Blogs from Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa, Africa - page 18

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Africa » South Africa » Gauteng » Johannesburg » Soweto December 13th 2011

Thismorning began with an early drive back to the Bara. The working day began at 7am with a round of over 30 doctors and students all wearing the same blue scrubs strolling around the hospital. The hospital itself seems to get bigger every few steps. During the morning rounds, the nursing and ancillary staff in each ward join, singing loud choral African music. The sunny weather, echoes of singing and the friendliness of the doctors made for a joyful beginning. After rounds there was a bullet fast M and M meeting at which the staff sat around the table in rank order with the students sitting on a bench against the wall. Thankfully this was the only time during the day when our reception was anything but gracious. Andrew and I put up our hands to ... read more

Africa » South Africa » Gauteng » Johannesburg December 12th 2011

The accomodation in mondeor is great. There is a great variety of places to lounge, the pool is a pool and the bedroom is bright and large. I am living with Andrew, the owners daughter Gemma and a student from victoria who is also Andrew. We make a good little group. Last night we sat drinking wine and talking until it was about 6am australia time and i began to fall asleep in my rocking chair. Wine tastes better without so much tax in it. Thismorning we headed up the highway over the city to Johanesburg hospital and the medical school therein. Dawn Francis, the lady organising the elective was full of good advice and generaly lovely and talkative. I had to pay for some university fees I thaught mum and dad had paid for and ... read more

Africa » South Africa » Gauteng » Johannesburg December 11th 2011

at 9 am, after saying so long to Morgan, Mum and Dad and once again confirming that i would be careful I left off. due to the copious amount of time left before my flight and having circled all of the shops twice I decided to entertain the philosophy that international airports have no time-zones and ordered a Campari and soda. The bar had a $10 minimum for cards so i made it two Campari and soda. Feeling somewhat like an arse I sat sipping my bitter drink and reading the poetry of Pablo Neruda. Looking down the terminal i saw that a line had formed at my gate before it had opened and as it eventually did i started on my second glass. the flight was long but i was sat next to a ... read more

Africa » South Africa » Gauteng » Johannesburg » Roodepoort December 7th 2011

Geo: -26.0863, 27.8398We were in Johannesburg for our leave from work and late this afternoon Paul and I decided to go to the Botanical Gardens. We sat at the hide which overlooked Sasol Dam for about an hour. There wasn't a lot to see, except for a couple of yellow weavers and a red bishop. I managed to get quite a bit of reading and Sudoku done this afternoon.... read more
02 Still Flapping
03 Back
04 Puffed Up

Africa » South Africa » Gauteng » Johannesburg » Melville September 16th 2011

Arriving at J'burg airport it was nice to be greeted with the smiling face of the backpackers Ritz driver. We made our way across the city, passing modern looking cafes and concrete office buildings which were interspersed with iron roofed shacks and piles of rubbish. Within an interesting hours drive we were at the hostel sat in the gardens watching amazing birds - there was a very murky pool and friendly staff. The room was basic and the bedding did not smell too fresh (grateful or the sleeping bags we brought) but it was nice to be horizontal for a while and we were sound asleep in no time. The hostel does not always serve food in the evenings (depending on whether the chef turns up) so we ventured out to get some grub before the ... read more

Africa » South Africa » Gauteng » Johannesburg September 9th 2011

Goodmorning all, It's almost 7 a.m. here and I am up early so decided to add in a quick blip about our time here in Johannesburg. The purpose of our time here is more as a through way to various places and not as a destination in and of itself - but it has been a great and memorable part of our trip nonetheless. We have stayed at the Africa Sky Guest House twice now - when we first arrived to South Africa, the night before departing for Livingstone (Zambia) and then again last night. Both nights it has been the most wonderfully relaxing and pampered experience. The couple that owns it is very involved and so very nice! They actually upgraded our room this time around so we got the upstairs suite with the Jacuzzi ... read more
Our room
Jacuzzi!
Jeff :)

Africa » South Africa » Gauteng » Johannesburg » Melville September 8th 2011

Episode 1 (8.9.2011) We made it - Africa, the dark continent. We arrived safely in Johannesburg, South Africa, yesterday. The Qantas flight over was great for two reasons. 1. Plane only half full and the three of us each got a row of seats to ourselves. 2. I mistakenly thought that we would fly West, over Australia, over Perth and across the Indian Ocean. No - we went south from Sydney , over Gippsland, over Tassie and across the Southern Ocean. This meant that we skirted Antarctica, and we saw icebergs ! Fantastic. We arrived at Johannesburg and had a woman waiting to pick us up and deliver us to our accommodation in leafy Melville in the northern suburbs. We drove past some ramshackle, scary looking suburbs, and past some lovely upmarket suburbs too. The immediate ... read more

Africa » South Africa » Gauteng » Johannesburg August 14th 2011

Today we did what many in Johannesburg do on a Sunday afternoon - wandered around and ate at the Rosebank Mall. The mall is, well...a mall. Nothing about it really sets it apart from Anywhere USA - not the shops (Body Works even!), escalator, food court, the clothes on the people walking about. But on Sundays, I was told, there was a nice African market. So after we stopped at the drugstore so I could buy some lip stuff (it's SO dry here! thirsty all the time and my lips are chapped, chapped, chapped!), Miles and I headed to the market. At first, even this part of the mall felt not totally unlike lots of places in the US...craft fair sorts of places. There were lots of vendors selling their wares. But as we walked through, ... read more
Mr Crepe Man
Something about these women
Dancing at the Mall

Africa » South Africa » Gauteng » Johannesburg » Soweto August 12th 2011

I was truly exhausted last night and yet didn't actually fall asleep until about 3am. Maybe it's just being here, maybe it's jet lag. Regardless, morning came quickly. And despite my eagerness for the bike tour of Soweto, crawling out of bed was no small task. Strong, hot shower and strong, hot coffee, and I was good to go. We drove around the outskirts of Joburg (that's local speak for Johannesburg...that and "Jobi, I'm told) and eventually into the section of Soweto called "Orlando West" (nothing to do with Disney...named after someone...shoot, don't remember who he was...sorry). We found the Backpacker's Hostel, paid for the tour, and joined our fellow travelers in selecting and testing out bikes. After our guide, NK, did introductions and the safety thing, we headed off. We rode down the road - ... read more
Sharing a beer in a shebeen
Kids excited by the bikes, and maybe even us
doing laundry

Africa » South Africa » Gauteng » Johannesburg August 11th 2011

Apologies for the long lag in postings. One of these days I'll back and up and fill you in, but for now, here's the short version since last I wrote: Went to Florida. Lived in a tent, worked as a guide. Left Florida. Saw Linda. Retrieved Skeffy. Drove every mile of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Went to the Cape. Left Skeffy on Cape & went to Canada. Got thrown out of a Canadian National Park. Went to Montreal. Went to Justine's graduation in Burlington. Went back to Montreal. Left Montreal. Went to W. Mass. Back to Cape. Skeffy and I moved into a dorm in Worcester for me to do a 2 month consulting gig a little college there. Finished in Worcester. Put Skeffy in foster care. Went to Cape. Left things in storage unit. Back ... read more
No, I wasn't late to the airport!
Warning on South African wine bottle
Flying into Johannesburg




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