South Africa, part 1 - Johannesburg and area
I arrived in Johannesburg on the evening of Saturday, March 31st and Lynn and Cyril met me at the airport. I met them on my first Mediterranean cruise in December and when they heard I was coming to South Africa on my travels they invited me to visit them. We went out for dinner and then on to their place where I have very luxurious accommodation on the ground floor with my own private bedroom overlooking the pool and my own bathroom. It’s really quite lovely.
The first few days in Joburg, as the locals call it, were quite relaxing for me. Lynn and Cyril are Jewish and Passover was starting on Monday. They were having 27 people over for Passover dinner on the Monday night and were going to another Passover dinner on the Tuesday night. Preparations were well under way for the Monday dinner - just the last minute details to take care of - but it's still amazing to me that anyone can prepare a fantastic meal for 27 people.
The dinner was excellent and I enjoyed all the customs and readings that go with the occassion. I didn't join them for the second dinner (Tuesday night) and it was probably just as well since it was totally in Hebrew. I had not realized before that Passover is not just one night but in fact lasts for over a week. I enjoyed the matza or unleavened bread and all the other foods served throughout the week.
Monday was actually a hectic albeit relaxing day for me. I started off at the doctor's office having my feet examined and then went for x-rays. Then I went back to the doctor's office and eventually to the hospital to get some ankle supports from one of the clinics. All this took hours but it was pretty easy work and I got a lot of reading done. Then at the end of the day I got my hair done, which was a real treat. Because we were running late and Lynn's Passover dinner was approaching, the hairdresser even drove me home. How's that for service?!?!
At some point in these first few days Lynn took me for a drive to see the highlights of Joburg. Ah, it was Sunday because there was no traffic. Joburg is a very green city with lots of trees everywhere. It is sprawled along the countryside for miles and I'm not sure I ever did see all of it. Joburg is a unique city in that it has no major river or lake or ocean anywhere near it. Someone discovered gold here and the city just grew up around the discovery. The downtown buildings look very new and there are lots of modern highrises. There are also the typical smaller and older buildings int eh industrial areas or older parts of the city. There are rolling hills throughout the area and of course the rich had and have their homes on the highest points. Some of the mansions of the original mine owners are still standing and they are still magnificent.
There are many rich neighbourhoods in Joburg with nice homes with large yards all surrounded by fences and security gates and guards. Even the middle class homes have fences and security systems. Crime is very high and everyone seems aware of it and concerned about it. I was continually getting cautions and tips from everyone I met.
There are also poor sections of the city, mainly homes of the blacks and those of mixed colour. The government is opening new places that are more modern but there are still thousands of old wood and tin shacks in the districts and townships nearby. It will be a long time before all of these people are provided for and more shanty towns are appearing - mainly for the Zimbabweans escaping the conflicts in their country. These towns literally just appear over night and there is not much that can be done by the landowner once thousands of people have moved in.
The homes in these areas are very small and very close together and generally with no trees around. Apparently some of the tribes believe trees bring bad spirits to a house so they don't want their homes close to trees. Others aer afraid of spiders and don't want trees nearby for that reason. It seems like it would be intolerable to live in these conditions or similar situations but I heard several stories of blacks who move to better areas of the city and are not as happy as back in the townships. And when you hear their concerns you have to wonder which way is better. First, they don't know their neighbours or don't mix with them as much. Everyone is fenced off and separated so there's no real sense of community. And second, their children miss all their friends and running int he streets freely playing games and knowing everyone around the area. Now they have to join leagues and travel to play their games in structured settings at set times. By being successful and moving into the city they become isolated, which is very much against their nature and background. It makes you wonder about our current society.
Lynn also took me for a quick look around the University of Witwatersrand and the University of Johannesburg, both of which were very nice and seemed quite large. We also went to the private school where she used to teach and they have a College of Business there as well. It looked very impressive.
On the drives I saw several o the old mine dumps - piles of earth discarded during the mining process. These are now being re-mined for gold. There is not much gold found but apparently it's enough to cover the cost of processing and moving the earth. All of the mine dumps are to be gone by 2010 when South Africa hosts the World Cup of Soccer. Actually a lot of things are to be done before then so I expect the landscape across the country to be quite different in a few years.
Okay, so what else did I do while in Joburg? We went to Kerry's, one of Lynn's daughters, one day for lunch. Both girls were over to Lynn's one other day for lunch. We did some shopping. I did some work at the computer. We went to see a musical, "The Last Five Years". It was okay but nothing great. There were only two characters and the show was about their relationship over the last five years. Both of them seemed to be screaming most of the time and it did get rather hard on the ears after while.
On Thursday Lynn and I went to the Lion Park and Maropeng and, since we had some extra time at the end of the day, to Krugersdorf Game Reserve.
The Lion Park was much more interesting than I had expected. After seeing lions in the wild I wasn't too keen on seeing them caged in. However, the park was very large and aside from a few of the animals near the entrance that were indeed in fenced areas, it really didn't feel like an enclosed area at all. You could drive your own car through the park or take a guided safari in their vehicle. We drove ourselves. There is an open area with animals like zebra, antelope, ostrich and giraffe. The lions are in four different fenced off camps and there are several roads through each camp. You are virtually guaranteed to see lions and to see them up close and personal. We had several right around the car at different times. Some camps were quite active with the lions walking around. In other camps they were all resting. In one camp about 8 lions were sitting and staring through the fence at the lions on the other side who seemed to be ignoring them. The white lions were beautiful and the one male was huge and had the most incredibly full mane of blond hair. It was fascinating to watch him move and see all the beautiful blond hair bouncing in the sunshine. He was the highlight in my opinion although seeing so many lions all at once was pretty impressive on its own.
At the entrance area you could feed the giraffes and ostriches although the latter were more than a bit grabby and scary at times. You could also pet some of the cubs. I think we both petted the cheetah cubs but I'll have to check my pictures because they might have been lion cubs since we were at The Lion Park. I just can't remember now - three weeks later on May 1st. There was also a cheetah they were training and it was interesting to watch the trainer work with the larger animal.
Maropeng is the new interpretive centre for the Cradle of Humankind. This was a great followup from the Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania. The area around here is known for its archaeological discoveries. The displays showed some of the major discoveries and many of the exhibits were interactive so Lynn and I had a great time. The facility is really well done and very enjoyable. You can easily spend hours there.
I have very few notes from Maropeng. Little Foot was a discovery from 3.3 million years ago. Lucy was from 3 million years ago. Some of the discoveries I saw in Tanzania were saying from Kenya - perhaps another border change.
The showed the evolution from walking on all fours to walking on two feet to using tools, and had examples of skeletons of each stage including skulls and jaws to show how the face and teeth changed as the environment changed. And that last part was fascinating. They had a display of how the earth was one big continent and then how the pieces drifted apart. One of the last movements was when India broke away from Africa and quite literally slammed into its current position creating the Himalayas. Prior to this time Africa was green and fertile and had lots of rain and the animals lived in and from the trees and vegetation in the area. The Himalayas are so high that they changed the weather pattern and Africa became a dry continent and the lush forest disappeared. Man, or at least his ancestors. had to become bipedal and walk places now and the whole way of life in Africa was changed. Now I may have learned that at some point in school but I sure don't remember it. It's amazing what one can learn when travelling. And did you know that in hemoglobin chain gorillas are only 1 amino acid different from humans. Pigs are 19 different just case you were wondering. There was a lot more but I'll end by saying that Maropeng was fascinating and certainly deserves a visit if you're eve int eh area.
Our last stop of the day was the Krugersdorf Game Reserve. We didn't have time to cover the whole park but we did have a couple of hours to drive around and enjoy the scenery and the animals. We went first to the lion area and were again treated to the sight of lots of lions. We didn't think we were going to see any as we were almost through the enclosed area and in places it was quite thick with low grass and brush. However, just as we approached the exit gate they were all there, probably a dozen of them. I got lots of pictures and we enjoyed watching them for a while. I don't think the guard was any too anxious to open the gate and let us out with so many lions int he vicinity; however, there were no problems.
The highlight for me in this park was the rhino. We were just driving up the road an climbing a small hill. We both commented on the strange rock or hill formation at the side at the top. Well, as we got closer it moved and we realized it was a rhino and it was huge. It was so close and so big that I couldn't get it all in one picture. It was higher than the car and seemed just about as big although I'm sure it wasn't quite that long. We later saw a few more in the distance but this one was certainly the most impressive. he was huge!
By the time we left the park we had seen zebra and antelope and a few other animals. it was great to see them but it also seemed strange at times to see the city so close by. It was just hard to pretend you were in the wild when the Joburg skyline was in plain view on the horizon.
