South Africa: JoBurg & Soweto

STATUS: Exhausted. Cultured. Struck with tremendous compassion and respect for the South African history, hardship, and strength that it has taken to move beyond the mistreatment of some of the most accepting and compassionate human beings I have ever crossed paths with. Oh, and I’m also still alive..btw 👋🏻

I began the day eating a very interesting breakfast sandwich- the bacon, is not ‘bacon’ as an America knows it. The egg was good, and properly ‘American’. And when they say everything is served with a portion of ‘chips’ I was anticipating some Lays on the side (hash browns would have been preferable as it was 7AM…but I wasn’t going to be picky..), maybe a dill pickle perhaps. But no. It’s french fries. At all times. Always french fries (not any different than if you were visiting the UK) on the side of anything ordered.

Then it was off to Soweto!
Our first stop: The Little Rosie school 😃
The interaction with these tiny souls, WOW. They are taught English in the classroom and there is always need for volunteers. Heck ya I opted in! To have the children try to teach you Zulu (their heritage and national language) and you teach them English, is more rewarding and inspiring than anything I’ve ever done. These kids do not have much, they run around making a game out of chasing after littered bottle caps. But they are the happiest, and most vibrant, tiny people I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing. The compassion, trust, and sincerity is unparalleled. From the moment I had arrived, my hand was taken by a little boy and he did not let go for anything. Before I knew it there were 6 more tiny beings latched onto me. And when you pull your phone out they scream “Shoot me, shoot me please will you!!” Ok so, that was startling at first. I immediately started scoping the area looking for firearms while trying to recall everything the Karate Kid and Jackie Chan had taught me. Just before I got in full combat defense mode, I was informed that “Shoot me” is translated into “Take my picture!”. Phew! For a minute there I thought I was in the Hunger Games. They wanted their picture taken. Not for money. But so they could view it afterwards as this is an honor in their eyes. Freakin adorable…minus the whole “shooting” misconception, obviously..

It was time to leave the school. And I was fresh out of tick tacks, gummy worms, whatever other candy I had in my bag that they found, and my cherished Cheetos. So the timing worked out well as these kids were high on sugar at this point. Walking into the city, we were greeted by a dance performance from a local tribe; the West Sotho Tswana. They were, mostly naked, men dancing and singing a traditional Tswana anthem. Then we paid them some money (again, my snack stash was depleted so at this time money was all I had to offer). This is how they make a living. And I’ll tell you what, in 48* weather, dancing naked and happy in the street- that’s certainly worth a few Rand (South African currency).

A tour of Nelson Mandela’s home and neighborhood, a visit to the TuTu House, and a history lesson at the Hector Pieterson and Apartheid Museums. I literally walked majority of the Soweto city; including trekking up and down the famed Vilakazi Street- the only street in the world that has been home to 2 Nobel Peace Prize recipients (Mandela and TuTu).

Ate a traditional African lunch in Soweto- Kota. That’s the name of the sandwich thing, not a misspelling of koala (as in the animal). It is an open roll consisting of fries (actual french fries), lettuce, a fried egg, cheese and some sort of marmalade that makes the ‘sandwich’ look like it’s bleeding. It was, interesting. Would I eat it again if I had the choice to starve to the point of death, maybe. But probably not. Any other scenario, that would be a hard no. Also, had Chibuku- the traditional beer. It is the consistency of milk and even comes in a carton. Like milk. You drink from a clay bowl. Just, don’t do it. Or do it just to do it once, but have a mint or 20 on hand to mask the taste. 👍🏻

I’m staying at Curiocity Backpackers; I recommend this hostel in the Maboneng Precinct of Johannesburg. It is clean (coming from me, that means A LOT), the neighborhood is safe, the eats are authentic and super tasty (especially the SawuBONA Cafe), and friendly/helpful locals flood the streets.

Johannesburg gets a bad rep. Let’s be honest; Africa in general has a negative light shed upon it when mentioned in any of my travel plans. I get it. There is crime. There is disease present and the possibility of contracting is a fact. Getting real for a split sec; there is crime, everywhere in the world. There is disease, everywhere in the world. I was questioned on all destinations prior to and post booking my adventure. The crime and diseases in South Africa and Zimbabwe, the religion and culture in United Arab Emirates; I’m experiencing these countries first-hand and I can dispel the negativity based on my intimacy with them thus far.

Off to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe in a few hours 😎

SIDE BAR: Come to find out, the hassle when arriving in the U.A.E was not directly in response to ME (for the most part, in terms of not fitting within the customary norms for how a woman should dress and act, though that did not help of course…). The basis was actually because of my U.S. passport. I was flagged immediately and taken aside as much as I was because I am traveling from a country with a questionable government currently in place (this was true of my travels to every country last year, and it remains a strong dictating force to this day). I learned of this when a U.A.E immigration official referenced “my president” in one of my detainment sessions. I don’t speak of politics openly, and I have stayed off of social media due to the upset it creates when I view political agendas and the support for our current system. I will not get into a political debate. Simply put; I believe in love, humanity, and equality for all. Whether you support or do not support our current government, no disrespect for your personal views is intended by the sharing of my own. I do hope, and frankly expect, that you share the same respectfulness in return. I will only say that when the person in charge of running the U.S. was referred to as “MY” president, I immediately fired back in defense with my PERSONAL stance in relation to the topic; “NO. THAT man is not MY president. As an American, I am proud of my country and PROUD to be an AMERICAN. However, that is no way correlates a sense of pride in the man that was voted into office and his actions. Please do not allow the fact that I am a U.S. citizen define my personal views, open-mind, humanity and respect for your culture and beliefs.” At which point, I received a smile and my bags had been returned to me intact with well wishes and safety for my travels ahead. Humanity. Even in the darkest times, there’s still hope after all…