Johannesburg, a trip in the Desert

Johannesburg, a trip in the Desert :

Johannesburg is a city in South Africa, the capital of the province is Gauteng, its currency is the Rand (Zar), the official languages are Afrikaans, Ndebele, Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Zulu, Xhosa, Venda and English. Johannesburg has the tallest building in Africa, the Carlton Center, 222 meters, the country has been engaged in export of gold and diamonds (markets dominating), is a country where crime and poverty in general prevails despite being one of the largest exporters of gold. My experience in Johannesburg was wonderful, exactly what I was looking for and what I needed within myself, I woke up one morning and decided to make that trip to a month they had not given me bad news about my health and for years wanted to do a journey alone into the forest, full of animals, 100% contact with nature, so I went to an agency and I kick the airfare and hotel, and adventure I embarked. I first went to a trip away from my people and alone, he had traveled to many countries before, but never alone.

Once I got to the airport, I spent thousands of things to the head, the first was, what am I doing here? I’m crazy, where I’ve been? I was the first time traveling to South Africa and I felt instantly that I was in a special place, just inside the ground, another culture, another world, maybe not the world that anyone would like to visit, but my visit was special, a little fear itself that caught on landing, with the agency had included the transfer from airport to hotel and vice versa?, and I were waiting for a man with my name on a placard and a security guard (my mother, I did if I am a wenaaa girl), was a kind of protection for the tourist who puts the hotel.

Once installed in the hotel, I felt good about myself, I sat for hours on the deck to watch the sky, the landscape, the people, do not know how to explain that afternoon/night is not left there and the next day. I was visiting the Lion Park is a trip that I really liked, there not only see the animals, but it will let you touch them there (even white) very rare lions. Admission is $10 for adults and 7 for children 4 to 12 years, children free. You can take guided tours around the park or even particular car, always remembering that the animals are loose, in a similar habitat. And in a special space is allowed to touch the young lions. On that trip I met people from various parts of Spain who were staying at my hotel, so I made friends with some, especially with Maite and Ricardo.

To get around town there are several options. The metrobuses have a lot of lines going through all parts of the capital. They also have trains, to go from the city center to the periphery and the other cities of the region of Gauteng. The trains are painted to resemble the Spanish proximity with the combination of red and white colors colors. They are very cheap in price. And you also have taxis in the hotel they recommended I take taxi, they told me that it was not advisable to take local or subways. Johannesburg has two kinds of taxis, with meters and minibus type. Unlike in other cities, taxis with meters can not roam the city looking for passengers, but must be called and ordered to a destination. If you were to rent a car, keep in mind that driving is on the left. The liter of super gasoline costs about $ 0.75 and service stations are usually open 24 hours. Johannesburg is a mixture of wild nature, wealthy neighborhoods and industrial areas that are combined with golf courses, botanical gardens and parks dotted with skyscrapers. I think the best time to go is throughout the year, although I was in the spring, I was told that summers are too horrible and rainy winters.

The food there is special, well the truth that I love to try everything new, so do not fail to try dishes like Bobotie, a dish of minced spicy and do not say sweet, I’m not overly sweet (although I pirra chocolate), but there the morning I took a natural fruit juice with some muffins (I do not know what they were, but I’ve never eaten anything so delicious). As I said before, I became very fond of the marriage of Barcelona (Maite and Ricardo) and the next day was Saturday advised us to go to the flea market is a market place in the morning on Saturday and one of the main attractions there is the bargaining, so good luck and enjoy eye at the hotel we were forced to go with a security guard, that was very awkward, but hey, everything is for our safety.

This market place it at the Market Theatre complex, buy on the market is extremely affordable and is full of things African, leather, stones, handicrafts, food and drink in the city too, but inside hotel if you’re not the food included, you will save a lot, you would all but ate out several times because I did not want to go to the hotel and the people that I was stayed to eat in town.

In the hotel as I saw that I was traveling alone I was advised not to visit the city alone and less away Hotel starting at 7pm, this gave me a bit of hesitation, but at no time sensed fear or anything, it is also truth always went with people I met in the hotel (since I did not make this trip with any group) told me one of the girls at the reception, she lived Davinia 30km out there and as at 10 work, always came to find either a brother or her husband, the ask for that if it was dangerous and told me that had to be cautious because there was violence in the city, according to the neighborhood and the area told me, but night was a little rough with a man not go off, so nothing, punished in the hotel.

