I did not want to go to Kolmanskop...

because every photograph I have ever seen of this place looks the same to me. But oh my goodness. When you get there you start snapping away. I missed the two possible ghost town tours, because I did not want to loose the early morning light. Of course, my photographs look no different from any other...

Driven by the enormous wealth of the first diamond miners, the residents built the village in the architectural style of a German town, with amenities and institutions including a hospital, ballroom, power station, school, skittle-alley, theatre and sport-hall, casino, ice factory and the first x-ray-station in the southern hemisphere, as well as the first tram in Africa. It had electrical street lights before Germany had! It had a railway link to Lüderitz. Apparently, when it was built, working was hampered by all the people crawling around on their knees looking for diamonds! Every one had a house: architect, engineer, doctor, bookkeeper, teacher etc. All of them got bread, a block of ice and other necessities delivered to their house every day.

So here is just a whole lot of pictures that looks like every one elses: