Back in the African German town, we had a quick lunch of bratwurst and beer. You can literally find a more-than-decent bratwurst place on every street and German food is offered in most restaurants, regardless of size and price point. In fact, apart from local seafood and wild game dishes, traditional German fare dominated the menus – schnitzels, sauerkrauts, pork knuckles, boiled potatoes, German dumplings, apple strudels, Black Forest cakes, and other German sweets.
Good quality beer is also to be enjoyed here. Of course, the Germans couldn’t function in Africa without their fine beer, so they brought it with them and initiated a beer industry there during the colonization period. In 1920, the Namibia Breweries was established. They produced the Windhoek Beer and exported it to over 20 countries around the world.
It is said that Namibian beer is still brewed under strict adherence to the German Purity Law, a mandate dating back to 1516 that limits ingredients to only water, barley, and hops in the brewing process. No wonder, Namibians have adopted this love for beer and most of them would tell you that the absence of hangover on their part is credited to the quality of their beers.
I am not much of a beer drinker, but I tried Windhoek Beer, which my husband really liked, and I agreed with him. We also tried a few other local brands over the course of our travel there – Hansa, Namib Dunes, Camelthorn, Oshikundu, and Tafel and they did not disappoint.
We were blessed with a sunny but breezy afternoon, so we stayed outdoors. We walked to the open Crafts Market on the A. Schad Promenade, where under the shade of the palm trees, artisans and souvenir sellers gathered to ply their wares. There were wooden masks, animal carvings, kitchen items, traditional jewelry, and many more. We were only planning to browse, and though there were a lot of interesting objects to see, some hawkers were quite persistent, following us around and prodding us to purchase items for a special price. We politely declined and slowly made our way to the nearby arcade.
Brahaus Arcade is an attractive little shopping haven. It is a conglomeration of small buildings decorated in the typical Bavarian style that house specialty shops. This is a shopping mecca composed of clothing and jewelry stores, art galleries, craft stores, wool shops, leather good stores, embroidery shops, tobacco stores, health and wellness boutiques, antiques and collectibles, and others.
If you want to bring home a Namibian souvenir, I would say Karakul wool would be a good one. Namibia is famous for its Karakul industry, producing high-quality pelts. Karakul sheep are said to be one of the oldest breeds of domesticated sheep and are known for their hardiness and ability to survive in harsh conditions. Originally from Central Asia (the name comes from the village of Karakul in West Turkmenistan), they were imported by the Germans in the early 1900s and this started a vibrant farming and weaving industry. In fact, the Karakul sheep was deemed as Namibia's "black diamond" and were bred for their pelts, meat, and milk. The pelts are distinguished by their black fleece, lustrous curls, and unique pattern, thus, are much sought-after for carpets and wall-hangings, as well as other wool products like coats, hats, and saddle blankets.
At the Brahaus Arcade, we found several shops selling Karakul wool, and some even had onsite spinners and weavers. However, I learned that the pelts come from young lambs, with some slaughtered within 24 hours of birth. This is because when the lambs grow older, their fleece lose their coal black tinge, curls, and pattern. I also learned that intensive breeding resulted in sheep with shorter fleece, better texture, and exceptional patterns, so much so that Namibia changed the name from Karakul to Swakara, to differentiate this African breed from the original Asian ones. During the 1980s, the international market for Karakul pelts collapsed due to global anti-animal cruelty campaigns, among other things. I can totally understand why. That to say, we did not buy Karakul wool. I was told, however, that industry practices have been updated to adhere to strict standards.
There are also restaurants and cafés, salons, and even a small movie theatre within the arcade. The most popular bistro-bar there is The Brahaus that serve their beers in large boot-shaped glasses. We went in for a drink, of course. With flags and memorabilia from all over the world displayed in its central square, it exuded a very festive atmosphere.
After about an hour of browsing, we heard some music playing. A group of youngsters had set-up their drums and marimbas in one corner of the square and played a set of African tunes. We stayed for a bit to enjoy their performance and left them a tip.
Next, we checked out the Woermann Brock Mall, which houses a supermarket, an internet café, and several souvenir shops. My husband and I bought shirts, stuffed African animals, magnets, and other small souvenirs to bring home to family and friends.
There was so much to see and explore around this neighbourhood with so many unique items. There were shirts that are hand-painted (as you watch) with African animals in bold, primary colours; ostrich eggshell beads; Owambu ekipa buttons; Himba metal beads; embroidered textiles from various ethnic groups in the region; woolen carpets and wall hangings made from the indigenous karakul wool; hand-painted postcards, ostrich wallets; kudu purses; zebra skin belts; springbok handbags; and even funky collectible items and kitsch décor with funny African jokes and sayings.
With our heads swirling with commercial goods, we decided to stop window-shopping and focus instead on admiring the German colonial buildings. Built in the early 20th-century German style, many of them are still standing today, thanks to the quality of the craftsmanship and attention to detail by their builders, and most have been restored and repainted in their original bright colours.
We noticed that a lot of buildings have the dates of construction inscribed on their façades and some shops even have signs that use the Germanic serif Fraktur font. Some streets have also kept their original German names. The well-preserved building features, such as domes, towers, and turrets, contribute to the out-of-place ambiance of the town and highlight the legacy of German colonization.
Among the notable buildings we saw are the half-timbered Woermmannhaus with its 25-meter high tower and arcaded inner yard (once the headquarters of a German trading company and now used as a library); the old Railway Station and Casino that now hosts the Swakopmund Hotel, exhibition centre and modern casino; the Altes Gefängnis, the prettiest prison in the world and is still used as such in the present time; the Haus Hohenzollern, once an Art Noveau luxurious hotel but is now an apartment building; the Lutheran Church that looks like it has been transplanted from Germany; and The Barracks, once a housing for troops, but is now a hostel.
I never expected to see structures like this in Africa. Swakopmund is indeed an intriguing German personality in the heart of an African desert.
Photo Credits:
booknamibia.com, creativenamibia.com, smartarchitect.co, Karakulia Weavers Facebook page
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