Melani and I took a bus tour of her home town, Johannesburg.
We started at the Gold Reef City casino.
Bus tours are the fastest way to get a feel for a big city.
We took an elevator to the Roof of Africa, the top of the Carlton, Africa’s highest building.
JoBurg is sprawling, one of the sprawlingest cities in the world. 8 million people plus by some estimates.
This is the largest city in the world NOT on a river, lake or coast. The only reason the city grew here was gold. You are reminded when passing gold coloured tailing piles.
Gold was discovered on the Langlaagte farm in 1886. … By 1896 Johannesburg had become a city of over 100,000 inhabitants …
Soccer City, the main stadium of the 2010 World Cup.
Melani and I both enjoyed the tour. I recommend it. Especially the Apartheid museum.
On another day, William took me to his office in Johannesburg CBD (Central Business District). Nearby were “highjacked” buildings filled with squatters.
William’s building and other parts of the old city are being renovated and rejuvenated. We had coffee at Uncle Mere’s, a trendy new streetside bistro in the hip Maboneng district.
Rick McCharles 