Jozi
(written 09/15/07)
I’ve spent the last couple of days in Johannesburg, aka Jo’burg, aka Jozi, aka Egoli. Johannesburg is South Africa’s largest city by far, or as my Lonely Planet says, “it’s the great big beating heart of South Africa.” I figured with that kind of billing it was at least worth a few days of exploration.
Although, I must admit I had to mentally prepare myself to come here. Jo’burg’s reputation for violent crime is legendary: daylight muggings, car jackings, bombings at ATMs… Even with constant self-reassurance that most travelers visit the city without any problems, I was still on edge a good portion of my time here.
The Hostel
While in Jo’burg, I have been staying at a hostel called “The Backpackers Ritz.” Ha. Ha. Ha. Funny name. Now I get it. They were being ironic.
Prior to Elephant Walk (the hostel I just left in Phalaborwa), I had never stayed at a hostel before. I had assumed they were all grungy and rowdy. Elephant Walk was like a charming little guesthouse. Perhaps I had been wrong about hostels? Perhaps I should give them more credit? Turns out perhaps not. The Backpackers Ritz is grungy, rowdy and a bit stinky.
I upgraded to a private room immediately upon arrival (so the room cost a whopping $20 total per night)—a good thing since on the way to my room I noticed that the shared rooms had SIXTEEN beds per room. One Six. Eight bunk beds. Wow. I couldn’t do that. True, my private room had some curious biological growth on the wall and it shared a common (thin) wall with the bathroom, but alas, as a private room, I was able to enjoy all of those perks in privacy.
Really, it wasn’t horrible, but still…I’m not sure hostel stays will figure much into my future travel plans. Hmm.
Dunkirk Neighborhood
The hostel may have been a bit dumpy but its location, situated in the upscale and relatively safe “Dunkirk” area, was perfect. I’m an omelet connoisseur, and at a large, hopping bakery/café just down from the hostel, I had the best ham and mushroom omelet of my life. If you are ever in Jo’burg, eat at Fournos Bakery.
One afternoon during my Jo’burg stay, I was in need of a new book so I walked over to the Hyde Park Mall and was absolutely giddy at its splendor. This mall would fit nicely in Newport Beach or Scottsdale, and after traveling for a month, I was in the mood for nice. What had started as a short errand to the mall soon turned into a six hour visit.
I had planned to walk back to the hostel before dark (it’s relatively safe here, but you still can’t walk at night, especially alone), but I couldn’t tear myself away from such a great bookstore. I ran into a UCLA student I’d met at the hostel, and we decided to stay until closing. She’d been traveling for the last six months and was also elated to be at the mall. We decided we’d just figure out at closing time how we would get home. (South Africa does not have taxis in the traditional sense. They only have small mini vans that you catch on the main street and share with others.)
I bust my daily budget on a new book, a delicious pesto pasta, another new book, and then a carrot cake. But the indulgence was worth it. We passed several hours in the restaurant—Jamie typing a scholarship application, I reading my new book—and eventually we befriended the wait staff. When we shared our transportation dilemma, they gladly offered to give us a ride after closing (11pm). Ah, the goodness of people. :)
What’s next
Tomorrow, I’m off to Pretoria to begin a month-long tour of South Africa, Mozambique and Swaziland.
I’ve spent the last couple of days in Johannesburg, aka Jo’burg, aka Jozi, aka Egoli. Johannesburg is South Africa’s largest city by far, or as my Lonely Planet says, “it’s the great big beating heart of South Africa.” I figured with that kind of billing it was at least worth a few days of exploration.
Although, I must admit I had to mentally prepare myself to come here. Jo’burg’s reputation for violent crime is legendary: daylight muggings, car jackings, bombings at ATMs… Even with constant self-reassurance that most travelers visit the city without any problems, I was still on edge a good portion of my time here. The Hostel
While in Jo’burg, I have been staying at a hostel called “The Backpackers Ritz.” Ha. Ha. Ha. Funny name. Now I get it. They were being ironic.
Prior to Elephant Walk (the hostel I just left in Phalaborwa), I had never stayed at a hostel before. I had assumed they were all grungy and rowdy. Elephant Walk was like a charming little guesthouse. Perhaps I had been wrong about hostels? Perhaps I should give them more credit? Turns out perhaps not. The Backpackers Ritz is grungy, rowdy and a bit stinky.
I upgraded to a private room immediately upon arrival (so the room cost a whopping $20 total per night)—a good thing since on the way to my room I noticed that the shared rooms had SIXTEEN beds per room. One Six. Eight bunk beds. Wow. I couldn’t do that. True, my private room had some curious biological growth on the wall and it shared a common (thin) wall with the bathroom, but alas, as a private room, I was able to enjoy all of those perks in privacy.
Really, it wasn’t horrible, but still…I’m not sure hostel stays will figure much into my future travel plans. Hmm.
Dunkirk Neighborhood
The hostel may have been a bit dumpy but its location, situated in the upscale and relatively safe “Dunkirk” area, was perfect. I’m an omelet connoisseur, and at a large, hopping bakery/café just down from the hostel, I had the best ham and mushroom omelet of my life. If you are ever in Jo’burg, eat at Fournos Bakery.
One afternoon during my Jo’burg stay, I was in need of a new book so I walked over to the Hyde Park Mall and was absolutely giddy at its splendor. This mall would fit nicely in Newport Beach or Scottsdale, and after traveling for a month, I was in the mood for nice. What had started as a short errand to the mall soon turned into a six hour visit.
I had planned to walk back to the hostel before dark (it’s relatively safe here, but you still can’t walk at night, especially alone), but I couldn’t tear myself away from such a great bookstore. I ran into a UCLA student I’d met at the hostel, and we decided to stay until closing. She’d been traveling for the last six months and was also elated to be at the mall. We decided we’d just figure out at closing time how we would get home. (South Africa does not have taxis in the traditional sense. They only have small mini vans that you catch on the main street and share with others.)
I bust my daily budget on a new book, a delicious pesto pasta, another new book, and then a carrot cake. But the indulgence was worth it. We passed several hours in the restaurant—Jamie typing a scholarship application, I reading my new book—and eventually we befriended the wait staff. When we shared our transportation dilemma, they gladly offered to give us a ride after closing (11pm). Ah, the goodness of people. :)
What’s next
Tomorrow, I’m off to Pretoria to begin a month-long tour of South Africa, Mozambique and Swaziland.