Blogs from Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa, Africa - page 42

Dori and I are back in Johannesburg for the night. We fly out tomorrow for Victoria Falls and Matetsi. The Indian Ocean and beaches in Durban were beautiful. The secutity is very high and we were not allowed out after dark without security. Even the taxi driver had been hijacked 3 times. We drive back into the city a bit looking for a spice store and an art shop. The taxi driver took us to an emporium where we bought Zach his VooDoo item and a few other "goodies" to bring good luck and a long live to the receiver. In the evening we dined at a hotel just 2 doors down and had a South African favorite dish - bunny chow! It was a dish from the Apartheid times when blacks could not eat with ... read more

Wow, today's excursions were very eye-opening. First, we visited the Mdelwa-hlongwane school in Soweto where 100% of the students are black (even though integration is 'accepted' now) and these students are primarily Zulu. After lunch, we visited The Molento Project, in downtown Johannesburg, which is a literacy and language organization, and then we had a group dinner at an excellent South African restaurant. MDELWA-HLONGWANE SCHOOL As soon as we arrived at the school, we were greeted by the principle and she took us on a tour of the school. I cannot quite describe the hospitality and the welcoming atmosphere as we walked into the main administrative building. I have found that no matter where we have gone so far, everyone has been so generous and hospitable, this school was no exception. As we walked through the ... read more

Hey All - I made it! It was a long plane ride, but luckily we stopped at Dakkar ,Senegal for a bit and had a chance to wander inside the plane and stretch. When we were about to take off again, the airline attendants sprayed the plane (while we were in it) to sanitize it for airborn illnesses. The claim that it was totally safe, that made us all real comfortable... As most of you know, I am terrified of flying, but thanks to xanax and ambienCR, I slept the whole way. Good thing is that I am not jet lagged (at least today); bad thing, I didn't do much on my dissertation! Not too much to finish, and since most of the people I am with have already complete their EdD's, so I have a ... read more

Geo: -26.1538, 28.0389We drove back to Johannesburg after 2 very exciting days onSafari. What an incredible experience. Riding in 4 wheeljeeps with a guide and a tracker and a gun mounted acroos the hood ofthe vehicle. We would game hunt for 3 to 4 hours enjoying acoffee break in the mornings and a happy hour in the afternnoonsafaris. Getting up for a 6 am safari and watching the sun risecould become a habit. We arrived in Johannesburg in the early evening after a game drive anda bush walk with our guide, Marcus. It was finally nice to beable to walk around the private reserve and get a close look at theanimal tracks and flora that were pointed out from the vehicle as wedrove by. Johannesburg is known for its high crime rateespecially armed robbery. The Out ... read more

okay, so yesterday, so i thought, was the hardest day of this whole trip. i knew it was coming some how tho, and everytime i prolonged my departure date from durbs would have made it even worse, and although i was no where ready to leave, it was time i did, cause the longer i stayed that harder it would have been to leave. after the time ive had here, i cant imagine being any where else in the world, and after this morning, i have even more reason to believe i neec to do what i want, and be where i want, i cant base my decisions in life on what i think would work out best for other people and yourself, you must just do it for yourself. the hardest part now about being ... read more