Before arriving in Johannesburg, South Africa, we had heard many conflicting stories as far as what to expect. Some said the reputation for how dangerous this city is was overrated, others said don’t plan on leaving your hotel without bodyguards. In a nutshell, I think it falls somewhere in the middle, perhaps leaning a little more towards the dangerous side. It is not safe to walk around outside in the vast majority of the city – day or night – particularly the downtown area. However there are some places where it’s ok to go for a short stroll. Provided you are very aware of your surroundings and on guard at all times. I think the Wikipedia advice sums it up well (see bottom of entry under Stay Safe).

We decided the best way to see the city would be to hire a driver/guide for the day. Patrick turned out to be an amazing resource for showing us areas we otherwise could not go into, giving us his views on Apartheid since he has lived here his entire life, and giving us a real perspective on life in such a strange place to live. The tour started innocently enough with a trip through the wealthy northern suburbs, including where Nelson Mandela lives. It was then time to “roll ‘em up and lock ‘em” as we went into the center of downtown. We went through some of the pretty bad neighborhoods, riddled with gangs, drugs, and prostitution. And that’s just the stuff we could see. The CBD (central business districts, which is what “downtown” is called everywhere except America) is actually seeing a small revival. All hotels and business had been completely closed down due to excessive violence, however a few are now beginning to move back in and there is even a hotel scheduled to open in a few months.

Next stop was Soweto, which stands for South Western Townships - perhaps the most interesting part of all of Johannesburg. This is an area where many blacks were displaced to during the beginnings of Apartheid. It is now a mix of somewhat respectable homes and complete and absolute poverty. Patrick took us through areas where there is no running water or electricity. What few places have electricity are stealing it by running a precarious line through dry brush to their shack.

We drove into what looked to be the poorest and scariest part of all when the car was mobbed by children of all sizes and ages. I must admit, I was thinking to myself “Get us the hell out of here fast”. But Patrick had other ideas. He stopped the car, opened the semi-armored doors, and told us to get out. And so, I finally felt what it was like to be Oprah. We were literally swarmed by the most adorable and friendly children I have ever seen. We flowed down this river of children into Grandma Elizabeth’s shack, the old lady who makes bread to feed them all. There we got a chance to talk with her a bit (she was very shy) and spend some time with the kids. It was truly one of the most amazing and moving experiences of my life. They say once you go to Africa, a little piece of it will always stay in your heart.

We ended the very, very long day with trips to the house Nelson Mandela grew up in, the museum commemorating the Soweto uprising of 1976, and the Apartheid museum. If ever in Johannesburg – and that’s probably a big “if ever” - I highly recommend going to the Apartheid museum. And that’s saying a lot since I generally don’t like museums. It really is extremely well done.