Joburg

Greetings from Johannesburg. I'm at my B&B, waiting to be picked up by the safari guide. It'll be a long car drive today and I got up way too early! I'm totally psyched about the trip though. I got into Joburg yesterday at noon, and was picked up along with 2 other people for a half-day tour of the city. We spent some time at the apartheid musuem, and in Soweto - which stands for "south west township". It's probably the largest city in south africa - but it's technically part of Joburg. They call it a "city within a city". When the townships were formed (forced separation of the blacks) they were not allowed to have their own governance. The township now has over 4 million people. About 10% live in nice houses, 80% in "matchbox" houses - not bad but very small, and close together, and about 10% in shacks. We walked a bit around the shacks and met a family - but I most enjoyed the memorial to the children who were killed during the uprisings. The museum really put that into context. Recently, there have been uprisings against the refugees and dozens of people killed in the townships. It's funny because when I heard that I was a bit worried about going there (even though it has calmed down), but it's funny, because dozens of people are killed in any US city over 4 million and it hardly stops people from visiting! On top of that, tourists are a source of income, and are with guides all the time, so they aren't likely targets. Our tour agency took us around in a mercedes - it was kind of odd being there in the nicest car. I felt very conspicuous - doesn't help that I am way too white and well dressed to actuall LIVE there! In Soweto it isn't just the poor, though, we also saw Winni (spelling?) Mandela's house, Mandela's old house, and Desmond Tutu's house (still lives there).

I can't wait to see the big 5!!

Photos from Joburg:

The city - you can see it's just as any other city - has its high rises, even a small amusement park near the Apartheid museum!











Here's what built the city - gold mining. In fact, there are mines under the city and construction is a serious issue. One new building found a mine underneath and ended up stabolizing it and leaving it as a monument!











Here is Soweto - you can see a range of housing types, but not the worst or the best in this pic.











Here is a monument to the children in Soweto who lead the uprising in the 70's against Apartheid. On the left you see the photo of the just-shot child Hector Peterson that brought the worlds attention to the township problems.