I woke up ready to go!
The previous evening I had spent some time mapping out a few things to do before my flight to Durban. A few sights and a cafe all within a two mile radius. I planned out a little walk that would get me around and end with lunch.
As I described my plan to the hotel staff they all said “NO!” Even in the daylight it was too risky. If I had a friend of two, maybe, but certainly not alone. My hotel was in Braamfontein, an all black area that is being revitalized. It used to be a really bad location, but is improving. Apparently it hasn’t improved enough.
So they got me a driver, Mike, who took me on an awkward version of my walk instead. My real goal was to see the area; driving to otherwise random locations wasn’t quite the same.
Our first stop was Constitution Hill, the seat of the Constitutional Court of South Africa and a former fort turned prison. One’s thing for sure: it gave me a nice view of the Johannesburg skyline!
I walked around for an hour and could have easily spent another. The theme seemed not to be of depression or anger at what had passed but pride in the triumph over this dark part of their history.
For lunch I went to a cafe I’d found online started by a photographer in this newly reestablished part of town. My driver got gas while I relaxed a bit and had a bacon and egg sandwich. The place may not have looked like the web site, but the food was good and the waitress gladly helped me understand what constituted a “typical” gratuity.
One last stop for the day: the Apartheid Museum. Again the theme was triumph. Along one corridor the two walls were outfitted in opposition. On the right was the story of segregation and the creation of apartheid. On the left was the simultaneous story of revolt and resistance.
One could easily spend an entire morning following the rise and fall of apartheid. I, unfortunately, took only an hour and a half. The museum was definitely targeting the years of apartheid. My desire to better understand the roots of the system were limited to a 15-minute film of the 2500 years leading up to the introduction of segregation.
And then I was done. In the few hours remaining until my flight to Durban, I re-packed my luggage, made sure my network still worked, and let myself relax (still no jet lag…). The drive to the airport was quick. The driver avoided the highways so I got to see some more of the city. Lots of gates. Lots of barred windows. Very few people with white skin.
Travel 