Windhoek is the flourishing capital of Namibia and it is from here that we begin a journey through this country and experience some of the magic of the Dark Continent on a luxurious train – the Desert Express! Dating back to colonial times, the Christ Church is a reminder of the end of hostilities between the Germans and the indigenous population during the period when it was known as ‘German West Africa’, and indeed German influence in this part of the world is still very much evident today. A short journey leads into the isolated loneliness of the prairie and to lions feeding at the Okapuka Ranch, in which an Austrian keeps lions in their natural environment. A popular holiday resort on the mouth of the River Swakop and the final destination of the rail journey, Swakopmund, through whose harbor everything that was used in German West Africa was transported, resulting in a regular trading route between Swakopmund and Hamburg for more than ten years – a hint of Germany on the edge of the desert! In Swakopmund, there are architectural treasures that were rented out in the days of the Kaiser, also known as emperors, and are reminiscent of various houses in Berlin. This is a part of Germany that no longer exists in Germany itself. Moon Valley is bizarre and extra-terrestrial and for millions of years, it has withstood the erosive power of the Swakop. With its deep-cut valleys and no vegetation in sight, the endless rocky landscape seems unfriendly, life threatening and …
