http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/Gauteng/Johannesburg/Soweto/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Africa , South Africa , Gauteng , Johannesburg , Soweto en-us Tue, 08 Dec 09 23:20:09 +0000 Tue, 08 Dec 09 23:20:09 +0000 Day 26 Jo'burg South Africa 24809Woke up this morning in Damien's room knowing that it would be a very emotional day as everybody who I had been travelling with for the last 3 weeks would be heading off to Jo'burg or to Cape Town whilst I was flying down to Jo'burg to start my 5 weeks independent adventure. Everybody was waking up and I wondered over to the Anna's tent to find out what ha http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/Gauteng/Johannesburg/Soweto/blog-444670.html hello howzit unjaniSO i arrived at the OR Tambo formally Joburg Int'l Airportyesterday morning around 730 am. The driver from theback packers was almost two hours late due to extreme trafficwhich we experienced on the way back as well. SO this gave me time to run up to Woolworths and buy a cellphonewhich by the way the number is 27735895302 so I bought some airtime and was ready to http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/Gauteng/Johannesburg/Soweto/blog-441654.html Hi allEindelijk ist zover Anouk en ik hebben genoeg verlof opgespaard om weer serieus te gaan genieten van t leven ditmaal in ZuidAfrika.Ja het is onveilig ja we gaan vermoord worden in de steden ja we gaan opgegeten worden door leeuwen ja we missen een been bij terugkomst door het surfen tussen de haaien but hey het wordt funLike last time kunnen jullie hier terecht voor 3tot5dage http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/Gauteng/Johannesburg/Soweto/blog-441263.html I decided to spend the day exploring a bit more of Johannesburg. Although I love the South African countryside and animals I felt I should learn something of the history of the country. I booked a tour that would cover the city centre the Apartheid Museum and Soweto.Johannesburg is a large city covering more than 2500 km sq. It was founded after the discovery of gold in the area by Australian pr http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/Gauteng/Johannesburg/Soweto/blog-437420.html hi everyoneI arrived safe and well on wednesday but the internet here costs a fortune so dont think il be able to write very oftenI went around soweto yesterday a beautiful city however the poverty is stricking and when u see the children in shanty towns well it broke my heart. I've made some friends and much to mr hancocks dismay 'got trashed' wednesday night with a group of americans. ok i http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/Gauteng/Johannesburg/Soweto/blog-377220.html sawubona that'd be hello in zulu 2nd Feb SowetoHello again Where did i leave you guys Oh yeah hungover Or at least Becky was. That was how she spend most of the day so we took it easy kicking back in the gardens under the shade of a big old tree. I took my camera out to try and get some photographs of the birds they are quick little buggers though Managed to catch the sun a littl http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/Gauteng/Johannesburg/Soweto/blog-370685.html ldquoIrsquom from the United Statesrdquo said the Black youth surveying our reactions. I flinch at this introduction considering our surroundings. Irsquom standing in Kliptown a shantytown of sorts a miniscule corner of Soweto just outside Johannesburg. Irsquom confused as to how an American teenager of any creed or culture could end up as one of the four million people living here http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/Gauteng/Johannesburg/Soweto/blog-366530.html Ah today was much better.I arrived in Johannesburg two nights ago Oct. 30 and it was nearly midnight by the time I got to my hostel. Yesterday was spent trying to get myself organized here and I just seemed to have one problem after another with getting money sorted my cell phone my camera card my electrical adaptor the internet . . . anyway most things are now sorted.First thing this mo http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/Gauteng/Johannesburg/Soweto/blog-340904.html Soweto continued...Day 4Saturday 9608 we had set aside for service opportunities in Soweto. My guest house group was late to meet up with everyone at Lebo's because the van sent to pick us up was in a vehicle accident on the way to get us a common occurence in Joburg. When we finally arrived we set off in two groups on walking tours of the township we were in called Orlando West. Our grou http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/Gauteng/Johannesburg/Soweto/blog-321007.html Sawubona hello in Zulu Days 2 though 3The past few days have brought two extremes elite wealth and absolute poverty. Because this is a businessfocused UW course we are visiting multiple companies throughout South Africa which the students have all studied and prepared for. We added to that knowledge by meeting with a lecturer for the Gordon Institute of Business Science GIBS to talk http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/Gauteng/Johannesburg/Soweto/blog-320952.html Today we had two amazing church experiences. We began the morning at Regina Mundi Church in Soweto. This church was the home church of Archbishop Desmond Tutu and played a significant role in the apartheid resistance movement. Although the service was in Xhosa one of the 11 official languages of South Africa the songs were very moving and the congregation was very welcoming.We then continued http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/Gauteng/Johannesburg/Soweto/blog-308528.html The morning began with a bus tour of Soweto. Soweto is a township just outside of Johannesburg that was created by the apartheid government. Soweto is known for its 1976 student uprisings that brought world attention to the gross inequities of South African education during apartheid. Although many people associate Soweto with extreme poverty there is a wide variety of homes that exist there http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/Gauteng/Johannesburg/Soweto/blog-306188.html Day three July 6th Johannesburg Soweto Pretoria1st full day in South Africa.We got up on the late side and had to skip breakfast but we did have coffee and tea in the room with some biscuits Irsquod bought at Paris Airport. By the time my cousin made it onto the bus everyone else were on board or so we thought and ready to go. 1st stop mall to find a change point to change our USD and Euros http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/Gauteng/Johannesburg/Soweto/blog-302434.html Still entralled with my cloistered lifestyle behind the palace walls I woke up this morning to utter luxury and to breakfast in bed still sore from whitewater rafting in what seemed to be a world away. I had questions.They were the first questions I asked my driver when I got in for my day tour of Johannesburg and Soweto. They were the first questions I started asking anyone whom I could screw http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/Gauteng/Johannesburg/Soweto/blog-300206.html Wow today's excursions were very eyeopening. First we visited the Mdelwahlongwane 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 Afri http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/Gauteng/Johannesburg/Soweto/blog-268211.html 04182008 Sorry all behind already on these entries had a problem at the hotel in Johannesburg with the internet connection. In a very ritzy hotel in Cape Town now and with a strong internet connection... Will try to catch up tonight if not will catch up tomorrow04162008 This program is great People to People Citizens Ambassadors they do a great job of informing us about the hi http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/Gauteng/Johannesburg/Soweto/blog-267781.html