Jo'Burg, South Africa - Wander the Planet .net

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA

Johannesburg is the most densely populated and urbanised city in South Africa - it's home to 3,225,800 people. Joburg is a single municipality that covers over 1,645 square kilometres. Like Cape Town, Joburg is also a city of stark contrasts - from the millionaires neighborhood of Melville to the wealthy upperclass northern suburbs to the townships to the sqautter camps.

While doing research for this trip, all I kept hearing about was the crime in Joburg and how it was the "Murder Capital of the World." Reading travelogues, there were so many tourists that skipped Joburg completely. Well, there was no way I was going to go to South Africa and not stop in Joburg - especially to see Soweto and the Apartheid Museum. Plus, I always like cities other people seem to trash. People are always trashing Mexico City and its one of my favorite cities.

So, we flew to Johannesburg from Victoria Falls and went directly to Rockey's of Fourways hostel. We got a twin room for $10 each. These hostel honor bars stocked with Castle Beer will be the death of me (and my wallet)! Rockey's was cool - had a TV room, internet, bar with pool table, a pool, and a great cook. It was a few blocks from Fourways Mall which you could walk to during the day.

We went to the mall on the first day to go to the photo shop and download digital pics to CDs. Another day we had a free night so we went to the mall to go to the movies. We saw Spiderman 2 - uh don't know what all the hype was about. A cool thing about the movie was the popcorn. They give you unsalted popcorn and then you take it to the 'salt station' and can get regular salt or flavored powder (barbeque, sour cream and chive, nacho, and ranch). Mmmm I had ranch and it was delicious!

As part of our Soweto tour, we also saw parts of Joburg. Yea another tour - trip was very tour heavy! Partly because we always wanted to visit the townships and you had to go on a tour - partly because we didn't rent a car and public transportation wouldn't take us everywhere - and partly because we wanted a guide when going to reserves 'cause they are obviously much better at finding and identifying the animals.

Anyway, Wonderboy (yes that was his name) picked us up from Rockey's to go on Joburg and Soweto tour. Wonderboy was a fascinating character - VERY flamboyant and usually talked in the 3rd person. We drove through Melville, stopped at a field overlooking downtown where Muslims gather to pray, drove by Mandela's house (couldn't stop due to security), and then parked downtown in the CBD.

Joburg's Central Business District is tightly packed with skyscrapers and is one of the most feared places in the city. "Don't worry! You are with Wonderboy. Everyone knows Wonderboy and they won't do anything to you. You are so safe with Wonderboy. Come on, let's get out!" Cool, I thought, but the other 3 tourists on our tour were hesitant and wouldn't get out of the van. "Come on! You are with Wonderboy! You can leave your things in the van. It is safe!" One woman refused to leave her things in the van - camera equipment - so Wonderboy had to carry it for her after a bit of an argument. Sigh! Later, we passed a vendor on the street selling cameras and Wonderboy said, "See? That's where your cameras would be if you decided to carry your bag - if Wonderboy wasn't carrying them now." Ha ha ha funny!

Official Web Site of Johannesburg

English is widely used in Johannesburg - as well as the rest of South Africa. Most street signs are in English - some in English & Afrikaans. But South African English is closer to British English than American.

Biscuit - In South Africa a cookie is known as a "biscuit". It can also be used as a term of affection, usually between men, as in "Hey, you biscuit."

Braai (pronounced br-eye) - This is the popular South African version of a barbecue where meats such as steak, chicken and boerewors (boo-ruh-vorss) are cooked.

South Africans put petrol in their cars, not gasoline. Trunks are referred to as boots, while hoods are called bonnets.

Ask for a soda in South Africa and you will receive a club soda. If you want a Coke or Pepsi, you have to ask for a colddrink or cooldrink.

Dinges (pronounced ding-us) - Used when someone can't immediately remember the name of a person or object. "When is dinges coming around?" or "Please pass me the dinges behind you".

Dop - This is used to indicate a drink, usually alcoholic, as in: "Can I pour you a dop?" It can also mean failure: "I dopped the test."

Dumpie - A South African beer served in a brown 340ml bottle. "Hey bru, throw me a dumpie."

Howzit - A traditional South African greeting that translates roughly as "How are you?" or "How are things?"