Saturday, 07 April 2007
Kiara Resort in the Maluti Mountains
Yesterday we left Johannesburg around 11 a.m. and drove towards Golden Gate National Park. It was quite a long drive but very enjoyable because the scenery was incredible. We arrived at the Kiara Resort just outside Golden Gate National Park in mid afternoon, had a snack and then just relaxed for a few hours in the afternoon before a late dinner. We have two separate chalets but theirs is slightly bigger. Both units are very nice and large and comfortable. It’s spring break and Easter weekend so the resort seems quite full, but it’s also very quiet and relaxing.
This morning I woke up early and went for a walk around the resort. It was cool and fresh but the sun was shining brightly and it was a very peaceful time for a walk. The Kiara Resort has many chalets and most of them duplexes. I walked up to the highest one and over to the farthest one. I passed the swimming pool, the giant chess set with 3’ high pieces, the mini-golf course, the trampolines, the kiddies park, the rope works area (they do a lot of corporate training and team building exercises here), the stream, the restaurant, the bar and the curio shop. It’s quite a large complex and it was very quiet this morning and very beautiful. And they have a spa here so I ended my walk by booking a massage. I then went home, had some breakfast and went and relaxed during an hour-long massage. It was great and it only cost 240 rand or about $40 Canadian, which is a real bargain. I may have to go back again before we leave.
We drove into Clarens in the morning so we could go to the Tourist Info office and get some maps and brochures. We were hoping to go to Lesotho but that is out of the picture because you need passports and car registrations to get in. We all remembered our passports but Cyril doesn’t have the car registration with him. Oh well, what we wanted to see there is over 3 hours away so it would have been a very long drive anyway.
Clarens was a very busy town and there were cars everywhere and few places to park. The square was filled with an arts and crafts exhibit that seemed to be very popular judging by the number of people around. There are lots of art galleries and restaurants and other touristy places all around the square so we decided we’d have to go back later for another visit.
We then headed to Golden Gate National Park, which is just two kilometres from our resort. We had just gone through the gates when we decided we should have brought a picnic lunch with us so we turned around and went back to pack a lunch. By the time we got back Cyril, who is diabetic, wasn’t feeling very well and his blood sugar was down so he decided to just eat and rest. Lynn and I continued the park tour after lunch and enjoyed some incredibly beautiful scenery and short walks to lookouts.
The Maluti Mountains and Golden Gate National Park are absolutely beautiful. Around every corner you get a different view and it seems even more awesome than the last. They are not high mountains and there is no snow on them, at least not at this time of year, but they have incredible shapes and formations. The rock runs from white to black and has reds and greys and other colours as well. The shades of green are beautiful in the grass and some of the trees while other trees have turned to yellow or brown and are starting to lose their leaves. There are no brilliant reds or other such fall colours that we see in parts of Canada, but the colours are fantastic anyway. But more than the colours, it’s the rolling hills and craggy rock faces and strange formations that make the area so striking. It’s absolutely beautiful and definitely a great place to spend a long weekend.
After returning to the resort we had a couple hours to relax before dinner so I did some blog typing. I don’t have internet but Cyril loaned me his laptop for the weekend so at least I can get some typing done, which is really great! Lynn brought enough food to feed an army for a week so we are definitely eating well while we’re here. Of course all the cooking is being done at their place so she does all the work and I just suddenly appear when the meals are ready. It’s an incredible arrangement and I’m not sure how I’m ever going to repay them for their hospitality.
Sunday, 08 April 2007
Today we decided to go to Golden Gate National Park and go for a hike. I of course was going to do an easy walk and Lynn and Cyril were going to do a more challenging one, and then we would meet again at the car. I told the girl at reception where we paid our 15 rand hiking fee ($2.50 Canadian) that I had foot injuries and needed a walk that had a level pathway and stayed mainly in a flat area, while my friends did a more challenging walk. She said Mushroom Rock was the one for me and maybe even Echo Ravine as they were in the same direction and both easy. For Lynn and Cyril she recommended Brandwag Buttress trail.
We started out together crossing the stream and climbing up to the first directional sign where we quickly parted ways. I was already starting to wonder about this flat level walk as the climb to this point had been quite steep. I ruled out Echo Ravine which went in one direction and just headed for Mushroom Rock. It was a 45 minute walk and we had already walked for a while and yet it took me over 90 minutes to get back down to the road. Just as I was approaching it Lynn called to say that they were at the car so I told them to come and pick me up because my trail ended at the road and then I had to walk back down the road to the meeting place and although the walk would be level and flat, it was still quite a ways and would take me some time to get back. So they drove up and met me and I thus did not complete the whole trail even though it took me more than twice as much time as suggested!
Mushroom Rock is this incredible outcropping of rock that curves in at the sides and then has a cap that overhangs the side and thus it really does look like a mushroom. It was a beautiful walk and the views were spectacular but I have to say that the trail was anything but level and terrain anything but flat. In places it seemed like I was climbing straight up and a couple times I was literally on all fours trying to get over the rocks. In some places it was solid rock and in other places it was dirt and in other places it was loose stone, which really was not easy for me to navigate. I had to go very slowly and stare at the ground continually. Then I had to stop frequently and look around at the scenery and take pictures. There were many other hikers who passed by me on the route but they were all very friendly and encouraging. One group of two couples even offered me some authentic South African food from their picnic.
The path climbed up right to the base of the mushroom where the solid rock started and the dirt/rock/grass ended. At times you were beneath the overhang and at times you were beyond it. At times you could see for miles in all directions and at other times it was almost as if you were in a cave and you could only see in the one direction. The hills and mountains in this area are beautiful, as I’ve already said, so this hike just presented an opportunity to see the one rock formation up close and to see the many other sights from different vantage points. It was great and I’m glad I did it but it sure was way more challenging than I was expecting. Obviously South Africa’s definition of a flat, level, easy trail is not quite the same as Canada’s, or at least not the same as mine.
Now just so I didn’t feel too bad about my tough trail and not finishing it, Lynn and Cyril had to admit that they didn’t finish theirs either. Lynn went farther than Cyril but she didn’t make it to the top of the Brandwag Buttress. She quit at the point where there was a really steep section and a long, low chain ladder to help you up to the top. She figured she could make it up but she just wasn’t too sure about making it down, especially on her own. As it was, she said she had to do some of the other sections of the trail while sitting down. Cyril stopped a bit further back and it still took them over the 1 hour allotted to do the portion that they completed. After listening to their stories and looking at where they went, it was certainly obvious that my trail was definitely easier, and perhaps it was the easiest in this section and that’s why the girl at reception suggested it.
Following our hikes we came back to the resort for some lunch and then we went back to the park for a drive and to see the Basotho Cultural Village, which is just on the other end of the park. The Basotho tribe comes from the former country of Basotholand that later became Lesotho, a small country now totally surrounded by South Africa.
The village was very interesting in that it took us through their homes as they have been built since the 16th century. It was interesting to see how the design, materials and decorations changed over the period. Must of them, except for the most current ones, had thatched roofs. The most recent ones had tin roofs and our guide assured us the tin roof was very hot in summer and very noisy in the rain. Originally the sleeping areas just had skins on the floors but now they have beds. There were no windows or decorations in the first ones and dishes were very plain but now they have windows and they decorate their walls and their pottery. The outsides of the houses were very plain with just thatching or mud walls originally but now the outside walls are decorated with bright colours and patterns. There were many other changes too as the years rolled past including the fact that they now have electricity.
We met the chief sitting outside his house and joined him for a sip of beer. I say sip because none of us were really too thirsty at that point, if you know what I mean. The beer only has a 1% alcohol content so it’s not too potent; however, it was definitely thick and didn’t look very thirst quenching. We later saw the towel-like sieve they used to strain the beer and after seeing that I thought the beer should have been thinner, but it wasn’t.
Right after that we watched two of the men play a game that seemed quite simple at first but got more complicated as you went. They had a wooden board with 25 hollows in it (5 rows of 5) and they each had 12 black or white stones. The object was to get three stones in a row on the straight lines (diagonals didn’t count). If you got three in a row, you got to remove one of your partner’s stones and you won the game when your partner only had two stones left and thus could never get three in a row. It was a very simple game and yet very complicated at the same time, and certainly something anyone could play anywhere but I had never seen it before.
The chief had three wives and we saw the first wife’s home. It was actually a compound with three huts – one for sleeping, one for cooking and one for something that we didn’t really hear about or that I just forgot about. Perhaps the kids slept there. All of the compounds had outdoor cooking areas and that was used most of the time because the early huts did not have an escape vent for the smoke. One of the compounds had an outdoor fireplace that was really four fire pits all around a circle and separated by low walls. This design was important as you needed to pick the right fire pit to cook in depending on which way the wind was blowing.
