Touchdown Joburg: South African Sojourn

I have never been THIS excited for a trip. At the midst of the rush hour of Christmas, I managed to sneak out and head off to South Africa for one of the most spontaneous trips of my life. I boarded my Cathay Pacific plane from Manila that was enroute to Hong Kong. I decided to stay for a day in Hong Kong, before boarding an evening flight to Johannesburg.

I arrived in Johannesburg early in the morning. I have my reasons for this unplanned trip. Because of the stress of the holiday season, I wasn't able to really map out where to go and what to do. And just like I usually did, I just made sure I have everything I need, passport, tickets, visa and money and hopped to another memorable journey. 

As I drove to my hotel, I noticed Joburg to be very quiet. The driver told me it was because it was Christmas Day. I forgot that it was a holiday. I booked a room at the Holiday Inn Rosebank without researching on it. I was pleased that the hotel was located beside a mall. Yes, it was very Filipino of me to stay in a hotel attached to a mall.

The mall was deserted though. I didn't expect the city to be deserted. It is quite the opposite in the Philippines, where Christmas Day and the next week are the busiest for shopping and activities. Well, I was halfway around the world, and my first time in Africa, so I couldn't complain much.

I was then told that most were out on their vacations, particularly in Cape Town and other tourist destinations in the region. I thought that Joburg was a destination in itself, when it really wasn't.

I was supposed to meet my daughter in Joburg, who because of missing her flight, eventually arrived on the 26th. With a free day to spare, I took the time to go around Johannesburg. The hotel warned me about taking taxis here, so I took the safe bet and to explore the city, via the Gautrain.

The Gautrain was constructed for the World Cup in 2010. It still looked new and well-maintained. It only had a few stops, so it really doesn't take you any further than the normal tourist places in the city. One of those stops was Sandton.

Johannesburg has a reputation for being one of the most dangerous cities in the modern world. In fact, everyone told me to be careful when I arrived here. Because of the glaring income gap, crimes are persistent in this sprawling city, which is the economic center of South Africa. The entire city looked bare though. I was expecting Singapore or even Makati, but it wasn't like that. Joburg looked more like huge suburb, with a conglomeration of buildings in certain pockets. 

Sandton was the exception. Finally, I saw actual people. This was where most of the luxury hotels and businesses were also located. It still looked bare relatively to a progressive urban center.

The Nelson Mandela Square was a magnet for tourists. There are several cafes and restaurants surrounding the square, so it's nice to sit here and people watch.

Sandton City is one of the mega-malls in the city. It had the big name brands, but I still found it lacking in selection. There is really nothing much to do here, so I decided to go outside and just explore the area. As I stepped further out, the place became more deserted and uninteresting. I was looking for a nearby museum, but I couldn't find any. 

I discovered that Joburg is best explored with an arranged tour, since it's hard to get around on your own. And even unsafe. My daughter was supposed to arrive the next day, but because she missed her flight, she arrived a day late. As soon as she got safely into Joburg, I booked a tour to Lesedi Village, to experience our first real taste of Africa.