Joburg, South Africa. Or, Dusting off my Blog.

It has been a loooong time since I have posted on my blog, and for fear that it might die entirely, these next two posts are a feeble attempt to revive it. Many of you have seen some of these photos already, but for those of you not linked to Facebook (a.k.a. World's Greatest Timesuck), here is a short illustrated story of my trip to Joburg.

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On June 4, I flew to the southern most country on the African continent and spent 4 days in Johannesburg, a formidable metropolis.

Joburg was a fascinating city, a study in contrasts and contradictions. It was...

... an African city that couldn’t seem more un-African (which I suppose begs the question, what is 'African' exactly?) in its preponderance of sprawling shopping centers, gleaming skyscrapers and multi-lane highways. In many ways, it felt more like the US than anything else... a place where I could get my fix of shopping as well as a shocking dose of wintry weather.

... a city of diversity in spite of its sordid, apartheid past. Its dark history of racial segregation is manifest through memorials, museums and tributes, all of which – according to this tourist – give the city a certain pulse, a beat of constant remembrance. A vast immigrant population consisting of Congolese, Zimbabweans, Indians, and more, inhabit many of the city’s neighborhoods as well as the surrounding townships.

The Museum of Man & Science that had little to do with either man or science…


… and more to do with weird, dried animal skins and bones, and other rather creepy items within the traditional healer’s domain.

A vestige of the apartheid era – a sign that designated this shop as a “non-white shop.”

The Hector Pieterson Memorial, a tribute to the student uprising sparked by a mandate to use Afrikaans as the language of the classroom. The stones are meant to symbolize the students' solidarity.

Iconic photo of one of the youngest victims of the violence – Hector Pieterson – being carried by a fellow student.


...a city of opulent mansions fortressed in by imposing walls and arresting coils of barbed wire as well as a city of lawless neighborhoods crippled by violent crime, unchecked corruption, and crushing poverty.


Nelson Mandela’s House, in the leafy, suburban neighborhood of Houghton

St. John’s Boys Academy, also in Houghton

Hillbrow, arguably the most dangerous section of Joburg which ironically sits adjacent (and in stark contrast) to Houghton

... a city of townships, like the Southwest Township more commonly referred to as “Soweto.” Soweto was a vibrant community of unique homes and a surprising lack of crime (achieved through a fierce version of community police). Low crime notwithstanding, Soweto was not without its areas of squalor.

The ubiquitous barbed wire

... a city of gold. Joburg was founded as a mining town, and supposedly there is still gold to mine for another 80 years or so….

Note the yellowish tint of the soil from the gold deposits