Corey’s seventh continent!!

Johannesburg, The City of Gold

Johannesburg (aka Jo’berg or Jozi) is located in the eastern plateau area of South Africa known as the Highveld, at an elevation of 5,751 feet. We were surprised to learn that Jo’burg is higher than other high-altitude metropolises including Denver and Salt Lake City. We both felt a little winded at times while walking around.

Jozi, South Africa’s largest city, was founded on gold and has been nicknamed the City of Gold. International fortune seekers from across the globe flocked to the area to make a different life for themselves by striking it rich. One can still easily see the international influence in Jozi.

Day 1

We arrived early from our overnight flight. We slept only about a wink each. We were thankful for access to an arrivals lounge from South African Airways, where we had a fresh cup of coffee. O.R. Tambo is the largest airport in Africa! It certainly was big and I was surprised to learn that fact.

We eventually left the airport and hired an Uber to take us to our hotel. We were about five minutes away from our hotel when we were stopped at a police roadblock. They were pulling everyone over, asking for papers, etc. After questioning the driver, Corey was then asked to get out of the car. He was searched and some of our bags were searched. And that was our welcome to South Africa!

After that 20-minute detour, we arrived at our hotel. They let us check in early as we dropped our bags and went out to explore a little.

The hotel was located in the up-and-coming area of Braamfontein, next to a few universities and colleges, and just across a bridge from the main CBD. The buildings were old, and some remain unoccupied. The neighborhood felt young, hip, and like it was growing out of its seedy years. Attempts to blend in were impossible but it was fine.

It seemed like one block was bustling with college kids and the next felt dodgy with folks sleeping in the park. We were a bit tired and so just walked around exploring the neighborhood.

There are still Portuguese influences on South African cuisine, which we look forward to exploring. Hundreds of years ago, the Portuguese brought chili peppers from the Americas to Africa. And now you can get peri-peri grilled chicken at Nando’s restaurants around the world. Corey could not resist the local price of Nando’s sauce and bought a bottle to carry with. But there is also Galito’s, Pedro’s, and local versions. For lunch/dinner, we tried Pedro’s chicken over yellow rice (which they call paella), as well as chicken with pap and chakalaka (think polenta garnished with a relish or salsa).

We ended the day watching the sun set from the rooftop of the ANEW Parktonian. The quiet rooftop was literally night and day from the hectic streets below.

Day 2

We woke up fairly early and ready to explore Jozi. But first – coffee! A few blocks from our hotel we enjoyed a fresh cup of delicious coffee from Seattle Coffee Company! In 1993, a Seattle couple cloned the Starbucks/Peet’s concept and took it to the United Kingdom. A friend of theirs opened outposts in South Africa. Three months later, the UK chain was purchased by Starbucks, leaving the South Africa version with the name. Now in South Africa you can find both Seattle Coffee Company and Starbucks. The espresso at Seattle Coffee was perfectly done, and the price was on par with Italy (around $1.50 USD for a double-shot).

We also ate at a market store that gave us Whole Foods vibes, with various counters for burgers, pizza, seafood, and so many other options. It is called Food Lover’s Eatery, and we said, hey, we love food! The highlight for us was the fresh donuts coming out of the fryer. A box of seven (with cinnamon sugar) was just over $1 USD. We bought a box and carried them around with us for most of the day. Donut snack, anyone?

In order to get a good feel of the city, we decided to book tickets on City Sightseeing’s big red double-decker bus. Jo’berg is a sprawling city and it was a fabulous way to see different neighborhoods!!

We usually avoid the tourist buses in favor of making up our own tour itineraries. But there are some sketchy parts of Jo’berg, and we did not want to run the risk of being on the wrong block at the wrong time. We also often use public transit as our tour bus, but without being familiar with the city or the routes, and seeing the route that City Sightseeing takes, we decided to use the bus as our efficient method of seeing everything.

The price was $15 USD/person for about seven hours of riding, which seemed like a great deal since two of the stops were just blocks away from our hotel.

From gritty neighborhoods going through a revival, to lofty hillsides boasting homes of past presidents… we got to see it all!

After joining the bus at Constitution Hill (where we would tour the following day), we hopped off first at the next stop, the Mining District. This is the neighborhood where Jozi started. There are a number of mining implements, and historical photos and placards. City Perk Coffee was closed and looks to have been a pandemic victim. The plan was to walk around the pedestrianized square and then walk to the east to Chancellor House, the building where Nelson Mandela and O.R. Tambo opened a law office across from the courthouse (and where there is also a statue of Mandela as a boxer). Here is a decent guide of the things to see in this neighborhood.

As the bus pulled in, we saw a few folks in black t-shirts and lanyards, looking like tour guides out to make a buck. No problem with this service, we just did not need a guide. We said hello to them and walked around, starting our own tour. After a few minutes of walking around, we noticed that we were being followed! Everywhere we went, the guides were right behind us, staring at us. We speculated that they might come up and let us know that they were there for our protection and then ask for money for that.

Our evasive maneuvers were to no avail, and they carefully approached us as we waited to cross an intersection. They let us know not to worry, and that they were following us to make sure that we were safe. Corey told them that it was not necessary, and that we were only going a few blocks. Throughout our journey, they continued to trail behind us, which became comically awkward. But as we went back to the bus stop, there was no ask for a protection fee!

Turns out that this is an official “Tourist Ambassador” program sponsored by the city of Johannesburg. The friendly folks that were following us were just doing their jobs, and doing them well. We later saw other Ambassadors in the same black t-shirts, and when we swung around the next time on the bus we gave the Mining District ambassadors a big wave. We had not seen anything about this program prior to this experience, and it now seems silly that we were running away from them! I also don’t have many photos because I felt more comfortable having my phone in my pocket.

