Now that I’ve spent some time there I call it Jozi, but you can call the largest city in South Africa Johannesburg or JoBurg, if you’re feeling friendly.
Below are some photos from both Jxxxxxxx and Pretoria.
(After my time in Malawi, I entered Part II of my time in Africa- South Africa and Safari vacation)
Beautiful weather, interesting sites. South Africa has been on my bucket list since I was 10. What is surprising is the amount of crime- not that I’ve seen any, but hotel staff, tour guides, and every local person I met told me it’s not safe to walk in any area of the city at night and some places not even in the day time.
Interesting site at the massive Nelson Mandela statue near the Union Buildings in Pretoria. In the US, this boy would be immediately tacked by some Secret Service agent. In SA, I guess this is just an homage to MandelaOut with the old, in with the new. This massive statue of “Comrade Mandela” (that’s what I heard numerous people call him) was quickly erected in front of the Union Buildings (executive branch capital of SA), Pretoria, just shortly after his death in 2013. Oh, by the way, there is a systematic movement to change all the signs that say Pretoria to the new name, Tshwane, even though no city besides Pretoria ever existed on the site. So much for history. Long-live the revolution!Me in front of the massive Vroortrekker Monument in Pretoria. The massive structure houses what is said to be the largest marble frieze in the world. see http://www.gauteng.net/attractions/entry/voortrekker_monument/At the entrance to the SOWEstern TOwn. Come here to see the mansions of Nelson Mandela and Bishop Tutu in the nicer parts and the shocking poverty of the poorer parts. More poor people living here than under the prior Afrikaner governmentTypical scene in Soweto. People just make a tin house and connect up to any nearby power line. More poor people today under the ANC than under the Afrikaner government prior to 1994. Poverty rate in SA, 54%Amazingly delicious South African Rump Steak at the Butcher Shop @ Nelson Mandela Square, Sandton. And with the SA Rand at the lowest exchange rate against the US Dollar ever, ridiculously inexpensive.Artsy photo I took inside the Apartheid Museum. “No photos allowed,” so I took this when a guard wasn’t looking.Nice welcome snacks a bottle of South African wine from the Hilton SandtonDelcious dessert with ingredients I’d never heard of‘hangin with some cubs at Lion Park Johannasburg. This is the same park where that idiot woman rolled-down her window with adult lions near by. BTW, that lioness is still there (I saw her) and content. The lioness did what was natural- protect her territory.Apparently this cheetah injured its eye and can’t really live in the wild. Cheetahs are supposedly ok with people. This one was cool with me petting it.Ok, I know you can do this most anywhere, but it was fun feeding the giraffe at Lion Park, Johannasburg
The Adventures of Rafiki Steve 