After a night on the town, Dean Hirst had us up bright and early to depart for a tour of the city. We began the day in Soweto, a township that houses underprivileged South African’s. The tour was a humbling experience, to say the least. I found myself choking back tears as we met with those living in these shanties and toured through their community. What struck me the most was how JOYFUL these people seemed. Their smiles were genuine and bright, so welcoming and excited to meet us. The living conditions were extremely meager, with families of 5 living in shacks, yet the children were laughing and playing and seemed to love life. I mentioned my thoughts to our tour guide who agreed with me, saying “Most Americans spend all of their time and energy chasing the dollar. These people have nothing, yet they have joy because all of their value comes from family and love” It was truly inspiring and I just wanted to pick up the little kids and shower them with hugs. (Although, I refrained with the thought of crazy Madonna and Angelina in the back of my head) It was a great experience that I would not have been able to experience if I was traveling on my own.
After we toured the townships, we went and ate dinner at a local restaurant. Pretty gross. (Sorry, Dean Hirst) After lunch we toured past Nelson Mandela’s house as well as other prominent landmarks in Johannesburg. We then headed to the Apartheid Museum where we toured the history of African culture and the racial injustices that have plagued the nation. We were handed tickets that either said “white, colored, or black” and were directed into different entrances. It was sobering. The museum was filled with incredible stories of old Africa. It’s amazing to see where they were and the passionate fight to overcome such repressive history and precedent. It was such a different experience to see it first hand, instead of reading it in a textbook. I felt sad but enlightened at the same time.
After an emotional day, we headed back into town to have a cocktail and prepare for a night of festivities. The city was so cute, and some of our friends got into a random pick-up game of football (soccer) in the middle of restaurant square. It was a really charming area and I was enjoying the beautiful weather (75 degrees and blue sky) while I drank an Irish coffee with my friends. We just sat and laughed….it’s the best.
Around 6pm, we walked to a beautiful restaurant called Moyo. It was a 5 story restaurant with candlelit waterfalls and live music. Before we dined, we went downstairs into a basement/cave for drum lessons. Seriously, this was a blast. The drummers in the front were filled with energy and ‘soul’. We ended up dancing, drumming, singing and laughing so much that we were all sweating by the end of the session. I LOVED watching the drummers perform and showcase their love and passion for the art. The intensity of the drums combined with the spirit of the performers had me mesmerized. By the end we were all on the stage with morrocas, drums and tamberines—dancing the night away.
I was sad that it was over, but was ready for a traditional African dinner that awaited us. The dinner was AMAZING…light years away from lunch J We enjoyed a 5 course meal with endless wine and good company. A couple of us got our faces painted in by some of the African women. (Of course, I did.) The 3 hour dinner left us all satisfied and ready for bed. The night was such a unique and memorable experience, one that I will remember for a long time.
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