Hop on to the Joburg vibe with Debbie and Catherine!

Hillbrow and Ponte towers from the Carlton Centre

Had a busy couple of weeks doing bus/walking/self-guided tours of various parts of this amazing and confusing city.

Most of the time we were accompanied by a new Canuck colleague, Karen Hemmingson from BC Housing. Karen is spending 3 months as a Rooftops volunteer doing various pieces of work for NASHO.

We managed to snag the cottage right beside ours, in Ruby’s backyard. So Karen is our neighbour as well and we can share dinners as well as power outages, rides to work and nice rosés. Malcolm, the ED of NASHO, thinks there’s a conspiracy to have Canadians take over the SA social housing sector!

Hop on/Hop off bus tour:

On a perfect Joburg day, Sunday the 11^th, we found parking at the train station and took the tourist bus around town. It gave Debbie and Karen an idea of how spread out the city is and stopped at some of the well known destinations like the Casino (évidemment), the Apartheid Museum, the Transportation Museum (who knew?), the Carlton Centre (tallest building in Africa when it was built), etc. We only got off in Newtown to spend an hour looking at an amazing photo exhibit from the struggle period (Rise and Fall of Apartheid) at the Museum Africa.

Apartheid

Special “turista” week

On the evening of that perfect day, Catherine succumbed to what turned out to be a rotavirus. After three days of staying very close to the bathroom and not doing much else, some chicken soup revived her and the nasty bug went away without affecting anyone else. There are no pictures related to this event.

Every city has one

A Chinatown, that is. On another perfect day a week later, Saturday 17^th, the three Canuck gals took a guided walking tour of Cyrildene, the “new” Chinatown of Joburg.

It is a very small area in one of the (previously Jewish) burbs, where the Chinese community migrated once their traditional CBD area became unsafe.

Nice, but Ottawa’s is nicer

For us the highlight was visiting a Buddhist temple and hearing from their head monk and then participating in a tea ceremony.

High Mountain
Tea on the roof of the temple

Cyrildene temple head monk with Kwan Yin

As in Ottawa and Vancouver, “Chinatown” is a broad term and encompasses Thai and Vietnamese shops. We recognized many of the typical vegetables and ended up having lunch at a Thai place.

Just like the Kowloon, but outdoors!

Yummy prawn sticks, only fifty cents!

Maboneng, place of light

After driving past highjacked buildings , surrounded by bundles of razor wire covered in garbage, we arrived at the Maboneng Precinct, an entirely different world… Funky whitewashed warehouses full of galleries and shops and a smorgasbord of gourmet food to meet all cultural tastes.

The area, which was predominantly industrial, manufacturing and small business, fell on hard times. Consequently there was opportunity to snap up some originally very well built, vacant buildings at reasonable cost.

A 29-year old “entrepreneur”, Jonathan Leibman, formed a company called Propertuity, which has been the driving force to transform this area into a center of creativity and commerce in the heart of Joburg.

Good advice

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sales trailer for the tiny affordable condo units

But what to do with/for the “binners” who work/live in abandoned warehouses?

One of the first businesses to be established, taking advantage of a City program to encourage youth entreprises, is Curiocity Backpackers Hotel. The owner, 21-year old Bheki Dubé, showed us around and mentioned some of the history of this site,

Bheki Dube at Curiocity community kitchen

which included being the gathering place for the Black Sash (white middle class women fighting apartheid). It is believed that Mandela and others were also sheltered here at some point.

Black Sash women protesting the passbook laws

Another business, I Was Shot In Joburg, is an arts-based entreprise for at-risk youth to manufacture retail items (bags, tshirts, books, cushion covers) that speak to the inner city vibe. The kids were given cameras and the images they captured are used in the making of the merchandise.

