Blogs from Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa, Africa - page 28

Arrived at Jo'Burg airport feeling optimistic after the "fun flight" The England Band started up in the airport and that added to the overall good feeling. Our hotel was just 8 minutes from the airport but dumb and dumber (aka Roger and Wendy) managed to do it in 25 minutes. Our hotel room was very small, so small that Roger said no chance of anyone robbing us you couldn't fit 3 people in here. Next day we went up to Centurion to the DKW Guest House and met the lovely Elise. The morning was spent in the local Mall sorting out phones and things then off to Rustenburg. Like anywhere else you just have to be careful.There is always a little bit of truth in all the hype, concerning safety but hopefully we can have a ... read more

Well I think I have officially developed carpel tunnel syndrome from typing these entries with such speed. Also, I want to complain about a few 'corporate issues' that we have been having. First, Verizon wireless sucks in SA. It has service like 5% of the time, except when being hundreds of miles from the nearest town - then the service is perfect. Sure - that makes total sense. Second, Bank of America is really being annoying - Heathers debit and credit cards are both not working. This caused Heather to experience what can only be described as a breakdown. It. Was. Awkward. But understandable. So until tomorrow, I will be funding her trip on a temporary basis. And yes, I will be charging interest. On to the matters at hand. We awoke at 530 AM for ... read more

Right first things first, shop to buy a sat nav!! Phew, one Hawkins issue sorted... Next test the camping skills with a boy scout style chili cooked on the gas burner. Success! I deserve a badge for that one. Highlight of the day, the opening concert. We manage to scam our way onto an Aussie tour bus to the park and ride near Soccer City. Then we get a shuttle to the Orlando Stadium in Soweto. I have managed to wangle an outer circle ticket instead of my nose bleed section seating, turns out though it wasn't needed. To get into the standing area you must have a wrist band, but the bloke giving them out, not only doesn't check your ticket he also doesn't take it away so everyone around us gets the wrist band ... read more

The Apartheid Museum is a 30min drive, Soweto is right next door, you can't go wrong, the hostel owner says. But he doesn't know I have Steven Hawkins with me... I drive again as SH is nervous of an automatic, so he takes lead navigator role. We leave the campsite at 10:30, for the easy-highway all the way- 30min drive. Somehow we don't manage to find the very first road R24, this is where the alarm bells should have been ringing, your navigator could not find his way out of a paper bag!! After a 90min-standard road-stressful journey we rock up at the Apartheid Museum. The noise was deafening, the car park is filled with hundreds of school children all screaming and blowing horns, buses full of more arrive and the screaming and horn blowing increases. ... read more

Geo: -26.1538, 28.0389Well the second leg of the flight, from Singapore to Johannesburg was substantially more painful. Firstly though, it must be noted that Singapore airport is arguably the best around. We had a long 4.5 hours to kill between flights there and it was done easily.Free internet, free video games, lounges, bars, and other entertainment. Even fish in an indoor jungle you could pet!! The flight itself sucked when it finally rolled around. It was jam-packed, so there was no room to switch to a vacant couple seats for comfort. Not only was it packed, but packed full of cringable Australian fans... fortunatly it seems the majority left for Durban, not Cape Town.It took a total of about 5 seconds to get hassled by a local for money upon arrival. Some 'porter' insisted on taking ... read more