shaft was drilled into the mountain, a transmission belt was put in place as well as a small railway. Contiguous with these installations several brick buildings and houses were constructed. Copper mining began in earnest in May 1914. The copper concentrate was produced on site, which was a technical achievement in those days. The concentrate was shipped to Germany. About 80 Europeans and 400 local workers were employed at the Khan copper mine. All groceries and supplies had to be brought to the mine from Swakopmund. The mining company wanted to build a railway link to the existing Otavi railway line to the Khan station further south. These plans were dropped. Instead, the company built a narrow-gauge link 11 kilometres long northwards to connect with the railway line at Arandis. Sections of the old railway embankment, the shunting area, are still visible today at the Arandis Mountain. The small locomotive huffed and puffed as it pulled the wagons filled with copper concentrate uphill towards Arandis. The return journey back to the Khan copper mine was child's play."

 

[Mortymoose]

Good Morning, Sorry for the lack of posting, I only arrived home yesterday after an epic 11 days on the road!

My mate took us over to the cut, one can still see pieces of copper rocks above the entrance to the cut...

He explained to us that we stay close together, follow in single file and keep the left.... The cut is merely the main shaft into the mountain and that there were shafts that dropped down to the right of the main cut and if you fell down any of these shafts it would be game over.

A gust of hot desert wind bid the party a silent farewell as we stepped down the crude stairs and into the cut.








As we moved deeper into the cut, the air became denser and hotter, the tunnel now narrowed as we stepped over the side tunnels on the floor....

For some odd reason as we went in deeper I started to think of the recent seismic activity that had been occurring in Namibia of late, in fact quite a large one struck a few months ago about 400 km to the north, My mind racing....



After about 120 m the cut tunnel came to an abrupt end where my mate showed us all the signatures, Graffiti of the few people that had come down here and left their mark....

The heat building, I started to sweat, my mind racing.... I turned and headed back out the tunnel. After rounding a few bends I was relieved to see the light of the exit and out into the free but warm desert air.

 

[Mortymoose]

I found a building surrounded by stone walls, my mate was a wee bit unsure of it's purpose but I deduced that it was than likely used to store explosives, hence the high walls around it. I had seen similar modern structures down on the diamond mines in the south that were small in size surrounded my high sand walls to deflect any accidental explosions.



About 300 meters further on we happened apon another structure my mate referred to as "The Castle" . He had been coming to this abandoned mine with his father when he was still a boy so as we walked he added to the mystery of the setting my adding tales of those days....



As we headed South down the Kahn river, I looked back up the valley and for a brief moment wondered how it must have been like living and working here in those bygone years!



Just like the deafening silence I had experienced a few days back in the high dunes of the Soussesvlei, the silence here was also deafening. I had climbed to a high point above the canyon on the side which I knew one of the worlds largest uranium mines, Rossing lay, thinking I might hear mining activities drift across the high peaks, but nothing was to be heard.



I love Geology and all things Geographical so my mate fully understood it when I said that I wanted to walk a few kilometers down the canyon to admire and to an extent feel the geology, he having been here many times before understood this and drove slowly behind me at about 100m, I felt like some famous person with a security detail....

The Geology was not to disappoint!




Abandoned places always attract all types so in a way I was disappointed to see graffiti scribbled on a mud wall/ Mind you my mate had just told me tales about the trance parties they use to hold out here, magic mushrooms floating the copper skies!

 

[Mortymoose]

Before I carry on down the Kahn River, I see I forgot to mention my visit to Sesriem Canyon. This was en route to the dunes at Soussesvlei.

Well, Must say I was a bit disappointed, but I guess after always visiting a proper canyon like The Fish River Canyon that is in my back garden, then the Sesriem Canyon seems like one of the smaller side canyons of the Fish

At Sesriem a visit to the nearby Sesriem Canyon is recommendable. The Sesriem Canyon is about 1 km long and 30 metres deep, carved into the rock by the Tsauchab River, which ends its course in the Sossusvlei.

In all honesty my dog back down South digs bigger holes at the beach and in all honesty this should be classified as a Gorge......

 

[Mortymoose]

In the middle of the desert where the roads spilt between Soussesvlei, Walvis Bay and Maltahoe is a one stop settlement of Solitaire. Here you will find the grave of my kindered spirit, The Other Moose in Namibia. It is a mere 50 meters from his World Famous bakery.... The Bakery in the desert...



I will copy and paste an article for those of you who like the tales of such characters....

Percy Cross McGregor (a.k.a Moose), the iconic pastry chef of the Namib Desert, died this past Saturday afternoon in Solitaire.

Moose’s friends and family mourn the passing of a man who put the the small settlment of Solitaire on the map, by providing his world famous German apple crumble (Apfelstrudel) to weary travellers filling up their fuel tanks.

The fame of Moose, and his apple crumble, ensured that anyone visiting the south of Namibia made a mandatory stop at the Solitaire petrol station, not only to fill up on petrol but on the sweet treat too. It is well known that even those with full petrol tanks, stopped simply to get a taste of something freshly baked from the bakery pit-stop.

The Moose McGregor’s Desert Bakery, located on the crossroads of the C14 and C19 highways – a crucial link that takes visitors to the iconic Sossusvlei or Swakopmund or Windhoek – not only supplied this delicious treat, but also offered a wide array of savoury and other sweet baked goods, including home made breads and butter.

Friends and colleagues explained that on Saturday afternoon, Moose experienced difficulty of breath and was taken to the nearby Solitaire Country lodge. The Sesriem ambulance was not available at the time, and while his friends helped him into the car to take him to the nearest hospital, McGregor passed away. It has not yet been confirmed what the exact cause of death was.

The news of his passing quickly made the rounds around the world and in Namibia, as Moose’s presence at the Solitaire bakery for more than 20 years had earned him a well loved reputation. In the book Namibia Space by Julienne Du Toit, Moose is quoted as saying that he settled in the remote outpost of Solitaire because he “liked the barking geckos and the stars … It’s like nature switches on a Christmas tree here every night”.

A candle was lit in the bakery this weekend, and placed next to a photo of Moose in his baking gear. Friends say that he always said he would like to be buried in Solitaire, but that his family (parents and four sisters) still have to confirm whether this will be the case.

Moose was 56 years old.

The tourists are returning in droves, from Europe and South Africa......

 

[Rocket-Boy]

Never been to the desert. But would like to one day. Maybe go visit oom Moose

Namibia is a tricky place, once you have been there it's pretty hard to come back to SA!
Lots of cool places to explore.

 

[Jet-Fighter7700]

what an amazing place, especially if you leave the big crowded cities and wander around a bit.

 

[Mortymoose]

@rpm

Boet! You gotta send me a new hat, I have marketed this cap to Soussesvlei and back! Pretoria to Durban, East London to Cape Town, Potchefstrooom, Kimberly and Riebeek West, so please get one of your gals to forward me a new one !





@GreGorGy , Boet! It was good whilst it lasted! I still have the wine!