We made our way from the Craft Centre on Tal Street, just off Independence Avenue. You’ll find a handful of vintage stores there – Uncle Spike’s Book Exchange being the one I lose myself in. We’ve become such regulars that I can pop in anytime and shop (on my mom’s store credit.) Just down the road is The Red Shelf which I was forbidden to enter – the PTSD of a previous prolonged shopping experience by myself still prevalent.
Strolling through the Craft Centre is a must, but sometimes a little too touristy for my liking. So instead, we took the alternative route – a vestibule with a maze of stairs and murals by local artists adorning the walls. It’s an unparalleled challenge not to call it a day right there, in the centre of Windhoek’s liveliest nightlife courtyards. But the hunt for bargains and a good picture for “the gram” continues.
We shrugged off the persistent hawkers and continued our stroll past the odd mix of shop fronts – a barber, a cell shop, a takeaway and a pharmacy. Along these sidewalks, you’ll find entrepreneurs selling fruit and veg as well as airtime. Essentials, you know.
Browsing through the stalls I start imagining decorative uses for African masks and baskets. The ladies selling these goods are forever reaffirming my creative vision, despite my boyfriend’s claims that I do not need an artistically carved fish on my console. Albeit tempting, I leave said fish in the parking lot and with my heart heavy, we head to Holtz to try on hats.
This is by far one of my favourite shops in Windhoek. Located in the Carl List Mall, Holtz is filled to the brim and bursting at the seams with safari gear. Everything from belts and felt hats to vellies and two-tone shirts. It’s a must-stop shop before any adventure commences and I often find myself contemplating purchases I don’t need. I’m beginning to see a pattern here…