We also saw them grinding corn into a fine powder. It definitely smelled like corn, well popcorn specifically, but to me it almost tasted more like chocolate. We also got to taste some of the corn and it was quite salty and very chewy – much like other corn I’ve eaten in Africa - definitely not like our sweet corn. We could have had a full meal there of their traditional food but none of us were feeling that adventurous.
I had my picture taken with the witch doctor and he illustrated the process for reading bones and shells and other things. However, I didn’t pay to have a formal reading done. And as we left there were two musicians playing traditional instruments; one very much like an accordion and the other a drum made with hide stretched over a 5-gallon drum. The music sounded very nice.
We watched a short video on the people and their community and there were also arts and crafts produced by the Basotho on sale in the shop. Their village is built on the side of a hill and they have a wonderfully majestic rock behind them and an incredible view of the valley and mountains in front of them. It was quite the location. And their huts and hats are styled after the mountains, many of which have a small rock on their peak or have an overhang and then sheer walls beneath.
After returning to the resort we had some time to relax and then had another great meal. That evening we had a heavy down pour and a very loud thunderstorm in the area. I hadn’t heard thunder quite like that in a long time but I never did see any lightning.
Okay, I'm now finishing this on April 30th, several weeks later, so details will definitely be sketchier now. On Monday we had a relaxing morning and then went to Clarens in the afternoon. We wandered around the shops and galleries and then enjoyed a hot chocolate overlooking the valley. Clarens is definitely a very relaxing town. The rest of the day I think we did even more relaxing because I can't remember much else. I do know that it was certainly an enjoyable long weekend and on Tuesday morning we left early for our drive back to Johannesburg.
On Tuesday afternoon we dropped Cyril off at work and Lynn and I went to Constitution Hill. This is the home of the new Constitutional Court, which is a very nice building but much smaller than I anticipated. It is here that all constitutional matters are heard so the court is considered the protector of basic rights and freedoms. It is really interesting that they chose this sight for the court as the hill has been known for other things in the past. As they say, "what was once a place of injustice and brutality has become a place of solidarity and democracy for South Africa.
The complex includes the Old Fort with its enclosed prison facility that was used for white male prisoners (with the exception of Nelson Mandela who had a separate room here in the hospital section), a large women's jail beside it and the notorious Number Four prison - the place where black prisoners and prisoners of colour were kept during Apartheid. Robert Sobukwe spent some time here as did Mahatma Gandhi who was in South Africa during the apartheid years.
We took a tour of the facility and looked at the exhibits, which were very honest and descriptive. Most came from ex-prisoners who were brought back to contribute to the history of the place. Needless to say, their memories "have created unshakable impressions for us all to share." The one exhibit in Number Four had pictures of prisoners all around the wall and their stories beneath. You were asked to find the real criminal and there was indeed on pick-pocket in the group. All the others were simply black caught without their passes or thought to be involved in actions against the Apartheid government or just members of certain political groups. It was quite a telling story.
Other parts of the Number Four exhibit showed their living quarters with way too many people crammed in and no proper toilet facilities, their food rations which were different according to skin colour. We saw the solitary confinement cells, some of the torture and punishment methods, some of the crafts and art works they made of their bedding, their eating area and their toilet areas which were side by side and both very open so not very pleasant. It's hard to describe the conditions. Even as I remember them now I find it hard to believe that I have the stories right because they are so horrible. Perhaps they are best not put in print.
The women's Jail is undergoing renovations so we could not go in it. It was built in 1910 and looks much nice than the other two prison blocks as it is done in a white brick Victorian style. Both blacks and whites were kept in the women's prison but they were kept in separate sections. They have stairs on the outside that run between the new Constitution Court and the old Number Four and it is quite a contrast to have the reminder of the brutality of the old Apartheid regime on one side and the new court on the other representing freedom, equality and dignity for all.
They have a children's education centre where the values of the new constitution are created in fun ways under the theme of "my right to be". It looked well used so perhaps the saying that children are the hope for the future will indeed be true in South Africa.
I did two formal tours in Joburg, one on my own and one with Lynn. The first was to Soweto, the Apartheid Museum and gold Reef City. The second was to Pilanesberg Game Reserve and sun city. The were both great.
Pilanesberg is several hours away from Joburg and feels very much in the wild. It is an almost circular crater 20-25 km across from an ancient volcano and it is 1120 to 1687 metres above sea level. There are looping roads all through it and mountains, rivers, rocky areas, bush and grasslands cover the area. In total it includes 50,000 hectares or 500 square kilometres.
We drove around the park for several hours and the scenery was beautiful. Part of the park had been burned a few weeks earlier but strangely enough that's where we saw many of the graxing animals. I guess the new growth was really sweet and tasty as they seemed to be enjoying it. We saw white rhino, impala, water buck, giraffe, zebra, tsessebe, blue wildebeest, kudu, baboons, elephants, sable antelope and a leopard as well as many different birds (ibis, yellow billed stork, fish eagle, glossy starling, malibou stork, Egyption geese, etc.). We even saw a dung beetle on the road pushing a ball of dung which was probably ten times his size. It was pretty funny to watch.
The sable antelopes were apparently a rare find and we watched them for a long time - several adults and two younger ones. They were very beautiful but almost always half hidden in the bush.
The leopard was just resting on a rock and I swear we made eye contact as we drove by. She was just right there and we were just talking about seeing a leopard. By the time I said, "stop, there it is", it was almost too late. At least our tour guide saw her walking away so I knew I wasn't dreaming. We sat there for a while but she didn't return. We did hear strange soft cries for a while and the guide said that was the cubs and she was likely moving them to a different spot. It was thrilling to see her even if it was just a quick sighting.
We didn't see any lions, cheetahs or buffalos so can't say we saw the Big 5. However, it was a great safari anyway. I should also note that less than a week after we were there a man was eaten by lions in the park. The signs all vey clearly say do not get out of your vehicle so I'm not sure what he was doing. I think I read later that he was the owner or warden or someone related. Perhaps he thought he was safe because of his position. Who knows?!
Sun City is pure tourist hype but it's very impressive. It is a series of four 5 star hotels and casinos and entertainment complexes set out in the wilderness. While the surrounding area is dry and treeless, Sun City is a lush tropical forest with streams, waterfalls, ponds, beautiful vegetation. birds and animals. In fact, there are monkeys and baboons all around the complex so you really can't leave your windows open and your room unattended. They have a bird aviary which is small but nice and they also have the Lost City. The story is that the city was hidden by an earquake and landslide and now it has been found. As you cross the high bridge into the Lost City there are all kinds of sounds and smoke and at certain times of the day the bridge and surrounding area actually shake as if in an earthquake. It's quite hokey to say the least but they certainly put a lot of work into it. Once across the bridge you get a big wavepool and beach and water slides. They were pretty quiet when we were there but at times the place is packed. There are huge animal carvings in the rock facades and they are very realistic and well done. I guess you'd say Sun City is kind of like Las Vegas meets Walt Disney. It was interesting to see but we didn't waste too much time there.
The drive to and from this area was another enjoyable one with fantastic scenery.. There was flat dry land and then greener agricultural land. There were rolling hills and then mountains in the distance at most times. There were many dry riverbeds that I assume aren't dry all the time. We also went past the Hartbeespoortdam, which creates a large beautiful lake which is used for irrigating the nearby farms. There were also platinum mines along the way. We passed several trucks with flashing lights and I asked what they were. They are carrying the explosives to the mines so should be avoided if possible. There were sunflower fields along the side of the road but they looked like dwarfs as they were only about a foot high. Our guide said they were regular sunflowers but stunted because of the drought.
My other day tour was totally different. Gold Reef City, which is right in Joburg, is a theme park built around one of the old mines. although we took the train ride around the entire park we really didn't look at anything except the gold mining section. we toured the old houses from the time period - each one in immaculate condition and with a short video to explain the different rooms and unusual old objects. We then went down the mine shaft in one of the old crowded elevators and walked through some of the tunnels and paths. There were various displays along the way - people, mining methods, history, etc. - so we were down below for about an hour. We then came up to watch them pour the molten gold into a gold brick, and then got to see and touch a different, already-cooled solid gold brick. It was a good tour in total, started with an introductory video on the gold rush in the 1800s then the house tour, the mine tour and the gold pour. It certainly provided a good look at how Joburg started and how the gold rush affected the city and the country.
The other two aspects of this tour, Soweto and the Apartheid Museum, were very different in nature and very moving. We first did a driving tour through Soweto and I have to say that it wasn't at all what I was expecting. My image of Soweto is still back in the '80's or before. It's from the media and it's all poor, dirty slums with thousands trying to live together in terrible conditions. There are still places like this in Soweto and in other areas around South Africa but there are also nice areas in Soweto. Soweto, the South West Township, has a population of 3.5 million and all are black. It is the place where blacks were forced to live by the British many years earlier. During the apartheid years no whites or Europeans were allowed in the area as the government didn't want the races mixing.
