Impressions of Namibia

This week's column is by Deputy Editor Claudine Weber-Hof.

The travel story in the July issue of Spotlight is about a dream destination: Namibia. This vast country in south-west Africa was a German colony for 30 years, from about 1890 to the beginning of the First World War. Some vestiges of German culture can still be found there, especially in the west and south. But the young nation had long since oriented itself to its second colonial master, South Africa, which controlled Namibia from about 1915 until independence in 1990. That is one reason that the country's official language is English.

I met several Namibians during my ten-day visit with my photographer (and husband), David John Weber. None of the people I met spoke German, although many said they would like to learn the language. They all spoke English, however, and at least two or three Namibian languages. Even more impressive to me was their desire to find work. The country has more than 50 per cent unemployment, so finding and keeping a job in Namibia is not as easy as one might think.

The most motivated and accomplished people I met were the guides at the camps we visited, all of which were run by Wilderness Safaris. This ecotourism organization does conservation work with the people, animals and landscapes of Southern Africa.

David was grateful for the many opportunities he had, thanks to our experienced guides, to take a wide variety of photos from the land and from the air. On pages 28 to 33 of the July issue of Spotlight magazine, you can see the best of these shots.

To see 12 more spectacular photos, go to our online gallery called "Wonders of Namibia".