Learning about Apartheid

After spending the past 2 nights sleeping on the airplane, I arrived in Johannesburg bright and early (7am). It was freezing!!! Fleece came out immediately. And I was very happy that I managed to find a sweater (although very thin) in Hong Kong before my flight.

For some reason, I was not tired at all and felt the need to explore the city. My energy level at this age amazes me sometimes... Johannesburg, of course, is not really a town you can explore on your own. There's the distance issue, but safety is the main concern. So I joined one of the tours offered by my hostel and headed to the Apartheid Museum and Soweto with a French girl.

Man, South Africans drive CRAZY! I swear, always above 80mph on the highway.

In the US, you never learn about South African history. All the information was so overwhelming - I never even realized that their segregation, racial uprisings, and democracy were so recent. Usually, I get extremely bored at museums; can't last more than an hour in them. But this time, I was curious. Learning is a good thing. I basically spent the entire 2.5 hours allotted at the place and even then, I didn't get through all the displays. But please don't quiz me...I don't retain information that well anymore.

As for Soweto, it genuinely surprised me. I mean, whenever I heard the word before, I had this image of shanty towns, danger, and extreme poverty. Certain areas definitely fit this description, but it's not all like that. There are some really posh neighborhoods with huge mansions. According to my guide, some successful African businessmen prefer to remain in their tight community rather than move off into the suburbs. (When I went to Cape Town later on, I actually met a couple who felt the same way and lived in Soweto!) But just a few minutes drive from these upscale homes, there are tiny, tiny huts with neither electricity nor running water. The South African government is trying to improve the living conditions of the poor by proving free housing. The problem, of course, is the endless demand. It seems like once the government provides a new home, the resident is responsible for dismantling the old shack so new land becomes available. Most people don't do that; they'd rather rent out the place, however shabby it may be, to those who are a loooooong way off from getting government housing. It doesn't seem like a difficult thing for the government to keep track of, but what do I know.
Anyways, my favorite aspect of Soweto was its color! There's a lot of vivid wall paintings everywhere. It's actually a form of advertisement where you pay for the wall space. Kinda cool:

Oh, and did I mention that it's REALLY cold??? And there was no heat in my room. I was supposed to have a BBQ dinner with a couple of Americans I met at the hostel, and even walked to the supermarket for some groceries. But the cold got me...I couldn't get away from my blanket once I got hold of it...