Today there are nice houses on nice streets and parks and churches and stores. A big shopping mall is being constructed and a large statium - the latter again for the 2010 World Cup of Soccer. It's a great idea and the world will certanly get a different image of Soweto in that setting. The Chris Hani Hospital is supposedly one of the largest and best hospital in South Africa. It covers 27 hectares, has 3,500 beds, handles 1,200 births per year and the administration fee is $10. The rest is free. It looks like a very nice hospital and the grounds are well groomed. The University of Joburg has a Soweto Campus nearby and it also looks very nice and very active.
In Soweto there were mine hostels for the miners who worked all week in the mines but went home on weekends. When these were no longer needed they were turned over to Soweto for housing. In some places new housing with electiricty, water and toilets is being provided at 50 Rand per month for 7 years. The buildings cannot be rented out or given to anyone else and utilities must be paid in advance. Neither the mine hostels or the new housing is anything we are used to in size and amenities but it is clean and has the basic facilities and is much better than what the people had before.
We saw Winnie Mandel's house. When Nelson Mandela was released from prison they went to live in their old house. It was too small and did not provide enough privacy so they went to a new house built for them by the Government. He and Winnie lived there for two years before they were divorced. She kept the house. Winnie has had two sentences against her in the last decade: 1) having her football team (body guards) kill Stompe, a young boy who worked for her and 2) fraud for personally spending the 5-6 million Swiss francs donated for charity. She has been allowed to serve all her sentences at home. The home is quite large, on a hill with a view, and well protected by security systems and walls.
That's one of the things that I found interesting in Soweto. There were some very nice homes and nice residential areas. There were also many less valuable but moderate housing areas, and they all seemed to be heavily fenced, gated and guarded by security. I guess the criminals in South Africa are definitely not racist as crime certainly seems to affect everyone. With such a high unemployement rate I guess that is to be expected.
Vilakazi Street was certainly interesting. Is there any street any where else in the world that can claim to be home to two Nobel Peace Prize winners? Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu both lived on this street and that is pretty amazing if you think about it.
Mandela's house is now a small museum. He lived here from 1946 to 1961 when he was arrested. His first wife left in 1958 and took the children, two I believe. apparently she couldn't stand all the politics. He later married Winnie who was the first black social worker in South Africa and very involved with politics. He is now married to Graca, the widow of Mozambique's former President. I also learned that Mandela was in prison with the father of the current South African Presidwent, Mbeki.
Mandela came to Joburg in '41 to work in the gold mine. He studied at U. Wits through correspondence and became a lawyer and practiced law with Tambo. There was a jackal skin bedspread given to Mandela by his tribe as he was to be their chief. However, he gave that up when he ran away from an arranged marriage. I had to wonder how things would have changed if he had stayed and become chief. Would he have stayed with the wife who had been arranged for him or would he still have had several wives? Would he have been as active politically? Imprisoned for 28 years? President? Nobel Peace Prize Wininer? I even wondered how long it took the tribe and his family to forgive him for not following the chosen path. Of course, under the circumstances, I assumed they did forgive him.
It was interesting to see Mandela's home and to learn more about his personal life and then see all the honours heaped upon him. Many of his honorary degrees were on display as were some of the medals and awards he has received. There were several Canadian ties in the display so that was nice to see. The Museum does not dwell on apartheid or imprisonment at all. It's more about the man, where he came from, who he was, and his awards and recognition. It's very well done.
Our next stop was the Hector Peterson Museum and it was very moving. On June 16, 1976, a group of young students left their school to deliver a letter to the Ministry of Education. The police tried to stop them and eventually threw tear gas and fired into the crowd. Hector Peterson was jsut 13 years old and he was the first one killed. The picture of the older boy carrying Hector down the street with Hector's sister running beside and crying was certainly one I remembered seeing years ago. Many consider this date the beginning of the end of apartheid as the protests and riots became more intense all across the country after this date.
The Museum had videos and quotes and pictures of the day and they were all very moving. The children were all lined up neatly and smiling and laughing and singing as they paraded down the steret. As one of them said, he'd never seen tear gas and didn't know what it could do , and he'd never heard gunshots before. Yes, the students were joined by others as they marched along and these others were not as orderly and harmless. However, it really makes you wonder who fired the first shot and why. After those first shots it turned very violent and the rioting lasted for months and years and spread to all areas of the country.
The police in that time were 60% black in the black districts but the national guard or whatever they were called were basically all white. And why were the students delivering a letter to the Minister of Education? The main reason was because the official language of instruction had just been changed to Afrikaans and most of them didn't even speak the language. Also, the money spent educating white students equalled 644 rand per student per year but for the black students it was only 42 rand so things were definitely not equal. The Museum and courtyard are very well done and you can't help but shed a tear or two as you look at all the pictures and hear all the stories.
Our next stop was Regina Mundi Church, the largest Catholic Church in Soweto with seating capacity for over 2,000 and standing capacity for over 5,000. The black children stayed here during the riots as it was a safe sanctuary. None the less, the police shot bullets into the windows and the bullet holes can still be seen in the ceiling and walls. The replaced window is a stained glass window of Mary and an angel. From the inside of the church the figures appear white but when viewed from the outside they appear black. It's a very interesting church and window.
The last stop of the day was the Apartheid Museum. As you might expect it was very moving too. The complex is huge and encompasses many different aspects. As you enter you are dwarfed by rows and rows of large passes hanging from the ceiling at different heights - replicas of the smaller ones all blacks were forced to carry during apartheid. The passes had a picture, name, number, tribe, etc. and you couldn't go anywhere without an appropriate pass. In the outer garden going into the main part of the museum there is a continuous wall but the height of it varies along the way. It's to signify that all South Africans are the same (on the same wall which represent the country) despite the fact that they may be of different heights, races, educations, jobs, politics, genders, etc.
The first video goes right back to the Cradle of Humankind and the bushmen painting on caves. Then the Bantu farmers appear and the whites bringing slaves. It goes over the Dutch and Britis history, the Zulu wars, the discovery of diamonds in Kimberley and gold in Joburg, and it covers a lot of wars. I just couldn't keep them straight so decided not to even try. In 1910, the ANC was formed to fight territorial segregation that gave 40% fo the land to the whites when over 90% of the people were black. In 1948 the apartheid government came into power and things got worse. The museum showed protests in the '50's by the whites against apartheid. In the '80's thousands were shown running and chanting in the streets in protest. They were blacks mainly but some whites as well. The videos, pictures and exhibits were all incredibly moving.
The Museum covers things from the first 2,500 years right up to the establishment of the apartheid system in 1948, to Mandela's release in 1990 and the 1994 democratic election. Obviously the emphasis is on the 20th century. There is so much material that it would take days to go through it all. It took me a while to realize that the first paragraph of each sign was all I really needed to read as it presented a summary of what followed. But it was all so interesting that it was hard not to read every bit of it. You would be stunned in some places by what you were reading, seeing or hearing, and then angry at the next. Then you'd move on to a personal story of triumph and be totally amazed at the power and endurance of the people. And then when you finally listened to things like FW de Klerk's speech from 1990 and Mandela's release and the release of so many others in 1990, you can't help but cry. It really is a moving sotry that has to be told and never forgotten. The fact that after 28 years of imprisonment Mandela became the President of South Africa is incredible. The fact that he was good and fair President and helped everyone to move on without retaliation and further bloodshed is truly amazing. I don't think many people could lose over a quarter of their life to prison and then come out so positive and speak of forgiveness for the actions of the past and move on to planning the future. It's truly an amazing story and I shall have to read more bout Mandela in the future. It will take a long time before equality is truly reached in South Africa but at least it's now at least a possibility.
In 1994, there were 5 milllion whites and 30 million blacks in the country. Today there are 4 million whites and 43 million blacks. Unemployment was 8 % and it's now 35 %. The Zimbabwean refugees do not help the situation. They are allowed to stay as there is nowhere to send them. The minimum wage in South Africa is 2000 Rand (about $350 Canadian) an the Zimbabweans will work for less than that because they have nothing. They are also the blind and crippled ones often out begging at the traffic lights. (The South Africans don't do this because if they are caught their pensions would be cut off.) The Zimbabweans live in the poorest of makeshift communities in tin or wood shacks, "long drops" for toilets, and wash tubs for bathing. Water often has to be carried from a distance and there is no electiricity. How does a government sturggling to deal with its own problems deal with a situation such as this?