I Was Shot in Joburg and all I got was this tote bag…

We came back twice after to attend movies at the Bioscope. The owner also runs the Chalkboard café next door where one can buy pizza and a nice merlot to bring in to the movies. (Hint to Bytowne owner…) The documentaries were both worth the drive. The first one was based on Franz Fanon’s writing and called “Concerning Violence”. The second one, which we really loved, is called “Jeppe on a Friday” and was done by two women filmmakers. It follows 8 people who live and work in the very same area (Jeppestown) and takes place all in one day. Turned out that one of the filmmakers, Shannon Walsh, is associated with the NFB and made a very similar movie called “26 August, St.Henri” in Montreal a few years ago.

Here is a link to the trailer for Fridays on Jeppe.:

Note to readers: there are a number of links to YouTube on this blog. It’s possible that you are not getting them if you are reading this on a lower rez device like a phone or tablet.

Another dinner at the Leopard

With Canadian friends, of course. On Tuesday 20th, we spent a lovely evening with Ottawans Penny and Gautam as well as Penny’s brother-in-law, Iyavar, who lives in Joburg. They were doing a couple of weeks in SA before heading to Zambia and then India.

Iyavar is a lawyer working on issues of child pornography and travels around the world offering his knowledge to police and courts trying to deal with this terrible scourge.

Gautam related their attempt to get to Beijing, where apparently you can land, but can’t leave. The upshot was they were “deported” straight from the transit lounge and managed to get an early flight to Cape Town.

The Melville Canadian Consulate and restaurant

Where the music and the struggle met

And the whole place was bulldozed to the ground in the mid-50’s, when Sophiatown was declared a “whites only” area.

Until they come with guns and bulldozers….

Sophiatown was a private piece of land which the owner subdivided, hoping to attract white middle class buyers. But it was poorly located (near waste management plants), so he gave up on that and decided he would sell to whoever was interested. Turned out that a large number of black and coloured folks bought up the area and it became a very vibrant neighbourhood.

There were a number of gangs formed (The Americans, The Berliners) who ruled much as they do elsewhere, though most of them stole only from the rich (=whites). They even developed their own lingo, Tsotsitall. So when the cops were coming heading their way, folks would warn them using this secret language.

Sophiatown was where the music was, spawning ground for folks like Hugh Masekela, Miriam Makeba, Dolly Rathebe and many more. Of course, this music was also part of the resistance to apartheid. People met at the ODIN theatre where they pretended to watch gangster movies while actually sitting in the back rows and planning the revolution. If you get hold of the 1951 version of “Cry the Beloved Country”, you will see some scenes filmed in Sophiatown.

There are only 3 buildings left of the original Sophiatown, one of them is now the Cultural Centre and that is where we started a walking tour of the area. It was a bit disappointing, since our guide could only point to places and say “that’s where…. used to be” But the museum had some great photos and write ups. And it was another blue sky sunny day in Joburg on Saturday 24th.

Sophiatown Cultural Centre and our guide (forgot her name!)

And now we are in the Dragon Mountains where Debbie is hiking and Catherine is not hiking. More on that in the next post.

So… that’s all for now, folks!

 

Debbie’s adventures in Game Land

On the way to Madikwe…I almost got arrested!

The N4 divided highway was great and at 120 km an hour, it proved to be clear sailing…until I got pulled over in Swartruggens at a speed trap. As you enter small towns the speed limit goes down to 60. I was leaving the town and assumed the speed limit had increased again. The highway patrol woman told me I was going 96 in a 60 km zone and showed me the chart with the respective list of fines. When I asked what my fine would be, she said that anything over 90 km  was automatic arrest. She said we’d have to go with her to the Police Station which was down the road. At which time Catherine asked whether we should contact the Canadian Embassy. She hesitated, I think having assumed we were locals. Catherine asked whether we could just pay the higher fine. She stated that no there was no higher fine; the penalty was arrest. At this point, I started to cry…This obviously got to her and she said, “Please don’t cry. Oh, just pay me R200 (the equivalent of $20 Can!)”. We thanked her and went on our way, realizing just what happened there. We were just implicated in bribery! Thinking back on the situation, there was definitely something fishy…she didn’t ask for my driver’s license; she didn’t show the picture of our car at the speed limit she asserted and why would she asked for a mere R200 when the fine for going 90 km was R800! She obviously pocketed the R200.

