South Africa
Doringkop

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    • Day 3

      Johannesburg

      January 7, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

      I'm not one to sit around so it was an amazing day out spent with TK and Nkosie who had meet me the day before traveling from Mbazwana his home town to Johannesburg on a local taxi (amazed he got there really) the tour guide from Johannesburg. Taking us first to Nelson Mandela's house and Desmond Tutu's house in Soweto. They both lived on the same straight and the only two people to live on the same street and hold the Noble Peace prize.
      The history of Soweto was so humbling and actual stand in Nelson Mandela's home where he lived is so hard to describe. One of those moments when you get a shiver down your back.
      The it was on to the area where a young boy Hector Peterson was gunned down in the apart eight times. Demonstrating for the right to not have to speak Afrikaans has a first language in 1976. I was would have been 7 at the time. To think children were marching peacefully on the other side of the world for their rights and the were shot, makes me wonder if there is anything a young teen in todays world would be that passion about anything. We then took a drive through downtown Johannesburg with strict instruction to put our phones away and we were told that we wouldn't be stopping at any red lights. "So please don't worry." That was the understatement. Nkosie said did I want a black marker pen 🙄😂
      Visiting other countries trying to understand other cultures has to be the beginning of trying to understand the one planet 🌎 we all live on.
      Then to Johannesburg Tambo international airport to fly to Uganda with Nkosie, a really adventure for him only the second time on a plane since our trip to Tanzania
      I will be visiting Uganda over the next week with my CoCos Foundation hat 🧢 on. Where in lockdown we help a group of amazing people from Club House the Socail media app purchase a farm to support 1🌍1 street children.
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    • Day 3

      Johannesburg!

      June 6, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

      After a delicious breakfast at The Residence we’re being taken for a tour of Johannesburg today. Our driver is Lucky his mum named him that because she was lucky to get him. 😂He kept us entertained on a six hour tour taking us to 2 of Nelson Mandela homes. One very modest one from his early years before his arrest and the big house where he spent his last years.

      A drive through the city which was full of street markets, it looked like you could buy anything there. I would have loved to have a walk around but I don’t think Lucky thought that was a good idea. Followed by a quick tour of a gold mine museum which funnily enough is in the basement of one of the biggest banks in South Africa.

      South of Johannesburg is Soweto, a city developed as a township for black people under the apartheid system. Most of the struggle against apartheid was fought in and from Soweto. The name Soweto is an acronym, made up - in apartheid days - from the first letters of the words “south western township”. It’s where Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu and Hector Pieterson lived.

      Johannesburg is quite a confronting place. There are lots of people, lots of traffic, lots of crime and lots of poverty. We felt the inner city was more threatening than Soweto. The people of Soweto seemed friendlier, ready to smile and laugh with you. I was really impressed with how many sculptures and murals there where everywhere in Soweto. Disappointed I couldn’t get more photos of them some of them were so detailed. It’s a bit of an uphill battle but it nice to know someone is trying to bring some colour and art into what is really a very crowded community.

      It’s a little surreal coming back to The Residence after that. It’s a luxurious haven in this vast city.

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    • Day 4

      Wallow Lodge.

      June 7, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

      I think we were all relieved to be leaving Johannesburg behind today. It’s a very foggy morning and we’re hoping that doesn’t mean the flight will be delayed. Johannesburg airport is huge but customs and immigration was quick. It’s so quite in this airport hardly any people at all, but the ones who are here are all flying to Victoria Falls.

      Arriving in Victoria Falls and it is hot, really hot and dry. Reminded us all of Western Queensland. Driving into the Lodge we saw a Giraffe right in front of the truck, he was so big, the resident
      male apparently, just wandered casually off as we got closer.
      The Lodge is gorgeous and set on 6000 hectares of National Park. After we’d checked in, had a welcome drink and a bit of a tour of the common area, they asked us if we’d like to go on a game drive this afternoon. Hell Yes!

      Our tents overlook the river and a bit of a clearing on the other side so we spent a couple of hours watching, Impala, Warthogs, Baboons and numerous birds in the trees around us and the clearing.

      The game drive was amazing. We found Elephants, Buffalo, Crocs, Warthogs, Waterbuck, Bushbuck, Impala, Hippo and so many birds. Stopped to watch the Sunset and have a drink and then back to the camp for an amazing dinner.
      Emma had organised a bottle of champagne for us and a celebration cake. Both were delicious.
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    • Day 11

      Soweto, Johannesburg

      October 19, 2011 in South Africa ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

      Soweto (kurz für South Western Townships, deutsch etwa „Südwestliche Vororte“) war ein 1963 administrativ vollzogener Zusammenschluss zahlreicher Townshipssiedlungen im Südwesten der südafrikanischen Industriemetropole Johannesburg.
      Von 1983 bis 2002 war Soweto eine eigenständige Stadt. Seit 2002 gehört es zur Metropolgemeinde City of Johannesburg.
      Soweto gilt seit dem Aufstand in Soweto 1976 als Symbol des Widerstandes in der Apartheidsära.
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    You might also know this place by the following names:

    Doringkop, Q31407523

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