Soweto,- Picture by Helen Rempel
Visitors just breezing through may find it difficult to discover the charm of this city. Moving around Johannesburg is either costly or difficult: cabs are ridiculously expensive and the public transport system can be tough for newly arrivals: which minibus to take; on top of that you need to know the correct sign for flagging down the right minibus: a raised index finger stands for “center”, just to give an example.
Melville International Backpackers is where I checked in, located in a peaceful, middle class neighborhood of the same name. It looked the most attractive one after browsing the various website and most important, it advertised that walking around the neighborhood was safe and easy. That’s exactly what I wanted, not being locked in. Probably a good choice during times of humane temperatures, but not in July and August, when I was freezing in a room for 550 Rands (60 USD). The main asset of this guesthouse is George, a young fellow from Malawi who tries very hard to keep this place running smoothly. I had actually planned to stay my first night in the hostel in Soweto, but my reservation was cancelled just before I arrived - very uncool!
My highlights here were the visits to the Apartheid Museum and Soweto. The museum is exhaustive, in-depth and definitely a must see. For me, the most horrifying display was - and there are many - a video that showed meetings and trainings of the radical Afrikaaner movement. There was no comment - it was not needed, just speeches by their leaders, women in khaki uniform doing shooting drills and children used in mock kidnappings. It just felt sick!
With mobility being so restricted, the Chimoio syndrome set in: I was so desperate for things to do that I even tried the nearby shopping mall to distract myself. A rather sad affair… Quite different was food shopping at Spar: lots of good stuff but appallingly expensive. This supermarket chain is blanketing Zimbabwe, South Africa and my home country Austria.
On my last day in Johannesburg, I discovered “The Melville House”, a guesthouse just around the corner from Melville International Backpackers. Had I just known about it earlier! The very comfortable rooms had heaters (!) and a very attractive living room / communal area. The rooms are only a bit pricier than the MIB, but due to the absence of a dorm, they had no backpackers partying late into the night. Its other main asset? Pizzeria Picobella across the street with its New York like feel.
Picture by Helen Rempel
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