Contrary to all my beliefs and prejudices prior to coming to Gauteng (that's fancy for Joburg and Pretoria), I actually had a really good time here. I thought it would be horrible. I don't know the roads, I don't know the places, I don't know the people. I thought they would look at me, immediately see I'm not from here and say: "Shoo, away you infidel dog foreign person. You do not belong here." Well, in Pretoria they would say that in Afrikaans. But lo, they did not. Not even the horn helmet wearing, bakkie with blue balls on the towbar driving, baby blue jerseyed, staunch boere Blue Bulls supporters did that. As a matter of fact, I was surprised at how welcoming the people here were. I had a blast at Ellispark (sorry Coca-Cola Park), watching the Lions vs Bulls game. With aforementioned supporters and their red counterparts going nuts around me. All in a good spirit. Not a single punch was thrown in all that testosterone filled extacy. It was just plain fun. For the most part strangers here are just nicer than in Cape Town. They really make an effort to make a person feel welcome. Without wanting anything in return. I met some really wonderful people during my stay. Thank you all for making this little adventure of mine so enjoyable.
I did in fact also know quite a few people around the area. Some that I hadn't seen in ages and it was so good to hang out with them again. Thank you guys for your hospitality. Some that I didn't even get a chance to see while I was here. Sorry to those, I'll try again the next time I'm here for a visit.
The roads weren't too much of a hassle in the end. Thanks to my wonderfully quirky GPS, an hour to work in the morning and almost an hour back home at night and the city council's delightful ideas concerning roadworks, I learnt my way around reasonably quickly. You get to see a whole lot of real estate when you drive around like I do and sometimes, some landmarks stick in your head.
It is, as I am writing this, at 5pm Friday evening, raining. AGAIN. Damn, it's rained a lot while I've been here. Travelling the 1 hour trek, each way, daily in these downpours has not been fun. At all. This I will not miss. I've had a near death experience or two in the wet, that I would rather forget. Compound these hectic thunderstorms with the ever continuing roadworks and you get a really interesting drive home.I am dreading this for tonight.
I also saw many interesting places. I had loads of fun with mates from here at The Red Room. A club originally owned by Ashton Nyte from The Awakening. For those of an alternative persuasion, I would suggest it. I saw Parys, which is the closest that I've ever been to touring Europe. And probably will be for a while. The massive Hartebeespoort Dam, with all its tourist trappings. Which is kinda weird. Everybody from around here go there to get away for a while. And then they're all there. Hmmm... There were more places, but I'll not bore you with a list of all of them.
The only gripe, serious gripe, that I have with this place, is that it seems the larneys don't want to be bothered by ever ringing cell phones. Now I can sortof understand this. You know, they are important, powerful people and they have better things to do than to constantly be on the phone. So, in their larney neighbourhoods, they conspire to get almost zero cell phone reception. This is great for the movers and shakers, but really sucks for a guy from Cape Town, that misses his mates and just wants to have a chat with one of them. I stayed in a small hole in the wall, under a house in Bryanston. For those of you that don't know Johannesburg, but do know Cape Town, it's kinda like Constantia. Like I said. Larney. For those of you that don't know either. I am sorry, there is no help for you. Now, in my shoebox, I had about 2 square feet of area that actually got a cell signal. If I move my head a few inches, the signal goes and my call is dropped. This is infuriating. Were I to get off the bed, where this area of reception exists, and walk the 3 yards to the loo, it goes completely. There were a few times when I would get back to the bed and get a message to say that I missed a call. Because I was busy with whatever Nature had in store for me. Unacceptable. Completely wrong. I don't necessarily need to speak to somebody while I am relieving myself, but the principle of the thing is what bothers me. Get off your high and mighty bloody horses you larney buggers and get some towers in here! Ah, now that I have that off my chest...
As you may be able to deduce, I have enjoyed my stay in Joburg and Pretoria. Loads. But the time has come to pack the bags and go where I belong. Not that I can't ever see myself belonging here. Just not now. Right now, my life, my heart, is in Cape Town. I will miss my friends here, but I will remember the good times I had fondly, for years to come. Besides, it's their turn to visit me again.
Catch y'all at the foot of the most beautiful mountain.....in the world.
TFLNOTD:
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