Mosetlha Bush Camp & Eco Lodge

Named after the Mosetlha tree, which grows in abundance in the Madikwe Game Reserve. It’s a very valuable tree providing food and shelter and its flowers are favoured by bees. It’s also know as the “toilet paper tree” because of it’s soft, feathery leaves. But one must beware to not confuse it with the similar Acacia tree, which has thorny spines along its leaves!

Our gracious hosts at Mosetlha. The owner since 1995, Chris is standing and Greg, the Manager is seated. After each game drive they would meet us and debrief about our sightings and experiences. Chris just left the corporate world last year seeking to live a more peace existence..I think he’s found his niche..

The Madikwe Game Reserve is one of the closest game reserves to Johannesburg, about a 4 hour drive. This is the 4^th largest game reserve in S.A., with just over 75,000 hectres of land. Bordered by Botswana to the north, the Dwarsberg Mountain range to the south and the Marico River to the east. The unique location supports a rich diversity of landscapes, from bushveld to dry, grassy, savanna plains to rocky outcrops and mountains, to natural streams, manmade damns and troughs running from the Marico River. The rich diversity of land lends to an unusual variety of game sighting. Our reason for being there!

“The little unpolished gem in Madikwe’s crown”

The Mosetlha Bush Camp is off grid, with no running water / electricity. This is the only eco-lodging within the Game Reserve. A maximum of 16 guests are accommodated in 8 cabins located around the perimeter of the camp. Facilities are rustic with comfortable beds in raised wooden cabins, open at the front and back but having canvass covers for privacy and to keep out the rain. The day we arrived it was 38 degrees, so the cross ventilation in the cabin  was a godsend. It’s surprising how quickly things cool off once the sun goes done.

Each night when we return from our evening game drive we were greeted with over a 100 oil lamps that grace the paths to our respective cabins and the central area where we share our evening meal together. It is a magical sight. At the centre of camp is the lapa, where the lounge, reference library and bar are located, the boma (fire pit and seating area) where we gather after evening dinners and the dining room with the massive table which comfortably seats 20 people  under the thatched roof.

A place to read, relax and cool off in at the lapa.

Our dining area at the Mosetlha Bush camp

The outdoor toilet and shower areas were impeccable given their bushveld rusticity. These are of roofed timber construction and fully surrounded by wire mesh fence (to keep out the animals). There are long drop, ventilated toilets with real wooden seats and never a smell. (Always a point of interest for us housing folk!) The showers used a traditional donkey boiler system.

And if you’re really interested…here’s the link to the UTube video by the owner’s daughter:

Basically here’s how it works: Cold water from the reservoir goes into the funnel, down into the metal barrel which is heated by the fire below and hot water comes out immediately on the other end. The hot water is then taken to the shower room and placed into the safari shower (a hanging metal bucket with a shower head attached to the bottom). That one bucket of water gives a 3 to 5 minutes shower. Amazing, simple technology and conserving water to boot! Do I ever feel guilty about the amount of water I use in my bathtub at home! Catherine and I actually preferred the cold, refreshing showers to cool off between game drives and after dinner before going to sleep

Bush Camp Schedule

5:00 am: wake up and relighting of oil lamps

5:30 am: morning game drive

7:30 am: coffee break on the bushveld

9:30 am: return from morning game drive & hearty breakfast

10:00-2:30: chatting, napping, checking reference library on game, bird, reptile and tortoise sightings and Catherine reading aloud the stories of Herman Charles Bosman: “a feast of S.A. best-loved tales” of the area!

