the city of diamonds isn't all rough

"To be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others."
-Nelson Mandella

I'm going to Quentin Tarantino this a little bit...my mind is going a million miles a minute.

The first this I noticed was the smell of grass. It was overpowering and amazingly refreshing. It's been months since I've smelled grass.

Getting a ride from the airport to our hostel was a quick glimpse into the lifestyle differences between SA and what I'm used to.

While the grass is green and the palm trees are beautiful it's very clear that Johannesburg has more underlying struggle than it would like to live with. Houses have barred windows, tall concrete/brick/spiked fence walls around them and barbed wire or electric fences on top of that. Broken glass is everywhere and it is all but forbidden for a single person to leave the hostel alone...day or night. We are offered free shuttles everywhere and are told to not walk anywhere...even in large groups. Many people have been mugged numerous times in just minutes, and you can't even see it coming. This is truly just another jungle in Africa, and unless you have a gun you are not on the top of the food chain.

We arrived at 8pm wednesday night. It was barely noon at home. What an odd feeling. The hostel offers free rides everywhere, so naturally we phoned them for a ride 'home'. We quickly hit the ATM and watched as it spit out 5,000.00 Rand for us to split. Thats a bit over $500.

The flights were tiresome and long, and although we craved some relaxation I wasn't ready for bed when we arrived. It was indeed a very long 28 hours of traveling, but our airline was more than amazing offering full on demand movies, music, tv and video games at every seat. Food was abundant and delicious, and every now and then we took a few laps of the plain to keep from cramping up.

So...back to JoBurg. We took our seemingly small fortune back to the hostel (on the wrong side of the road the entire way...) and introduced ourselves to some of the other travelers and staff. Everyone was incredibly welcoming and the hostel is amazing. Pool, hot tub, bar, food every now and then and quite a bit of grass to lay out on and read a book. We got a brief tour, claimed our bunks in an 18 bed mixed dorm room and just chatted for the rest of the night. There was a 10pm food run adventure (apparently everything closes at 10 except gas stations so we got the African version of beef patties and snacks to tide us over.) Eventually it was time for bed, and the bunk was welcoming compared to the pushed together metal seats at Abu Dhabi International airport while laying over.

We woke up ready for breakfast, paid the 20R for our 'continental' breakfast and discovered it was toast, butter, dry corn flakes and tea. Lesson learned...go to the supermarket!

An afternoon adventure sounded like a plan, so Marissa and I accompanied an all girl field trip to the Apartheid Museum downtown. It was life altering.
They displayed photos, live videos and moving articles of the much too recent struggle against racism and corruption. People were still fighting within my lifetime!!! I almost cried watching videos of policemen killing men, women and children because they were black and for no other reason. It's a powerful history that still bubbles under the surface of this current culture. As a white tourist I feel very unwelcome many times throughout my short travels so far, and I hope the mood changes a bit as I move out of one of the hottest spots for violence and hate in the world.

The evening brought me running to the mall with Ivana (a fellow hostel-stayer from Argentina). We chatted in Spanish as I helped her pick out a cool sleeping bag and she helped me pick out a pre-paid cell phone.

We got back just in time to catch everyone heading out for dinner at this amazing German Pub. The food was exceptional, the owner tipsy, the mood fun and the local South African beers intoxicating. We finished the night off at the hostel bar and chatting in the hot tub. A good day and night all around.

Oh, and zero jet-lag here. Marissa (I think) may have suffered a touch of it but is fairing so well I can't even tell. Speeking of Marissa she rocks and I'm incredibly happy she's here with me. It's a completely different feel traveling with a girl and I love it. ***sorry Kev!***

Today is a relaxing day...Marissa and I wandered down the street a bit (cautiously) and found a bar/restaurant and got some local food. We each got 1/4 chicken chips and a salad meal for exactly 23R. The soda was 12R and we left a HUGE 8R tip. Total? the meal was $6 for both of us including tip. yum.

I guess to put things in perspective of prices down here I'll give you some numbers.
delish (HUGE) german dinner (pork chops) and beer...55R = $5.50
300 international minutes for my cell phone? 200R = $20
primaloft one sleeping bag that weighs less than a pound? 650R = less than $65
our awesome hostel with free shuttles etc = 70R a night...you get it.
the conversion is close to $1> 12R, but I've been rounding up for convenience.

Now...we have met some amazing people down here. Natives and travelers alike. And, to be honest, I can't imagine a better feeling than talking to a hesitant native SA'r and in just a few minutes having them open up and welcome us into a real conversation. I hate the immediate look of distrust that we get in most places, but it's amazing to get a smile and a hug from people who thought we were bad news. I hope it makes their day as much as it makes mine.

The landscape? beautiful. blue blue skies, green grass and endless fields contrasted by dry desert and rolling hills. The view of the city from our hostel is mesmerizing...during the day and night alike. It's a glittering gem that I hope can be uncovered and polished up a bit. This city has a lot to offer...but it also has a lot to overcome. Mines and quarries surround the city and remind everyone that should the diamonds dry up the city will as well...hopefully the local government is getting ready for a change of pace as many local mines are closing and unemployment is almost at 50%.

oh crap...out of time!
I miss you all and stay in touch!
=D
my cell is 27 7639 831 79 if anyone desperately needs to contact me. (don't forget the + in front of the number if you're calling from a cell phone!)