Johannesburg: CITY OF GOLD
“All that glitters, is not gold” -Tolkien
We just got back from Joburg.
Johannesburg has a reputation for being an edgy city. Mainstream media has plenty to say about that. I looked past the crime ‘hot spot’ signs and took notice of some of the positives in this metropolis, South Africa’s ‘City of Gold’.
We landed at Lanseria, a clean, modern, un-crowded airport, with a clearly sign-posted pick up/drop off zone.
A friend met us, took us to our hotel and then spent Sunday afternoon driving us across the city, to a very special spot.
Our accommodation was at an older hotel and conferencing centre, surrounded by some stunning, landscaped gardens, with warm and welcoming staff.
As often happens when travelling, we were reminded of the kindness of strangers. We had gone to watch the rugby. After the rugby match it was getting cold, it was dark and we had no idea where we were in the city. PKP’s phone battery was dying and we couldn’t connect with our Uber driver. Enter a super helpful man, a manager at the KFC by Ellis Park, Inkukuleko (Freedom in Xhosa) He used his phone to book another car for us, then another and then another. He waited with us for about half an hour, until the third driver managed to find us amongst the lively crowds of rugby fans and he made sure that we were safely on our way.
Dumisani, our driver, passed many places that we had read about over the years; Alexandra, Rivonia and Hillbrow. We chatted the whole way back to our hotel, about politics, people and life in Southern Africa.
The next afternoon was spent at the Walter Sisulu botanical gardens, an oasis of calm in this very busy city. It was a perfect afternoon of chatting, a bit of banter with the cafe staff, looking at beautiful botanicals and walking to the Witportjie Waterfall, where a pair of Verreaux Eagles have lived up on the cliffs for about three decades.
Not much sparkled in the dusty streets that we saw in the City of Gold.
But what really glistened were the hearts of the people who we spent time with, kind souls with warmth, helpfulness and a willingness to show us the best side to this city.
© Maggie M / Mother City Time