Oct. 12 Joburg

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Days 4-5

Yesterdaywe toured Soweto and the Apartheid Museum with our driver/guide, Anthony. Soweto has many faces from the grinding poverty of the shanty towns to government assisted new housing and apartments for those who can escape these terrible living conditions and lovely privately owned small homes and condos.
We stopped at a new bungee jump facility created between two de-commissioned cooling towers, Soccer City where opening and closing ceremonies for the 2010 World Cup were held.Then to the site of the June 76 Student March and Nelson Mandela Home. After lunch in that area,off to the Apartheid Museum for the afternoon.....all venues so well done...conveyed the sad events through amazing design and architecture....a sobering afternoon but well worth it.
Drove home through an awesome torrential thunderstorm with lightning flashing and cars driving on the freeway with 4 ways on. The storm continued all night with a power outage. Impressions of Joburg are that it is a very modern, clean and well organized city with great freeways, many new residential communities, malls and businesses.
Today, we meet our group and pack to hit the road, starting early Sat am with 2 days in Kruger Park and our first game drives.On Monday we drive to Polokwane and into Botswana on Tuesday. Not sure if and when we will have internet access but will do our best! We have enjoyed Joburg and Safari Lodge but are anxious and very excited to "get out there"! Hope all is well with you all....Happy 2 Months Old wee Mya!

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