Day 3-044
Day Totals: 16 hrs, 5 .5 kms

South Africa is a bit of an African paradox: it's the most developed country in the continent, but at the same time one of the most dangerous (according to statistics). Tourism ads describe it as one of the best tourism destinations... and yet all South Africans I've met warn me about its appalling crime rate. Oh yeah, and then there's that apartheid thing which anyone over 30 I'm sure still vividly remembers--and I suspect that the resentment from that still simmers not far below the surface.

Wherever I go in the world, my goal is to experience the "real" country, not just the sterilized tourist traps. So far, everywhere I've gone I've been able to do this to some degree (although I don't do as much "slum touring" as I used to...). In South Africa I may be faced with a difficult choice: Either experience the "real" South Africa and make myself a sitting duck for criminals and who knows what, or stick to the "safe" areas catering to white tourists ... and in doing so, well, kind of playing along with the remnants of the apartheid system.

I really don't know how it's going to work. I'll just have to take it a step at a time and see how things go.

The Flight to South Africa

Even before I get on the plane to South Africa, I get the feeling that something is amiss. Why? Well... almost everyone waiting for the plane is white. And South Africa is less than 10% white. You don't see this on flights to the Caribbean or other African countries--the ethnic mix of people on the plane more or less represents that of the country you're visiting.

Already I'm getting the feel that the white South African experience and the black South African experience are two very different realities.

I remember watching the Olympic parade of athletes of each country a few years ago . I remember noticing that the USA, which is mostly white, had mostly black athletes. South Africa, which is 9% white, hardly had any black athletes... hmmm....

On the plane there is an intriguing positive sign: unlike on most flights which offer you mainly just American movies (with a couple European and Bollywood films mixed in), this South African flight offers South African movies...in several languages! Zulu...Xhosa... I try watching one, but it's about a boy who becomes a street thug... and I don't want to be thinking about that right now!

Early in the morning the plane descends towards the sprawling Johannesburg metropolis, where I get a glimpse of freeways, farmland, and American style residential neighborhoods with houses with big yards... shopping centers and big industrial zones...

This is clearly worlds away to the Africa I'm used to of Mauritania and Burkina Faso.

We reach a large, modern airport, and quickly start taking in the details . Usually I don't emphasize race so much, but to understand the lingering effects of apartheid, you have to note people's race here in South Africa.

Everyone goes through customs without a hitch it seems. Everyone, except the one black family that was aboard the plane.

I notice, though, that all the police are black--as are all the immigrations officials. (Almost all the flight attendants were black as well) I can imagine the shock of a white South African who left the country during apartheid and now comes back...

Apartheid is over! I want to exclaim in relief. Or is it? I still need to learn more...

A day with my cousin

My cousin Abi is living in South Africa (working at a home for orphans and abandoned children). I'm bringing two suitcases for her... so for the first time in my travels I'll actually have someone waiting for me at the airport . She's got some free time today, so we decide to hang out for a bit.

"So what's a place you'd like to go to that you haven't been to yet?" I ask.

"Um... I've never been to Mandela's house in Soweto..."

I suddenly remember the warnings of my black South African coworker in Pennsylvania a few years ago. "Whatever you do don't go to Soweto!"

"OK, let's go to Soweto" I hear myself responding, not wanting to be outdone by my cousin... and off we go!

Actually, I had seen in my guidebook that Soweto, the infamous slum or "township" where many of Johannesburg's blacks were forced to live during apartheid, is now a tourist attraction! (or part of it is, at least). Tourists interested in getting a glimpse of apartheid and the struggle against it can go on guided tours to some of the significant sites there . I guess it's not the same Soweto as it was when my South African friend grew up there...

Abi and I head out, guided by GPS, on huge freeway with spaghetti interchanges, clusters of skyscrapers in the distance, and upscale neighborhoods. I notice that there are very few old cars on the road as well. This could be pretty much any Big City in the USA...

Then we reach Soweto, and things change abruptly. Houses suddenly get very small. There are some neighborhoods where the houses looks fairly decent and maintained.. but then, there in a field I spot a sea of tiny metal shacks. They look pretty miserable, all crammed together with barely any space between them. I can't think of anywhere in Africa where I've seen shacks so small, shoddy and crammed together so tightly.

We reach a traffic light, but it's not working. "A lot of the traffic lights don't work here" Abi tells me "but people have a system worked out--everybody just takes turns--it actually works quite well"

Sure enough! There are cars coming in every direction, but they all just slow down and take their turn ... no yelling, honking or jerky near misses. It's actually some of the most polite big city traffic I've seen!

We continue on up a side street, until we reach Mandela's house. Across the street there's a parking lot, but no one to guard it. I'm a little nervous about leaving the car there, but Abi says it should be OK... We cross the street and go inside.

Here we are greeted by a female college student who gives us a tour of the house and the mementos collected inside. She's pleasant and informative as she tells us details of Mandela's life and struggles during the apartheid era. If she has any resentment towards white people, she certainly doesn't show it.