... to be continued in part 2
I arrived in Johannesburg on the evening of Saturday, March 31st and Lynn and Cyril met me at the airport. I met them on my first Mediterranean cruise in December and when they heard I was coming to South Africa on my travels they invited me to visit them. We went out for dinner and then on to their place where I have very luxurious accommodation on the ground floor with my own private bedroom overlooking the pool and my own bathroom. It’s really quite lovely.
The first few days in Joburg, as the locals call it, were quite relaxing for me. Lynn and Cyril are Jewish and Passover was starting on Monday. They were having 27 people over for Passover dinner on the Monday night and were going to another Passover dinner on the Tuesday night. Preparations were well under way for the Monday dinner - just the last minute details to take care of - but it's still amazing to me that anyone can prepare a fantastic meal for 27 people.
The dinner was excellent and I enjoyed all the customs and readings that go with the occassion. I didn't join them for the second dinner (Tuesday night) and it was probably just as well since it was totally in Hebrew. I had not realized before that Passover is not just one night but in fact lasts for over a week. I enjoyed the matza or unleavened bread and all the other foods served throughout the week.
Monday was actually a hectic albeit relaxing day for me. I started off at the doctor's office having my feet examined and then went for x-rays. Then I went back to the doctor's office and eventually to the hospital to get some ankle supports from one of the clinics. All this took hours but it was pretty easy work and I got a lot of reading done. Then at the end of the day I got my hair done, which was a real treat. Because we were running late and Lynn's Passover dinner was approaching, the hairdresser even drove me home. How's that for service?!?!
At some point in these first few days Lynn took me for a drive to see the highlights of Joburg. Ah, it was Sunday because there was no traffic. Joburg is a very green city with lots of trees everywhere. It is sprawled along the countryside for miles and I'm not sure I ever did see all of it. Joburg is a unique city in that it has no major river or lake or ocean anywhere near it. Someone discovered gold here and the city just grew up around the discovery. The downtown buildings look very new and there are lots of modern highrises. There are also the typical smaller and older buildings int eh industrial areas or older parts of the city. There are rolling hills throughout the area and of course the rich had and have their homes on the highest points. Some of the mansions of the original mine owners are still standing and they are still magnificent.
There are many rich neighbourhoods in Joburg with nice homes with large yards all surrounded by fences and security gates and guards. Even the middle class homes have fences and security systems. Crime is very high and everyone seems aware of it and concerned about it. I was continually getting cautions and tips from everyone I met.
There are also poor sections of the city, mainly homes of the blacks and those of mixed colour. The government is opening new places that are more modern but there are still thousands of old wood and tin shacks in the districts and townships nearby. It will be a long time before all of these people are provided for and more shanty towns are appearing - mainly for the Zimbabweans escaping the conflicts in their country. These towns literally just appear over night and there is not much that can be done by the landowner once thousands of people have moved in.
The homes in these areas are very small and very close together and generally with no trees around. Apparently some of the tribes believe trees bring bad spirits to a house so they don't want their homes close to trees. Others aer afraid of spiders and don't want trees nearby for that reason. It seems like it would be intolerable to live in these conditions or similar situations but I heard several stories of blacks who move to better areas of the city and are not as happy as back in the townships. And when you hear their concerns you have to wonder which way is better. First, they don't know their neighbours or don't mix with them as much. Everyone is fenced off and separated so there's no real sense of community. And second, their children miss all their friends and running int he streets freely playing games and knowing everyone around the area. Now they have to join leagues and travel to play their games in structured settings at set times. By being successful and moving into the city they become isolated, which is very much against their nature and background. It makes you wonder about our current society.
Lynn also took me for a quick look around the University of Witwatersrand and the University of Johannesburg, both of which were very nice and seemed quite large. We also went to the private school where she used to teach and they have a College of Business there as well. It looked very impressive.
On the drives I saw several o the old mine dumps - piles of earth discarded during the mining process. These are now being re-mined for gold. There is not much gold found but apparently it's enough to cover the cost of processing and moving the earth. All of the mine dumps are to be gone by 2010 when South Africa hosts the World Cup of Soccer. Actually a lot of things are to be done before then so I expect the landscape across the country to be quite different in a few years.
Okay, so what else did I do while in Joburg? We went to Kerry's, one of Lynn's daughters, one day for lunch. Both girls were over to Lynn's one other day for lunch. We did some shopping. I did some work at the computer. We went to see a musical, "The Last Five Years". It was okay but nothing great. There were only two characters and the show was about their relationship over the last five years. Both of them seemed to be screaming most of the time and it did get rather hard on the ears after while.
On Thursday Lynn and I went to the Lion Park and Maropeng and, since we had some extra time at the end of the day, to Krugersdorf Game Reserve.
The Lion Park was much more interesting than I had expected. After seeing lions in the wild I wasn't too keen on seeing them caged in. However, the park was very large and aside from a few of the animals near the entrance that were indeed in fenced areas, it really didn't feel like an enclosed area at all. You could drive your own car through the park or take a guided safari in their vehicle. We drove ourselves. There is an open area with animals like zebra, antelope, ostrich and giraffe. The lions are in four different fenced off camps and there are several roads through each camp. You are virtually guaranteed to see lions and to see them up close and personal. We had several right around the car at different times. Some camps were quite active with the lions walking around. In other camps they were all resting. In one camp about 8 lions were sitting and staring through the fence at the lions on the other side who seemed to be ignoring them. The white lions were beautiful and the one male was huge and had the most incredibly full mane of blond hair. It was fascinating to watch him move and see all the beautiful blond hair bouncing in the sunshine. He was the highlight in my opinion although seeing so many lions all at once was pretty impressive on its own.
At the entrance area you could feed the giraffes and ostriches although the latter were more than a bit grabby and scary at times. You could also pet some of the cubs. I think we both petted the cheetah cubs but I'll have to check my pictures because they might have been lion cubs since we were at The Lion Park. I just can't remember now - three weeks later on May 1st. There was also a cheetah they were training and it was interesting to watch the trainer work with the larger animal.
Maropeng is the new interpretive centre for the Cradle of Humankind. This was a great followup from the Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania. The area around here is known for its archaeological discoveries. The displays showed some of the major discoveries and many of the exhibits were interactive so Lynn and I had a great time. The facility is really well done and very enjoyable. You can easily spend hours there.
I have very few notes from Maropeng. Little Foot was a discovery from 3.3 million years ago. Lucy was from 3 million years ago. Some of the discoveries I saw in Tanzania were saying from Kenya - perhaps another border change.
The showed the evolution from walking on all fours to walking on two feet to using tools, and had examples of skeletons of each stage including skulls and jaws to show how the face and teeth changed as the environment changed. And that last part was fascinating. They had a display of how the earth was one big continent and then how the pieces drifted apart. One of the last movements was when India broke away from Africa and quite literally slammed into its current position creating the Himalayas. Prior to this time Africa was green and fertile and had lots of rain and the animals lived in and from the trees and vegetation in the area. The Himalayas are so high that they changed the weather pattern and Africa became a dry continent and the lush forest disappeared. Man, or at least his ancestors. had to become bipedal and walk places now and the whole way of life in Africa was changed. Now I may have learned that at some point in school but I sure don't remember it. It's amazing what one can learn when travelling. And did you know that in hemoglobin chain gorillas are only 1 amino acid different from humans. Pigs are 19 different just case you were wondering. There was a lot more but I'll end by saying that Maropeng was fascinating and certainly deserves a visit if you're eve int eh area.
Our last stop of the day was the Krugersdorf Game Reserve. We didn't have time to cover the whole park but we did have a couple of hours to drive around and enjoy the scenery and the animals. We went first to the lion area and were again treated to the sight of lots of lions. We didn't think we were going to see any as we were almost through the enclosed area and in places it was quite thick with low grass and brush. However, just as we approached the exit gate they were all there, probably a dozen of them. I got lots of pictures and we enjoyed watching them for a while. I don't think the guard was any too anxious to open the gate and let us out with so many lions int he vicinity; however, there were no problems.
The highlight for me in this park was the rhino. We were just driving up the road an climbing a small hill. We both commented on the strange rock or hill formation at the side at the top. Well, as we got closer it moved and we realized it was a rhino and it was huge. It was so close and so big that I couldn't get it all in one picture. It was higher than the car and seemed just about as big although I'm sure it wasn't quite that long. We later saw a few more in the distance but this one was certainly the most impressive. he was huge!
By the time we left the park we had seen zebra and antelope and a few other animals. it was great to see them but it also seemed strange at times to see the city so close by. It was just hard to pretend you were in the wild when the Joburg skyline was in plain view on the horizon.