Actually I woke up so early at 6/7 pm and people were resting or in bed (there were dinners at 6-7 in the afternoon/night), one of the things they told me to Directions to hotel if I went in a group, take no purse or camera and jewelry inn, not being forced, but it was recommended as a precaution.

South Africa has 11 official languages, the main ones are : English, Afrikaans, Zulu, Xhosa. However, people will understand English very well and that mine is pathetic, how lucky I was that I speak Portuguese and in the market and in the hotel there were many people who were working in Brazil. Eye catching for those who want to rent a car there, drive on the left as in England.

One of the things that surprised me about the city is that there are lots of trees, Johannesburg is a city full of business, is the largest city in sub-Saharan Africa. The mining tradition is very present in South Africa, which now has no less than 35% of global gold reserves. There are even theme parks on the subject, such as Gold Reef City, six miles south of the city, which reproduce the life time of the miners with shows, bars and dances. Another place worth visiting is the exclusive area of Sandton, 16 kilometers from the center of Johannesburg, where the offices of larger enterprises, the best shopping malls and luxury hotels. There the famous Nelson Mandela, whose statue six meter after the political leader and former South African president is also located is undoubtedly one of the postcards more features of the city, along with the bridge of the same name, one of the busiest avenues in downtown Johannesburg.

The city also has several art museums, such as the Johannesburg Art Gallery, which exhibits figurative paintings and landscapes of South Africa and Europe. The Museum Africa covers the history of the city and houses a large collection of rock art. The Market Theatre complex gained notoriety in the 1970s and 1980s anti-Apartheid presenting works and has become a center for modern South African playwriting. There is also a large industry in the visits of old neighborhoods, such as Soweto and Alexandra. Most people visiting Soweto go to Mandela Museum, which is located in the former home of Nelson Mandela. Click here to proceed.

If you love animals you can visit the cheetahs at the De Wildt farm Cheetah Breeding Farm, or visit the reserve Magaliesberg, where the aquarium Africa’s largest fresh water is found. The latter is reached in Hartbeespoort Cableway, from which the picture is unique and amazing, if you do not like animals do not visit South Africa. Once you’re there visiting what is still more animals, so I recommend you visit the Snake Park and Hartbeespoort Animal and Pilanesberg National Park.

One of the excursions we did was to Kruger National Park and Nature Reserves, the route is from Johannesburg (I did overland by car and are about 4 hours, but can range from Johannesburg by plane about 45 minutes, but the scenery and what there live in the trip worth doing drive from the air because you will not live the same. Pretoria in 4 hour drive or 45. It is one of Africa’s parks has more species of animals.

Both animal, both the animal, for I have not yet I’m tired of seeing animals, but change a little and visit plants, one morning I wake up not knowing what to do, that day had no tour, I went down to reception and decided to walk a little town, but some Brazilian guys knew they were going to see a reserve of plants and I went with them the book called The Wilds, is a beautiful book of native plants, I loved visiting the reserve, as it felt as lost as much ground between and smells and I tell you that there were perceived.

About places to go : We have the zoo, where two polar bears lol. (unbelievable but true), we have museums like the Dynamite Museum (all about the world of mining) and the Apartheid Museum, dedicated to the victims of apartheid (this building is modern, concrete and a series of tall columns pointing to the sky). There are also art galleries, such as ABSA on Main St.

One of the places we visited was the province of Limpopo, has a region called bushveld (I hope to write well), we were in reserve Nylsvley Nature Reserve has one of the largest concentrations of waterfowl native birds bushveld. In the vicinity in case you like to visit the museum and Arend Cuervas Makapan which are very famous for its fossils several nature reserves in the Mokopane is.

In the area of Bela Bela, are hot baths are hot springs, all this is in the region of Bushveld is that I visited, but not far no other reliable regions to visit and each has its charm (the shame I did not have more time), but I recommend the Region of Capricorn having outdoor Museum Bakone Malapa outside Polokwane is a kraal, or tribal village, the people of Northern Sotho. Both men and women practice traditional techniques for making baskets, clay pots, furniture and equipment, and also for tanning leather.

Author: Richard Bush from .
No of Images Uploaded: None
More Info link:
Twitter:
Facebook:

YouTube:

Submit your press release to MyPR.co.za.