In the yard she shows us the tree under which the children's umbilical cords are buried (according to Xhosa tradition) she points out the bullet holes in the walls.

"When Mandela was in prison, the police would come by and shoot at the house to try to intimidate his wife, as she continued to speak out"

Inside are personal items--including the last picture of Mandela before he was taking off to prison . There are personal letters and images of awards granted to him, included the Nobel Peace Prize that he shared with the white president of South Africa as the collaborated on ending apartheid.

It should be a happy memorial. After all, even though there was a lot of suffering and injustice, apartheid ended and Mandela became president. So everything's OK now, right?

Something tells me that no, everything's not OK. As I listen to our guide, I wonder what kind of living conditions she goes home to at the end of the day... what dangers she faces... what future she has to look forward to.

The Hike

The day is still young as we continue down the road, leaving Soweto behind. Abi says she knows of a good hiking area--which sounds good to me. We continue along the highway heading west until we leave all city behind and are greeted by a "Hijacking Hotspot" warning sign ...

Funny. I don't recall seeing a sign like this anywhere else in the world...

Hennops is actually private land open for hiking. But when we turn off onto a dirt road, we are only greeted by a troop of monkeys crossing the road. At least I can check "saw wildlife" off my list of things to do in South Africa...

We reach the parking area which is empty, not sure what to do. I do not feel comfortable about just leaving the car and starting walking... Finally the security guard shows up, and we pay the entrance fee, and start our hike.

I've learned that expectations can really spoil an adventure. So I'm not going to expect anything special--other than a walk in the country with my cousin... that way I won't be disappointed.

Turns out... Hennops is a wonderful little hike. Right after crossing the river, we reach a rugged rock formation which you can clamber down using a tire ladder . At the bottom is a little cave--and a natural bridge! Nice addition to my "Favorite Natural Bridges of my Parkbench Tour". Thanks to my "traveling photographer", I can have a great picture that will be my new Facebook cover photo.

On the other side of the mini-mountain is a cliff--not really dangerous, but still fun to climb down, and a suspension bridge across the stream.

From there we continue on along the rolling hills of a semi-savannah, with what looks like endless wilderness to the north and west, but glimpses of the sprawling Johannesburg to the east--and a nuclear power plant to the south... It all feels very much "South Africa".

But for some reason, it feels quite safe. It's odd that there be a hiking area not to far from some pretty rough suburbs protected only by a barbed wire fence... but that's just the way things are here in South Africa.

After following a trail that loops through the savannah, and back through a dry gully, we reach the river again . Here there's a cable ride to get back to the other side. Looks like fun--only problem is, it's tied up on the other side--and the current is pretty strong.

I figure that if I hold to the dangling rope, I should be able to ford the river, and untie the cable chair... and fortunately I came prepared to get in the water... so off I go, haul back the cable car and allow a dry crossing for the "damsel in distress"...

...Which it turns out wasn't necessary, as after a couple of crossings just for fun, we both decide to take a swim in the river.

This first day in South Africa is turning out to be a lot of fun.

Visit to a slum

We next head towards Pretoria where Abi lives. Driving through a rough looking neighborhood of little shacks pack tightly together, she explains, "these are actually sizeable home plots that people have illegally subdivided to rent out one room shacks--often to immigrants who can afford little else ."

We stop at a cluster of shabby little rooms. Abi is a registered nurse and she's concerned about a Zimbabwean mother who has recently given birth and may not be getting proper medical care. "When immigrants go to the hospital, they usually get very poor treatment--unless they have someone to speak up for them"

Entering the homes reminds me of some of the poorest homes I visited as a teenager in Mexico. But here it somehow feels worse, with shanties packed so closely together--plus you're in a country where a lot of people really don't like you... and you're always at risk of being robbed with little means to defend yourself.

"South Africa is the USA of Southern Africa--it's the land of dreams, drawing people from all around." Abi tells me.

"Do immigrants usually end up being better off as a result of coming here?"

"It's tough . Wages are very low... rent is high--plus they end up sending so much of their money to their families. It's really, really hard for them to get ahead."

I play a little football with some of the kids outside while Abi tends to the lady, who may have gotten an infection for having left the hospital too early. It's a sobering glimpse into "real life" here in South Africa...

Just a half a block away, the "Freedom Museum" somehow seems a bit ironic.

We finish off the day with a visit to the "Union Buildings," South Africa's beautiful seat of government up on a hill overlooking the city. It's quite an impressive structure with it's pillars, towers and sculptures at the top looking like a blend between a cathedral, a palace and a capitol building--all with a very European look. Below is a towering statue of Mandela, with arms outstretched, reaching out to the city, with photographers waiting around offering to take your picture with Mandela .

Dusk is setting, but it does feel like a reasonably safe place, with tourists and locals of all races strolling, jogging--and doing zumba down below. A pleasant, peaceful finish to my first day in South Africa.