Soweto, a squatter camp, Wandies and Moyo!!

The next morning we were greeted bright and early by our guides, Lutendo and Luke. I swear it had felt like I had only closed my eyes for two minutes and it was morning. I am so not a fan of jet lag. On the bright side we had a wonderful breakfast buffet before we left for the day's journey. I had my usual, whole wheat toast, two egg whites, mango juice and some fresh fruit. Take that to the all the people who think that you can't eat a healthy breakfast on vacation. I had to make sure I snagged a banana for later. At the rate we were speeding through things if I would have enough energy to make it to lunch. 

 As we made our way to Soweto (South West Township) we learned a few interesting tidbits about the township. There are 9 official black languages spoken here. There are approximately four million people living in Soweto. It is one of the biggest black townships in Johannesburg. 

Soweto is home to one of the oldest futbol (soccer) stadiums in South Africa. It is currently being renovated for the 2010 World Cup. There is also development of the new stadium which is slated to be used for the opening and closing ceremonies for the 2010 World Cup. It is said to be able to seat some 92,000 people. I sure hope that I can be on of those people there next year. Can we say graduation gift?! Soweto has also been known for its soccer clubs that have developed there over the years, the Orlando Pirates, the Kaiser Chiefs, and more. 

 We also visited an are in Soweto called Orlando East and West. There we were able to see the contrasts in the homes. We say beautiful luxurious homes as well as homes that were used to be know as coloured townships. We saw that old home of Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu, and the current home in which Winnie Mandela lives today. We were also taken to a squatter's camp or informal settlements as they are known to some. In these areas people are usually unemployed and the homes are generally made out of iron sheeting. Here we were given a tour of the settlement and we got a chance to go inside and speak with a young lady who lived there. 

The young woman's name was Asani. She was nice and showed us where she lived. It was a two room dwelling. There was a kitchen and a separate room to sleep. She was at home that day to watch her niece while her aunt was away. She told us that one day when she was able she would like to go to university so that she could study to become a nurse or a doctor. She wasn't sure which she would prefer. We also met a three young boys who were out playing soccer in the streets. Their names were Innocent, John, and Freedom. They were all in the 10th grade. Each one had a different dream of what they wanted to do with their lives. Accountant, doctor, lawyer and so forth. It was so good to hear their dreams even in the midst of their current situations they still had dreams and aspirations for their future. 

 Soweto has a rich political history as well. This is were the student uprisings occurred in 1976. This is know as the Soweto Uprisings. This was one of many uprisings that protested the unfair treatment of black South African people.  On June 16th, 1976 Hector Pieterson was shot and killed which served as a catalyst for the Soweto Uprisings. We were able to visit and tour the Hector Pieterson memorial museum as well. 

 During our tour we stopped for lunch and a well known restaurant called, Wandies. From the outside you would think that it was a home and nothing more. When you walk inside there is a cozy restaurant in which the walls are covered with the picture and business cards of some famous clientele. Of course we had to leave our mark on Wandies as well. No one seemed to have their business cards handy so we improvised and left our autographs on the wall. The menu consisted of some interesting choices. Mutton, lamb, beef, chicken all of which were roasted or cooked. There was also beetroot salad, pap, samp, ting, mogodu, and dumplings. Me being the adventurous person that I am tried a nice sampling of it all. Ok except mutton. I was so not game for it. 

 

 After our Soweto tour we then had time to go back and get ready to head out to another wonderful restaurant. This time we dressed up and headed out to a place called Moyo.  This restaurant was so fantastic. It was located on Melrose Arch in Johannesburg. I found a great review of this place on line. It gives one man's description of the ambiance that can be found at Moyo. Check it out.  We had a wonderful dinner that was comprised of a chicken stew over a bed of rice and vegetables. I also had a wonderfully delicious dessert wine with my dessert. If only I can think of the name I would stock up my wine cellar with it. (Sure I have a wine cellar! More like the fridge. lol) The dessert that we had was most delicious. It was like a bread pudding. I am not sure what it was called, Mulva pudding. We also got our faces painted. Not in the traditional carnival sense either. I looked like an African queen. After a night of dinner and wine we headed home to get some more rest and to prepare for our departure to Dennilton.