STORIES FROM SOUTHAFRICA
After our first trip to South Africa in 2019 actually turned out to be one of the best trips ever, we already knew then that we would definitely visit this country again. In 2023 the time had finally come and the plans became more concrete. An unavoidable stop for us was the MHONDORO SAFARI LODGE, as we got on very well with the lodge operators Fritz and Ronnel, with Charlie and Serena from EVERSEEN SA – but also with the whole staff – on our first trip and this place quickly became something very special for us. Fritz and Ronnel insisted on inviting us directly to their farm for the first night to give us the best start to our vacation with a barbecue of the finest quality and the next day with a private tour followed by breakfast in the middle of the bush. The next few days on Mhondoro were once again indescribable and in addition to morning and evening safaris we had enough time to wind down and just relax. One highlight was definitely our guide Biggie, with whom we got on straight away and who made these days unforgettable for us. From Mhondoro we drove straight on in our rental car to our next stop in the Bushbuckridge Nature Reserve, where we spent the night in tents in the middle of the bush. It was quite special to hear the lions roaring in the middle of the night or to be able to greet a honey badger (as an uninvited tent guest). Nevertheless, it was a really highly recommended experience to get a little closer to nature. What we had really set out to do was the Kruger National Park, which you can drive through yourself (at a maximum of 30 km/h). It took less than 10 minutes for the first herd of elephants to cross the road. The motto here is simply: keep your eyes open and NEVER just leave the car, because all the tourist accidents and attacks that you hear and read about are 95% caused by carelessness, disrespect and overestimating your own abilities.
After a week in the bush, safari and wilderness, our travel plan took us back to the big city. Johannesburg – THE metropolis of South Africa – was to be the next destination. Dubbed by many as very dangerous and unpredictable, we simply wanted to have our own experiences. We had already booked accommodation from home, because there are really only a few districts in Jozy that are considered halfway safe. Nevertheless, it is strongly recommended to do all journeys by car and even to avoid some districts, as the crime rate is exorbitant. Through my guys from MONTANA CANS, I quickly got in touch with Rasty, a writer and tattoo artist who has been running the local graffiti store for a long time. He had also already organized a wall for us in Highlands North, which we then painted on a relaxed afternoon. Through such contacts you usually get better information about what the situation in Johannesburg is really like, where you can go and what you should avoid. My lovely travel companion Mrs. K. had found out about another project online: In Hillbrow – one of the roughest parts of Johannesburg – there is the DLALA NJE project. An organization that offers guided walking tours through Hillbrow and puts all proceeds into a kind of youth club. The local kids get the opportunity to spend time there, learn, play, eat and leave the hard everyday life behind for a while. Sounded great to us and we quickly booked 2 tickets at $20 each for a 2-hour tour. We then took an Uber to Hillbrow, because the hotel staff strongly advised us not to drive into this hood ourselves. The Uber driver looked at us almost shocked and asked us what we were doing there and why we wanted to go to Hillbrow of all places. In the end, he even accompanied us on foot from the (very creepy) parking garage to the agreed meeting point, because he apparently didn’t feel comfortable just dropping the two white breads off there. We were the only two guests that day and after a short introduction we set off and walked through the streets together with two 18-year-old boys. I have to honestly say that I felt a bit unsure at first, but I tried not to show it. The boys also told us quite openly and honestly where we should leave our phones in our pockets, which I really liked. On the one hand, you don’t want to stress, of course, and on the other hand, you don’t want to come across as the sensation-seeking tourist who takes particularly “crazy” photos of particularly “crazy” places and situations in search of likes. There are moments and places that you should just let sink in and classify for yourself. All in all, it was a really tough but also important experience for us, which once again showed how lucky we are to have grown up in such a rich and peaceful world. The tour ended after 2 intensive hours at the Dlala Nje headquarters on the 54th floor of the Ponte Tower at a height of 170m with a shared lunch, during which we happily put the cutlery aside to eat with our fingers – like the boys. But we still had one stop on our list: South Africa went through one of the darkest times until the early 1990s, and so a visit to the Apartheid Museum should be an absolute must for every visitor to Johannesburg. You regularly get goosebumps, a lump in your throat or whatever when you see what humanity is actually capable of and how long this dark age lasted. One of the biggest LEARNINGS I have had to date and which has strengthened my conviction even more: Fight Racism!