Saturday, 07 April 2007
Kiara Resort in the Maluti Mountains
Yesterday we left Johannesburg around 11 a.m. and drove towards Golden Gate National Park. It was quite a long drive but very enjoyable because the scenery was incredible. We arrived at the Kiara Resort just outside Golden Gate National Park in mid afternoon, had a snack and then just relaxed for a few hours in the afternoon before a late dinner. We have two separate chalets but theirs is slightly bigger. Both units are very nice and large and comfortable. It’s spring break and Easter weekend so the resort seems quite full, but it’s also very quiet and relaxing.
This morning I woke up early and went for a walk around the resort. It was cool and fresh but the sun was shining brightly and it was a very peaceful time for a walk. The Kiara Resort has many chalets and most of them duplexes. I walked up to the highest one and over to the farthest one. I passed the swimming pool, the giant chess set with 3’ high pieces, the mini-golf course, the trampolines, the kiddies park, the rope works area (they do a lot of corporate training and team building exercises here), the stream, the restaurant, the bar and the curio shop. It’s quite a large complex and it was very quiet this morning and very beautiful. And they have a spa here so I ended my walk by booking a massage. I then went home, had some breakfast and went and relaxed during an hour-long massage. It was great and it only cost 240 rand or about $40 Canadian, which is a real bargain. I may have to go back again before we leave.
We drove into Clarens in the morning so we could go to the Tourist Info office and get some maps and brochures. We were hoping to go to Lesotho but that is out of the picture because you need passports and car registrations to get in. We all remembered our passports but Cyril doesn’t have the car registration with him. Oh well, what we wanted to see there is over 3 hours away so it would have been a very long drive anyway.
Clarens was a very busy town and there were cars everywhere and few places to park. The square was filled with an arts and crafts exhibit that seemed to be very popular judging by the number of people around. There are lots of art galleries and restaurants and other touristy places all around the square so we decided we’d have to go back later for another visit.
We then headed to Golden Gate National Park, which is just two kilometres from our resort. We had just gone through the gates when we decided we should have brought a picnic lunch with us so we turned around and went back to pack a lunch. By the time we got back Cyril, who is diabetic, wasn’t feeling very well and his blood sugar was down so he decided to just eat and rest. Lynn and I continued the park tour after lunch and enjoyed some incredibly beautiful scenery and short walks to lookouts.
The Maluti Mountains and Golden Gate National Park are absolutely beautiful. Around every corner you get a different view and it seems even more awesome than the last. They are not high mountains and there is no snow on them, at least not at this time of year, but they have incredible shapes and formations. The rock runs from white to black and has reds and greys and other colours as well. The shades of green are beautiful in the grass and some of the trees while other trees have turned to yellow or brown and are starting to lose their leaves. There are no brilliant reds or other such fall colours that we see in parts of Canada, but the colours are fantastic anyway. But more than the colours, it’s the rolling hills and craggy rock faces and strange formations that make the area so striking. It’s absolutely beautiful and definitely a great place to spend a long weekend.
After returning to the resort we had a couple hours to relax before dinner so I did some blog typing. I don’t have internet but Cyril loaned me his laptop for the weekend so at least I can get some typing done, which is really great! Lynn brought enough food to feed an army for a week so we are definitely eating well while we’re here. Of course all the cooking is being done at their place so she does all the work and I just suddenly appear when the meals are ready. It’s an incredible arrangement and I’m not sure how I’m ever going to repay them for their hospitality.
Sunday, 08 April 2007
Today we decided to go to Golden Gate National Park and go for a hike. I of course was going to do an easy walk and Lynn and Cyril were going to do a more challenging one, and then we would meet again at the car. I told the girl at reception where we paid our 15 rand hiking fee ($2.50 Canadian) that I had foot injuries and needed a walk that had a level pathway and stayed mainly in a flat area, while my friends did a more challenging walk. She said Mushroom Rock was the one for me and maybe even Echo Ravine as they were in the same direction and both easy. For Lynn and Cyril she recommended Brandwag Buttress trail.
We started out together crossing the stream and climbing up to the first directional sign where we quickly parted ways. I was already starting to wonder about this flat level walk as the climb to this point had been quite steep. I ruled out Echo Ravine which went in one direction and just headed for Mushroom Rock. It was a 45 minute walk and we had already walked for a while and yet it took me over 90 minutes to get back down to the road. Just as I was approaching it Lynn called to say that they were at the car so I told them to come and pick me up because my trail ended at the road and then I had to walk back down the road to the meeting place and although the walk would be level and flat, it was still quite a ways and would take me some time to get back. So they drove up and met me and I thus did not complete the whole trail even though it took me more than twice as much time as suggested!
Mushroom Rock is this incredible outcropping of rock that curves in at the sides and then has a cap that overhangs the side and thus it really does look like a mushroom. It was a beautiful walk and the views were spectacular but I have to say that the trail was anything but level and terrain anything but flat. In places it seemed like I was climbing straight up and a couple times I was literally on all fours trying to get over the rocks. In some places it was solid rock and in other places it was dirt and in other places it was loose stone, which really was not easy for me to navigate. I had to go very slowly and stare at the ground continually. Then I had to stop frequently and look around at the scenery and take pictures. There were many other hikers who passed by me on the route but they were all very friendly and encouraging. One group of two couples even offered me some authentic South African food from their picnic.
The path climbed up right to the base of the mushroom where the solid rock started and the dirt/rock/grass ended. At times you were beneath the overhang and at times you were beyond it. At times you could see for miles in all directions and at other times it was almost as if you were in a cave and you could only see in the one direction. The hills and mountains in this area are beautiful, as I’ve already said, so this hike just presented an opportunity to see the one rock formation up close and to see the many other sights from different vantage points. It was great and I’m glad I did it but it sure was way more challenging than I was expecting. Obviously South Africa’s definition of a flat, level, easy trail is not quite the same as Canada’s, or at least not the same as mine.
Now just so I didn’t feel too bad about my tough trail and not finishing it, Lynn and Cyril had to admit that they didn’t finish theirs either. Lynn went farther than Cyril but she didn’t make it to the top of the Brandwag Buttress. She quit at the point where there was a really steep section and a long, low chain ladder to help you up to the top. She figured she could make it up but she just wasn’t too sure about making it down, especially on her own. As it was, she said she had to do some of the other sections of the trail while sitting down. Cyril stopped a bit further back and it still took them over the 1 hour allotted to do the portion that they completed. After listening to their stories and looking at where they went, it was certainly obvious that my trail was definitely easier, and perhaps it was the easiest in this section and that’s why the girl at reception suggested it.
Following our hikes we came back to the resort for some lunch and then we went back to the park for a drive and to see the Basotho Cultural Village, which is just on the other end of the park. The Basotho tribe comes from the former country of Basotholand that later became Lesotho, a small country now totally surrounded by South Africa.
The village was very interesting in that it took us through their homes as they have been built since the 16th century. It was interesting to see how the design, materials and decorations changed over the period. Must of them, except for the most current ones, had thatched roofs. The most recent ones had tin roofs and our guide assured us the tin roof was very hot in summer and very noisy in the rain. Originally the sleeping areas just had skins on the floors but now they have beds. There were no windows or decorations in the first ones and dishes were very plain but now they have windows and they decorate their walls and their pottery. The outsides of the houses were very plain with just thatching or mud walls originally but now the outside walls are decorated with bright colours and patterns. There were many other changes too as the years rolled past including the fact that they now have electricity.
We met the chief sitting outside his house and joined him for a sip of beer. I say sip because none of us were really too thirsty at that point, if you know what I mean. The beer only has a 1% alcohol content so it’s not too potent; however, it was definitely thick and didn’t look very thirst quenching. We later saw the towel-like sieve they used to strain the beer and after seeing that I thought the beer should have been thinner, but it wasn’t.
Right after that we watched two of the men play a game that seemed quite simple at first but got more complicated as you went. They had a wooden board with 25 hollows in it (5 rows of 5) and they each had 12 black or white stones. The object was to get three stones in a row on the straight lines (diagonals didn’t count). If you got three in a row, you got to remove one of your partner’s stones and you won the game when your partner only had two stones left and thus could never get three in a row. It was a very simple game and yet very complicated at the same time, and certainly something anyone could play anywhere but I had never seen it before.
The chief had three wives and we saw the first wife’s home. It was actually a compound with three huts – one for sleeping, one for cooking and one for something that we didn’t really hear about or that I just forgot about. Perhaps the kids slept there. All of the compounds had outdoor cooking areas and that was used most of the time because the early huts did not have an escape vent for the smoke. One of the compounds had an outdoor fireplace that was really four fire pits all around a circle and separated by low walls. This design was important as you needed to pick the right fire pit to cook in depending on which way the wind was blowing.
