Where the Wild Things Are

Trip Start Jun 16, 2007

Trip End Aug 11, 2007

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Flag of South Africa Johannesburg, South Africa
Monday, June 18, 2007

When darkness kicks in everything that was once commonplace is no more. I arrived in Jo'burg last night and spent the night thinking about all the crime that is synonymous with the city once considered the murder capital of the world. The car jackings, daytime muggings, etc. all played into my fear. It's funny how the darkness does things to you. I still get a little fearful every time I pass a dark alley.

The next day, the sun came out and all the fears I associated with Jo'burg were gone. Suspicious looks turn into smiles and I felt better that day. I took a tour of Soweto (short for South West Township). This is the place where blacks were relocated during the apartheid era. There are some affluent areas in Soweto but the township remains to be a ghetto. A fellow backpacker, Gez, and I walked through the Soweto with our tour guide. There is a lifelessness here that I found to be quite depressing. But it's hard to make any real judgments after spending one day here.

Tomorrow I head out to Namibia to see the sand dunes. It will be nice to see a little nature for change.

Cheers,

Paul