Back on the next bus, we cruised through the southern portion of the city, where the Gold Reef City casino and amusement park complex is located next to the somber Apartheid Museum. As we drove, the narration provided information and history regarding the various neighborhoods. The bus swung back north and through the CBD and the Braamfontein neighborhood that we were staying in, going to the northern neighborhoods.

We hopped off again near the zoo, but not to go to either the zoo or the Military Museum. Instead, we took a walk around Zoo Lake, a notable park, then back through the fancy Parkview neighborhood and the blocks of cute retail shopping and large estates. Eventually we ended up back at the zoo where we waited for the next bus to continue on the tour.

The bus made its way northward to the Rosebank Mall, where the tour starts and stops. We ended up sitting back and relaxing for the entire 2.5 hour loop, which continues through the gated mixed-use community of Melrose Arch, the neighborhood of Houghton (including various post-apartheid Mandela sites), and some outstanding viewpoints of the city.

For our plans that day, the red bus provided us with about six hours of good sightseeing and transportation. We felt like we had a good understanding of the layout of the city and the striking differences between the various neighborhoods.

By the time we were back at Rosebank Mall, it was past 4 PM and we were ready for a bite to eat. We walked around this nice indoor/outdoor retail area and stopped for a snack at one of the many restaurants lining the outdoor pathways. As 5 PM hit, workers were finishing their day and heading out for happy hours on the patios. We were looking for African food, but there seemed to be none to be found. We saw Brazilian, Greek, Indian, American BBQ, Peruvian, Portuguese, sushi, and a few burger places.

After nachos and a mojito, we walked over to the Gautrain commuter train station to try local transport to reach another destination even farther north in the city. We rode the train up to Sandton and walked over to Nelson Mandela Square. I had read online that it’s a must see in Johannesburg, but we found it a little disappointing.

Though it was pretty, and nicely guarded by security guards with shotguns, it was basically a mall that could be found in Bellevue, Washington or Irvine, California. The square is a closed-in area with retail, offices, and a hotel building on the outside. There are two floors of restaurant patios open to the square area, and it felt vibrant and active. But it also felt like a mall, and overall was not very different than what we had just seen in Rosebank. Most of the restaurants were chain outposts that we had seen elsewhere in our Jo’berg travels.

It did have some nice artwork and a large statue of Nelson Mandela.

We ended our day with a few more nibbles at a restaurant in the square that served tapas, sushi, and pizzas.

Day 3

Because we loved the coffee so much the day before we went back to Seattle Coffee Company.

From there we walked the few blocks to Constitution Hill, where an old fort and prison were located, and now the site of South Africa’s Constitutional Court. The prison is famous for having held activists such as Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela. Under the apartheid government, the prison was divided into three sections: non-white men, white men, and women.

Our tour began in the section for non-white men, where we toured the group cells, isolation cells, and the yard where eating, bathing, and activities took place. The white male section was a little different with better conditions. Exhibits showed the difference in conditions and the state budget supplied depending on whether an inmate was white, colored, or black. The women’s prison was also divided by race, but was overall much smaller. Exhibits there showed how the black employees were also treated as second-class citizens compared to the white female inmates.

The tour also included seeing the new Constitutional Courthouse, built for cases involving human rights and other high-court issues. The building was quite modern and impressive. The wooden doors to the building contain the Bill of Rights in the 11 official languages of South Africa (sign language is the 12th official language).

Apartheid Museum

We spent the afternoon learning about the history of how colonization turned to segregation and apartheid, until democracy for all finally came to South Africa.

It was a thorough exhibition with often grim videos, and detailed personal stories of participants and their perspectives. It was a heartbreaking but a worthwhile trip. Since the adoption of apartheid was well before our lives, we were curious what events led up to the white-minority governance adopting the racist laws. Nothing is sugarcoated, from the fascist propaganda that led to the National Party winning the 1948 election, to the shocking violence that took place immediately following the end of apartheid.

Perhaps the saddest thing of all is that there are still so many people around the world still fighting for equal rights and human dignity. The experience gave us a lot to think about.

First Thursday

We lightened things up by enjoying the First Thursday in the Rosebank neighborhood. Not really an Art Walk like we are used to in other cities, there are really only two sites to see: 223 Creative Arts Hub and the nearby Keyes Art Mile (which sounds like it is a mile of art galleries, but is really one large art mall with a couple of neighbors). We started at 223 and then walked the quarter-mile to Keyes.

Stylish folks mingled and admired some interesting pieces. There is quite a bit to see and it was a fun scene to be a part of. Keyes also has restaurants and cafes, and we ate dinner at an Asian fusion restaurant, then grabbed a Bolt ride home as the skies opened up with a typical South African summer rainstorm including large lightning streaks across the sky and thunderous rumbles.

We had contemplated getting a two-day pass for the red bus and using it for transportation. After all, the three things we were doing were all stops on the route (Constitution Hill, Apartheid Museum, and Rosebank). But when we did the math versus using rideshare services, it ended up being about the same price, but without the convenience of on-demand pickups and direct routing. The bus made good sense the day before, though!

We felt good wrapping-up three rapid touristy days in Jo’burg. Even though the police stop was a rough start, Jozi is a cool city with a lot of history, filled with well-dressed and extremely cordial residents.

Next stop: Hartbeespoort

We grabbed a Bolt and headed out to a resort town, located on a dam-created lake on the Crocodile River. There we will stay for two weeks of relaxation. Following that we will rent a car and head out for a week of safaris and road tripping around eastern South Africa!