We also saw them grinding corn into a fine powder. It definitely smelled like corn, well popcorn specifically, but to me it almost tasted more like chocolate. We also got to taste some of the corn and it was quite salty and very chewy – much like other corn I’ve eaten in Africa - definitely not like our sweet corn. We could have had a full meal there of their traditional food but none of us were feeling that adventurous.
I had my picture taken with the witch doctor and he illustrated the process for reading bones and shells and other things. However, I didn’t pay to have a formal reading done. And as we left there were two musicians playing traditional instruments; one very much like an accordion and the other a drum made with hide stretched over a 5-gallon drum. The music sounded very nice.
We watched a short video on the people and their community and there were also arts and crafts produced by the Basotho on sale in the shop. Their village is built on the side of a hill and they have a wonderfully majestic rock behind them and an incredible view of the valley and mountains in front of them. It was quite the location. And their huts and hats are styled after the mountains, many of which have a small rock on their peak or have an overhang and then sheer walls beneath.
After returning to the resort we had some time to relax and then had another great meal. That evening we had a heavy down pour and a very loud thunderstorm in the area. I hadn’t heard thunder quite like that in a long time but I never did see any lightning.
Okay, I'm now finishing this on April 30th, several weeks later, so details will definitely be sketchier now. On Monday we had a relaxing morning and then went to Clarens in the afternoon. We wandered around the shops and galleries and then enjoyed a hot chocolate overlooking the valley. Clarens is definitely a very relaxing town. The rest of the day I think we did even more relaxing because I can't remember much else. I do know that it was certainly an enjoyable long weekend and on Tuesday morning we left early for our drive back to Johannesburg.
On Tuesday afternoon we dropped Cyril off at work and Lynn and I went to Constitution Hill. This is the home of the new Constitutional Court, which is a very nice building but much smaller than I anticipated. It is here that all constitutional matters are heard so the court is considered the protector of basic rights and freedoms. It is really interesting that they chose this sight for the court as the hill has been known for other things in the past. As they say, "what was once a place of injustice and brutality has become a place of solidarity and democracy for South Africa.
The complex includes the Old Fort with its enclosed prison facility that was used for white male prisoners (with the exception of Nelson Mandela who had a separate room here in the hospital section), a large women's jail beside it and the notorious Number Four prison - the place where black prisoners and prisoners of colour were kept during Apartheid. Robert Sobukwe spent some time here as did Mahatma Gandhi who was in South Africa during the apartheid years.
We took a tour of the facility and looked at the exhibits, which were very honest and descriptive. Most came from ex-prisoners who were brought back to contribute to the history of the place. Needless to say, their memories "have created unshakable impressions for us all to share." The one exhibit in Number Four had pictures of prisoners all around the wall and their stories beneath. You were asked to find the real criminal and there was indeed on pick-pocket in the group. All the others were simply black caught without their passes or thought to be involved in actions against the Apartheid government or just members of certain political groups. It was quite a telling story.
Other parts of the Number Four exhibit showed their living quarters with way too many people crammed in and no proper toilet facilities, their food rations which were different according to skin colour. We saw the solitary confinement cells, some of the torture and punishment methods, some of the crafts and art works they made of their bedding, their eating area and their toilet areas which were side by side and both very open so not very pleasant. It's hard to describe the conditions. Even as I remember them now I find it hard to believe that I have the stories right because they are so horrible. Perhaps they are best not put in print.
The women's Jail is undergoing renovations so we could not go in it. It was built in 1910 and looks much nice than the other two prison blocks as it is done in a white brick Victorian style. Both blacks and whites were kept in the women's prison but they were kept in separate sections. They have stairs on the outside that run between the new Constitution Court and the old Number Four and it is quite a contrast to have the reminder of the brutality of the old Apartheid regime on one side and the new court on the other representing freedom, equality and dignity for all.
They have a children's education centre where the values of the new constitution are created in fun ways under the theme of "my right to be". It looked well used so perhaps the saying that children are the hope for the future will indeed be true in South Africa.
I did two formal tours in Joburg, one on my own and one with Lynn. The first was to Soweto, the Apartheid Museum and gold Reef City. The second was to Pilanesberg Game Reserve and sun city. The were both great.
Pilanesberg is several hours away from Joburg and feels very much in the wild. It is an almost circular crater 20-25 km across from an ancient volcano and it is 1120 to 1687 metres above sea level. There are looping roads all through it and mountains, rivers, rocky areas, bush and grasslands cover the area. In total it includes 50,000 hectares or 500 square kilometres.
We drove around the park for several hours and the scenery was beautiful. Part of the park had been burned a few weeks earlier but strangely enough that's where we saw many of the graxing animals. I guess the new growth was really sweet and tasty as they seemed to be enjoying it. We saw white rhino, impala, water buck, giraffe, zebra, tsessebe, blue wildebeest, kudu, baboons, elephants, sable antelope and a leopard as well as many different birds (ibis, yellow billed stork, fish eagle, glossy starling, malibou stork, Egyption geese, etc.). We even saw a dung beetle on the road pushing a ball of dung which was probably ten times his size. It was pretty funny to watch.
The sable antelopes were apparently a rare find and we watched them for a long time - several adults and two younger ones. They were very beautiful but almost always half hidden in the bush.
The leopard was just resting on a rock and I swear we made eye contact as we drove by. She was just right there and we were just talking about seeing a leopard. By the time I said, "stop, there it is", it was almost too late. At least our tour guide saw her walking away so I knew I wasn't dreaming. We sat there for a while but she didn't return. We did hear strange soft cries for a while and the guide said that was the cubs and she was likely moving them to a different spot. It was thrilling to see her even if it was just a quick sighting.
We didn't see any lions, cheetahs or buffalos so can't say we saw the Big 5. However, it was a great safari anyway. I should also note that less than a week after we were there a man was eaten by lions in the park. The signs all vey clearly say do not get out of your vehicle so I'm not sure what he was doing. I think I read later that he was the owner or warden or someone related. Perhaps he thought he was safe because of his position. Who knows?!
Sun City is pure tourist hype but it's very impressive. It is a series of four 5 star hotels and casinos and entertainment complexes set out in the wilderness. While the surrounding area is dry and treeless, Sun City is a lush tropical forest with streams, waterfalls, ponds, beautiful vegetation. birds and animals. In fact, there are monkeys and baboons all around the complex so you really can't leave your windows open and your room unattended. They have a bird aviary which is small but nice and they also have the Lost City. The story is that the city was hidden by an earquake and landslide and now it has been found. As you cross the high bridge into the Lost City there are all kinds of sounds and smoke and at certain times of the day the bridge and surrounding area actually shake as if in an earthquake. It's quite hokey to say the least but they certainly put a lot of work into it. Once across the bridge you get a big wavepool and beach and water slides. They were pretty quiet when we were there but at times the place is packed. There are huge animal carvings in the rock facades and they are very realistic and well done. I guess you'd say Sun City is kind of like Las Vegas meets Walt Disney. It was interesting to see but we didn't waste too much time there.
The drive to and from this area was another enjoyable one with fantastic scenery.. There was flat dry land and then greener agricultural land. There were rolling hills and then mountains in the distance at most times. There were many dry riverbeds that I assume aren't dry all the time. We also went past the Hartbeespoortdam, which creates a large beautiful lake which is used for irrigating the nearby farms. There were also platinum mines along the way. We passed several trucks with flashing lights and I asked what they were. They are carrying the explosives to the mines so should be avoided if possible. There were sunflower fields along the side of the road but they looked like dwarfs as they were only about a foot high. Our guide said they were regular sunflowers but stunted because of the drought.
My other day tour was totally different. Gold Reef City, which is right in Joburg, is a theme park built around one of the old mines. although we took the train ride around the entire park we really didn't look at anything except the gold mining section. we toured the old houses from the time period - each one in immaculate condition and with a short video to explain the different rooms and unusual old objects. We then went down the mine shaft in one of the old crowded elevators and walked through some of the tunnels and paths. There were various displays along the way - people, mining methods, history, etc. - so we were down below for about an hour. We then came up to watch them pour the molten gold into a gold brick, and then got to see and touch a different, already-cooled solid gold brick. It was a good tour in total, started with an introductory video on the gold rush in the 1800s then the house tour, the mine tour and the gold pour. It certainly provided a good look at how Joburg started and how the gold rush affected the city and the country.
The other two aspects of this tour, Soweto and the Apartheid Museum, were very different in nature and very moving. We first did a driving tour through Soweto and I have to say that it wasn't at all what I was expecting. My image of Soweto is still back in the '80's or before. It's from the media and it's all poor, dirty slums with thousands trying to live together in terrible conditions. There are still places like this in Soweto and in other areas around South Africa but there are also nice areas in Soweto. Soweto, the South West Township, has a population of 3.5 million and all are black. It is the place where blacks were forced to live by the British many years earlier. During the apartheid years no whites or Europeans were allowed in the area as the government didn't want the races mixing.