2:30 pm: lunch is served & more chatting, napping, researching & reading

4:30 pm: evening game drive

At 6:30 we stop for our sundowner on the bushveld with our favourite libation. Justice, our trusted guide is on the far right. We shared our lovely vacation with folks from Amsterdam, Moscow and England.

8:30 pm: return from evening game drive & late dinner

10:00 pm: lights out

Sort of like summer camp as a kid! But way better.

4 days, 6 game drives

We were awoken each morning at 5:00 a.m., had coffee and fruit before leaving at 5:30 just as the sun was rising.

Stunning Madikwe sunrise with the unmistakable Leadwood trees skeletons

Perfect bird watching/listening time! Thanks to Richie, I’m always lucky when I wear my crow earrings she made. Although many S.A. birds were similar to ours (finches, starlings, doves, crows, buzzards, eagles, herons, ducks) there were many new birds to me (not that I’m a serious birder though): pied babbler, weavers of all kinds!, kites, hornbills, francolins, louries, nightjars, redbilled oxpeckers (we saw one go into a rhino’s ear!), many different kinds of shrikes, swifts and waxbills. One of the most interesting birds was the male Paradise Whydah. He has this incredible 23 cm tail on his 15 cm body. It’s there to attract the gals. Once he finishes mating, he no longer has need for this long appendage and he loses it.

Yellow billed Hornbill outside our cabin

Besides seeing “the big 5”! (elephant, lion, buffalo, leopard, rhino) we also saw many herds of prey, including: impalas, burchell zebras, wildebeests, kudus, giraffes, warthogs, red hartebeests, steenbok, gemsbok (oryx gazelle). They tend to hang together for protection against their predators: cheetahs, jackals, spotted hyaenas (also sighted) plus lions and leopards.

Red Hartebeest with her baby. Our cabin was named after this mammal.

A small herd of Wildebeests with their young.

Giraffes, a most elegant and regal species….

A Burchell Zebra and her baby. No zebra has the same pattern. Each is unique.

 

Female Kudu with a Zebra in the background

Male Kudu. Try and get a close up of the unusual shape of the horns. What a perfect setting.

Leopard Tortoise, one of the “little 5” often seen crossing the roads

Justice: Our driver and field guide

He was fantastic. He knew exactly where and when to look for game, birds, reptiles, tortoises and the ever-incredible dung beetle. Catherine liked these guys the best of all!

The male is front centre and the attached female is off to the left.

The male dung beetle positions himself upside-down and uses his back legs to push the ball of elephant poo, while his female partner attaches herself and goes along for the ride. Once the ball gets to a sufficient size, they bury the ball and the female lays her eggs inside. When the larvae hatch they feed on the dung and eat their way out. Fascinating stuff those poop balls and beetles!

We lucked out in seeing a leopard!

There had been no leopard sighting in over 2 months at the Reserve. Justice knew she was around because another field guide spotted an impala kill up a tree; a sure sign of the leopard’s handywork. Leopards do this to keep scavengers, like hyaenas away from their kill. The next day, Justice took us back to the location, the kill was gone but we later sighted the leopard as she took off into the bush and then escaped into the culvert. I was able to get a picture before she escaped our vision; it was fleeting but worth it!

Leopards are solitary and exceptionally strong, having the ability to carry the large carcass of an animal up a tree away from scavengers.

Only 7 cheetahs at the Madikwe Game Reserve

We saw 4 bachelor cheetahs on two separate game rides. The males stay together. Justice told us that there are 2 females that are quarantined on the Reserve and they are just getting ready to release them. Hopefully, more cheetahs in future! Cheetahs are recognizable by their “tear stripe” leading down from the corner of their eye. They also have longer legs than leopards.

Lions: the most social of “the big cats”

They live in groups called prides, usually consisting of a male with several females and their cubs and maybe a few other males. Our first day out we saw a male and female together. Our last day we came upon a pride with 1 male and 4 females. Justice told us they were 2 pairs of twins. The male was getting on, at 10 years. The average life span of a male lion is 15 years. Males are constantly marking their territory by spraying and scuffing. We didn’t see any lion cubs because the females are currently contracepted to keep the numbers in check.

