South Africa - Johannesburg   (8/30-31/2010)

After our refreshing naps, we decided to head out to see some of "Joburg". We decided to go downtown to see the new Mendela Center. When we asked at the front desk about the train station the staff was very helpful in arranging a shuttle over to the new train station about a half mile from the hotel. It was clear as we went out that security is important. Our hotel was surrounded by a 10 foot wall with a security gate manned by security staff. Just about every house we passed had a high fence and locked gate, many with barbed wire on top. This is not unlike many other cities we have visited, such as Mexico City. The brand new Gautrain rapid transit system had just been built for the World Cup that had occurred the month before and it was very modern. The smooth ride downtown was very pleasant. We did pass by one of the townships on the way downtown. Johannesburg is a very large city, especially for Africa, and appeared to be well maintained and expanding.

The newly built Mendela Center is a very impressive mall with interesting architecture. It was bustling with busy shoppers when we were there and the cafes in the plaza were busy. There were art and historical exhibits located throughout the complex. It was definitely worth the trip downtown to see. Unfortunately our time in Johannesburg was limited and we did not get to see more of it.

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