Johannesburg 2018
Ann photographing the Mohatma Gandhi statue in Gandhi Square from the top of the tour bus
For our Botswana Safari we flew into & spent a couple of days in Johannesburg. Created in the late 19th century as a result of finding gold in the area, Joburg feels an artificial city to a casual visitor, such as myself. It has no history and has wealthy areas showing off its “bling” next to very poor areas.
Personal safety is a serious issue here. Tourists are not advised to go out after dark. The hotel we stayed in didn’t offer evening meals, so everyone had to order take-aways to be delivered. It was not safe to walk to the nearby shops in the evenings. In the full free day we had here we took a taxi to the start of a hop-on, hop-off city tour & a taxi back to the hotel at the end. On the bus tour there were areas where the commentary stated that tourists should not visit as we would find the experience overwhelming (in other words you would certainly get mugged – if not worse!).
The only place we hopped off the bus was at the Apartheid Museum, which was one of the best specialist museums I have ever visited. With the exception of the museum visit, all the photos below are from the safety of the tour bus.
(Left) A modern Office blocks reflecting earlier buildings in the financial centre.
Below – a reminder of the gold mining heritage
Below – the outskirts of Soweto
I took several random photos of street scenes & without realising I took one of what I assume to be a drugs exchange between the two at the centre of this photo. The man in the white hat realising what I had done immediately ran towards the bus to confront me – luckily the bus moved on & I was safe! It did though leave me very apprehensive for the rest of my stay in Joburg.
The Apartheid Museum
(Below) the approach to the Museum
(Left) A clever mirrored entrance to the museum complex. Each of the mirrors has a character painted on it whose story is the told inside.
(Below) The building’s “welcoming” entrance.
You weren’t supposed to take photos inside the museum (why?) – but at least I got this one on the right.
We waited for the return bus at The Great African Steps in Constitution Hill. The disclaimer on the adjoining notice to this weird sculpture states that “Visitors acknowledge that they enter this facility entirely at their own risk. By entering these premises visitors accept that they shall have no claim against the … management .. arising out of accident or personal injury which visitors might sustain or damage, loss or theft of any visitors property whilst on the facility.” Go ahead & feel at home in the centre of Joburg then!
