A Lightning Fast Trip to Johannesburg

Yep, I actually went to Africa last week.  That said, I went so far, but I saw so little.  Actually, I learned a lot, but I just did not visit the kinds of places those of us here in the US hope to experience.  So, if you are expecting to see beautiful pictures of my safari adventure, and all the associated wildlife, you might as well surf on now as my focus to South Africa was its biggest city; Johannesburg.

I have to admit that the 16 hour direct flight each way from/to Atlanta was made much, much nicer thanks to traveling in business class.

Those pictures do NOT due that seat justice; especially for a big guy like me.  The ability to convert it into a bed and actually sleep, without sleeping ON someone else is magical.  I'm not sure I can go back to coach anymore, or even "normal" business class after experiencing that, but I'd better get over it as this was a traveling luxury that I rarely get to enjoy.  Despite the relative comfort, I was glad to see our 777 finally get back over dry land for the last little bit to Johannesburg.

After spending 90 minutes in line to get my passport stamped with a South Africa visa, I was greeted by a most positive & professional gentleman, Khuliso Ranwedzi, who, with the help of his partner and his associates, took care of all of my transportation needs while in the country.  Khuliso is the owner/operator of Ramoon Tours and Transfers and I highly recommend him to anyone traveling to Johannesburg.  He quickly got me to the 12 guest room Idwala Boutique Hotel.

I was equally pleased with the main house where I was presented with, at this meal and many more, great food and service – kudos to Paul who was responsible for the culinary operations.

And, yes, it also had a marvelous thatched roof over the entire circular dining room and over the lounge & bar areas.

The Idwala, which is right in the middle of the 10 million person metropolis of Johannesburg (the world's largest city not situated on a river, lake, or coastline), is an oasis from it all.  It was simply so beautiful that I must present many pictures of its picturesque grounds.

Every single morning, I was welcomed to Idwala with my own secluded patio.  I didn't earn any hotel "points" during this stay, but I was blown away by the accommodations!

That said, most of my view during the week was the following thanks to my transitioned to training (and loving it) focus – helping others on their "Hadoop Journey"!!

These folks are the real deal.  All of them were born & bred right here in South Africa – most for multiple generations.  The only person to move to South Africa had been here for 20 years, so I'd count him as a "local" in my book.  Everyone I met was very friendly and most shared a powerful smile that made my visit that much more enjoyable.

On the whole, Johannesburg turned out to be what I had expected from my initial research.  Unfortunately, it is a city with much crime and as some of the residents told me, you must be hyper-vigilant in all that you do.  It truly prevented me from visiting the city as there are just so many areas you can get into a world of trouble if you wander into them, hence the focus on having a local driver take care of all of your transportation needs.  As one of the gentlemen put it, "why would you come to Johannesburg, unless you like to see plastic bags lining the streets."

I'm not trying to be cruel to this city, it is just that the city has some serious concerns & issues and it really is not a tourist destination by itself.  Mining (gold, diamonds, platinum, etc) is what created this city in the first place and what fuels it today.  A mining town of 10,000,000 people that is!!

I put this work trip together hastily and missed out on the opportunity to pad it with a few days for myself.  Kruger National Park is only 500 km away and those who know how much I love Waterfalls can imagine how bummed I was when I realized I was only a 90 minute flight from Victoria Falls.

That said, I did have a few hours on Saturday and Khuliso showed me around Soweto.  I learned so much about uprising of 1976 at the Hector Pieterson Museum.

I got to see much of Soweto including the homes of Desmond Tuto and Winnie Mandela as well as the Mandela House.

I also got to see the Pillars of Freedom monument.

But, Soweto is home for more than 4.5 million people and it is a vibrant community with areas of natural beauty such as this park that was full of families spending time together and even an outdoor wedding.

Of course, poverty is still a big issue as can be seen in many of the shanty towns scattered around Soweto.

Football, or soccer as we call it in the US, is a dominant force to be reckoned with in South Africa which was the host of the 2010 World Cup.

I finished out the day with a visit to the Apartheid Museum which was sobering.  With their ban on photography inside, I'll just leave you with a picture of the entrance that reminds one of a time that was not so very long ago and that surely influences this nation today.  Simply put, another stain on human rights in our world.

That said, I'm grateful I was able to go to South Africa.  It has made Gretchen and I begin to do some planning for what I hope will be an opportunity for her and I to visit the African continent together as there really is so much to see in the land of Green/Yellow/Red or Red/Black/Green; whichever it is.

And, it is always great to meet new people such as my students for this week – they really made me feel welcome!!  Thank you all very much for hosting me!!