Today there are nice houses on nice streets and parks and churches and stores. A big shopping mall is being constructed and a large statium - the latter again for the 2010 World Cup of Soccer. It's a great idea and the world will certanly get a different image of Soweto in that setting. The Chris Hani Hospital is supposedly one of the largest and best hospital in South Africa. It covers 27 hectares, has 3,500 beds, handles 1,200 births per year and the administration fee is $10. The rest is free. It looks like a very nice hospital and the grounds are well groomed. The University of Joburg has a Soweto Campus nearby and it also looks very nice and very active.
In Soweto there were mine hostels for the miners who worked all week in the mines but went home on weekends. When these were no longer needed they were turned over to Soweto for housing. In some places new housing with electiricty, water and toilets is being provided at 50 Rand per month for 7 years. The buildings cannot be rented out or given to anyone else and utilities must be paid in advance. Neither the mine hostels or the new housing is anything we are used to in size and amenities but it is clean and has the basic facilities and is much better than what the people had before.
We saw Winnie Mandel's house. When Nelson Mandela was released from prison they went to live in their old house. It was too small and did not provide enough privacy so they went to a new house built for them by the Government. He and Winnie lived there for two years before they were divorced. She kept the house. Winnie has had two sentences against her in the last decade: 1) having her football team (body guards) kill Stompe, a young boy who worked for her and 2) fraud for personally spending the 5-6 million Swiss francs donated for charity. She has been allowed to serve all her sentences at home. The home is quite large, on a hill with a view, and well protected by security systems and walls.
That's one of the things that I found interesting in Soweto. There were some very nice homes and nice residential areas. There were also many less valuable but moderate housing areas, and they all seemed to be heavily fenced, gated and guarded by security. I guess the criminals in South Africa are definitely not racist as crime certainly seems to affect everyone. With such a high unemployement rate I guess that is to be expected.
Vilakazi Street was certainly interesting. Is there any street any where else in the world that can claim to be home to two Nobel Peace Prize winners? Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu both lived on this street and that is pretty amazing if you think about it.
Mandela's house is now a small museum. He lived here from 1946 to 1961 when he was arrested. His first wife left in 1958 and took the children, two I believe. apparently she couldn't stand all the politics. He later married Winnie who was the first black social worker in South Africa and very involved with politics. He is now married to Graca, the widow of Mozambique's former President. I also learned that Mandela was in prison with the father of the current South African Presidwent, Mbeki.
Mandela came to Joburg in '41 to work in the gold mine. He studied at U. Wits through correspondence and became a lawyer and practiced law with Tambo. There was a jackal skin bedspread given to Mandela by his tribe as he was to be their chief. However, he gave that up when he ran away from an arranged marriage. I had to wonder how things would have changed if he had stayed and become chief. Would he have stayed with the wife who had been arranged for him or would he still have had several wives? Would he have been as active politically? Imprisoned for 28 years? President? Nobel Peace Prize Wininer? I even wondered how long it took the tribe and his family to forgive him for not following the chosen path. Of course, under the circumstances, I assumed they did forgive him.
It was interesting to see Mandela's home and to learn more about his personal life and then see all the honours heaped upon him. Many of his honorary degrees were on display as were some of the medals and awards he has received. There were several Canadian ties in the display so that was nice to see. The Museum does not dwell on apartheid or imprisonment at all. It's more about the man, where he came from, who he was, and his awards and recognition. It's very well done.
Our next stop was the Hector Peterson Museum and it was very moving. On June 16, 1976, a group of young students left their school to deliver a letter to the Ministry of Education. The police tried to stop them and eventually threw tear gas and fired into the crowd. Hector Peterson was jsut 13 years old and he was the first one killed. The picture of the older boy carrying Hector down the street with Hector's sister running beside and crying was certainly one I remembered seeing years ago. Many consider this date the beginning of the end of apartheid as the protests and riots became more intense all across the country after this date.
The Museum had videos and quotes and pictures of the day and they were all very moving. The children were all lined up neatly and smiling and laughing and singing as they paraded down the steret. As one of them said, he'd never seen tear gas and didn't know what it could do , and he'd never heard gunshots before. Yes, the students were joined by others as they marched along and these others were not as orderly and harmless. However, it really makes you wonder who fired the first shot and why. After those first shots it turned very violent and the rioting lasted for months and years and spread to all areas of the country.
The police in that time were 60% black in the black districts but the national guard or whatever they were called were basically all white. And why were the students delivering a letter to the Minister of Education? The main reason was because the official language of instruction had just been changed to Afrikaans and most of them didn't even speak the language. Also, the money spent educating white students equalled 644 rand per student per year but for the black students it was only 42 rand so things were definitely not equal. The Museum and courtyard are very well done and you can't help but shed a tear or two as you look at all the pictures and hear all the stories.
Our next stop was Regina Mundi Church, the largest Catholic Church in Soweto with seating capacity for over 2,000 and standing capacity for over 5,000. The black children stayed here during the riots as it was a safe sanctuary. None the less, the police shot bullets into the windows and the bullet holes can still be seen in the ceiling and walls. The replaced window is a stained glass window of Mary and an angel. From the inside of the church the figures appear white but when viewed from the outside they appear black. It's a very interesting church and window.
The last stop of the day was the Apartheid Museum. As you might expect it was very moving too. The complex is huge and encompasses many different aspects. As you enter you are dwarfed by rows and rows of large passes hanging from the ceiling at different heights - replicas of the smaller ones all blacks were forced to carry during apartheid. The passes had a picture, name, number, tribe, etc. and you couldn't go anywhere without an appropriate pass. In the outer garden going into the main part of the museum there is a continuous wall but the height of it varies along the way. It's to signify that all South Africans are the same (on the same wall which represent the country) despite the fact that they may be of different heights, races, educations, jobs, politics, genders, etc.
The first video goes right back to the Cradle of Humankind and the bushmen painting on caves. Then the Bantu farmers appear and the whites bringing slaves. It goes over the Dutch and Britis history, the Zulu wars, the discovery of diamonds in Kimberley and gold in Joburg, and it covers a lot of wars. I just couldn't keep them straight so decided not to even try. In 1910, the ANC was formed to fight territorial segregation that gave 40% fo the land to the whites when over 90% of the people were black. In 1948 the apartheid government came into power and things got worse. The museum showed protests in the '50's by the whites against apartheid. In the '80's thousands were shown running and chanting in the streets in protest. They were blacks mainly but some whites as well. The videos, pictures and exhibits were all incredibly moving.
The Museum covers things from the first 2,500 years right up to the establishment of the apartheid system in 1948, to Mandela's release in 1990 and the 1994 democratic election. Obviously the emphasis is on the 20th century. There is so much material that it would take days to go through it all. It took me a while to realize that the first paragraph of each sign was all I really needed to read as it presented a summary of what followed. But it was all so interesting that it was hard not to read every bit of it. You would be stunned in some places by what you were reading, seeing or hearing, and then angry at the next. Then you'd move on to a personal story of triumph and be totally amazed at the power and endurance of the people. And then when you finally listened to things like FW de Klerk's speech from 1990 and Mandela's release and the release of so many others in 1990, you can't help but cry. It really is a moving sotry that has to be told and never forgotten. The fact that after 28 years of imprisonment Mandela became the President of South Africa is incredible. The fact that he was good and fair President and helped everyone to move on without retaliation and further bloodshed is truly amazing. I don't think many people could lose over a quarter of their life to prison and then come out so positive and speak of forgiveness for the actions of the past and move on to planning the future. It's truly an amazing story and I shall have to read more bout Mandela in the future. It will take a long time before equality is truly reached in South Africa but at least it's now at least a possibility.
In 1994, there were 5 milllion whites and 30 million blacks in the country. Today there are 4 million whites and 43 million blacks. Unemployment was 8 % and it's now 35 %. The Zimbabwean refugees do not help the situation. They are allowed to stay as there is nowhere to send them. The minimum wage in South Africa is 2000 Rand (about $350 Canadian) an the Zimbabweans will work for less than that because they have nothing. They are also the blind and crippled ones often out begging at the traffic lights. (The South Africans don't do this because if they are caught their pensions would be cut off.) The Zimbabweans live in the poorest of makeshift communities in tin or wood shacks, "long drops" for toilets, and wash tubs for bathing. Water often has to be carried from a distance and there is no electiricity. How does a government sturggling to deal with its own problems deal with a situation such as this?
... to be continued in part 2
posted by Jayne Brooks @ 1:00 PM
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