Lions are found in savanna grasslands with scattered Acacia trees, which serve as shade.

Rhinos: endangered species

There is a poaching crisis in S.A. due to the rhino horn demand from Asia. In 2011 alone there were 448 rhinos killed. Word has it that much of the poaching is due to inside jobs or from locals who are offered lots of money. There is quite a lobby effort in place in S.A. and more money has been put into anti-poaching park rangers that do surveillance of the reserve 24/7.

We only saw white rhinos. Black rhinos are now extremely rare. Most Game Reserves no longer publish their numbers to deter poachers. It is heartbreaking to know this cutting off of the horns and the killing of these animals continues to occur on a regular basis.

Rhinos love to roll in the mud. It not only helps them cool off but the mud acts as a sunscreen and insect repellent. I guess we’ll be rolling in the mud come July in Ottawa. I’m sure this is hard to fathom given the deep-freeze temperatures now…

The female rhino has the larger horn

African Buffalo: this guy gets to be on the back of the 100 Rand banknote

There were a few African Buffalo and their babies that roam through the bush camp due to it being unfenced. This aspect adds greatly to the experience of being in a true bush camp. They’re attracted to the watering hole located in front of Chris’ house, the owner of the eco-lodge. Apparently they can be one of the most dangerous animals in the bush. One came crashing through camp one night. Luckily I was sound asleep. Another night, upon arriving from our 4 hour evening game drive, around 9:30 we came upon one almost charging into the Land Rover. Other times we’d see them in the distance, but given I only had a pocket camera with limited zoom capability, I’m afraid I never had the opportunity to get a picture. Pictures of rhinos, however are everywhere…for it’s on the back of R$100 banknote. Worth about $10.00 Canadian. In fact all “the big 5” are on the back of the South African banknotes, with Mandala, of course on the front. Only the leopard rates higher, on the 200 Rand banknote!

Who is the favourite of them all…?

Of course the blog would not be complete without reference to the all time favourite of the big 5, the elephant. We saw many elephants, only bulls, however and no babies…There is a popular folklore that elephants get drunk on the fruit of the Marula tree (which also grow in abundant at the Reserve) but wildlife specialists argue that they could not possibly eat the huge quantities to compensate for their enormous size. Amarula is a popular after dinner liquour made from this fruit tree. It was served on my KLM flight from Amsterdam to Johannesburg. Similar to Bailey’s.

There comes a point when you just need to get from behind the camera and be in the moment with the animals when they are displaying the fullness of their behavioural traits, the things that so fascinate us about these amazing creatures …the elephant bulls playing with one another, interlocking their tusks and wrapping their trunks around each other before heading off to cool down and spray themselves at their favourite watering hole.

… And there was the night display as the “king of the jungle” roared many times as we sat in awe listening and watching. The sound does not come from his throat. It comes from the very pit of his belly and we could see the reverberation of his body as he roared. It was an enthralling experience to be apart of. To see all these animals in their natural environment is such a privilege and so awesome.

Not only can he roar but check out the paws on this king of the jungle…

We are indeed lucky gals…!

 

Guest post by Debbie

Good omen as I embark on my 2-month journey in South Africa:

 

No major delays encountered on the long trek to Johannesburg. My one regret was having a window seat for the 11 hour flight from Amsterdam to Johannesburg. I was glad to be greeted by Catherine with a big welcome smile and open arms. We drove back from the airport entertained by a spectacular sound and light show of thunder and lightning. Accompanying the warm summer are also tropical storms, which usually don’t last longer than 2 hours.

Christmas was celebrated with the opening of cards and presents from back home. Thanks to all of you for your thoughtful and yummy presents from Canada. The local hawkers did well by Catherine who bought several small beaded Christmas decorations to hang on the tiny black beaded Christmas tree.

Our festive Christmas at the Melville cottage

World’s biggest man-made forest

One of the striking things about Johannesburg is how green it is. It’s known as the ‘city that’s a rain forest’ with more that 10 million trees. The tree canopy is fantastic. Right in the middle of this sprawling metropolis of 600 suburbs is the Melville Koppies Nature Reserve, one of the most beautiful natural settings in Joburg. Catherine’s cottage overlooks this lovely green area covering more than 150 hectares. On the Sunday after arriving I did a rigorous 10 km group hike through the Koppies. The 3-hour walk was rated a 2 out of 3 difficulty, with some relatively steep, rocky slopes. Given the high altitude of Joburg (almost 1800 meters) and it being a hot and humid day, I certainly felt tired and winded when finished. I plan on taking a guided walking tour this Sunday so maybe I’ll write more of the geology and the flora (entirely indigenous!) in the Koppies. A gem indeed!

Walking in the Koppies. Many dogs, great views of Joburg.

The protea, S.A.’s national flower

Most progressive constitution in the world

A walk and guided tour of Constitution Hill was a very moving experience for me. This notorious prison complex was where Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, and many other anti-apartheid activists, including the students of the1976 Soweto uprising were detained, at “Number Four”. During the height of the apartheid era, as many as 2000-3000 black men and women a day were incarcerated under appalling conditions for merely not carrying their pass books.

Solitary confinement cells for political prisoners

This entire site has been transformed into a place of teaching, and it demonstrates that the injustices of the past can be turned into a place of present and future justice. It is now the location of the highest court in South Africa, dealing with constitutional matters. The Court building is a beautiful piece of architecture and highly symbolic. They have reused the bricks from the demolished Awaiting Trial Block, now part of  a circular, welcoming and transparent space, where natural light streams into the forum from many angles and one can see in from the outside.

Inside the Constitutional Court

The use of slanted columns throughout is a metaphor for trees, the place where traditional Africa would resolve disputes. It is definitely an architectural space that pays homage to the work done there. Sometimes architects do get it right!

The view from Con Hill

 

Mall Culture & Driving around

On Tuesday, I got up my gumption and took the wheel. Remember, driving is on the left side of the road here. Luckily it appears that everyone has left town for the holidays, so no traffic to contend with. It wasn’t too bad except when the “robots” (we call them traffic lights/signals) at the major intersections were not working (note: this happens regularly). Starting to get my bearings and know my way around in the immediate neighbourhood.

What’s up with this mall culture? Everyone goes to the malls and there are many of them…Guess in part, it has to do with the safety factor. Wherever one parks, there are lots of “car guards” everywhere; guys looking for money to take care of your car. Everyone’s got some sort of job here…

Stylish glass toilet doors at the Cresta Mall

December 31, 2014

New Year’s eve, we headed down to Newtown to the Mary Fitzgerald Square to take in some local live music and food. Mary Fitzgerald was the first female trade unionist in the country and in 1911 she led the wives of striking tram workers. The square is the centerpiece of this area’s (Newtown) urban renewal project, which includes 650 mixed income housing apartments delivered by the Johannesburg Housing Company, major private investment to develop shopping, sports and cultural facilities. The verdict is still out as to whether it has been successful.

One of many colourful characters ringing in the New Year

We ran into some youth wearing “Ambassador” t-shirts and started chatting with them about the event. This led to us asking about their take on politics in South Africa. They are not of the current ANC Zuma regime and although they appeared interested in the Ecomomic Freedom Fighters (EFF), they were still hesitant about putting hope in the party. Turns out they are part of a City led initiative, called “Cities Yeah” (?) which involves youth aged 18 to 24 in mentoring initiatives. They were fun, engaged and thoughtful youth and a highlight of our New Year’s eve.

The future of Joburg wishing you a great 2015!!

Happy New Year to all my friends, family and co-workers.

That’s all for now folks….