The Intercape bus was the chosen method of travel for this weekend’s excursion and it proved to be a good choice. With lots of leg room, comfortable seats, an on-board washroom and a decent rest stop we were all quite content for the 6 hour journey. The only difference from similar Canadian transport was that on the way to Johannesburg, a constant stream of Christian audio-visual material played over the tv screens.

We did not stay right in Johannesburg, but from our time at Park Station and driving through the city in a taxi van, it definitely had a big city feel to it similar to that of Toronto and Montreal. Evidence of early gold mining with dusty man-made hills was scattered on the outskirts of the city centre. This was all quite contrary to the simple and casual feel of Gaborone.

So this weekend getaway differed greatly our former wilderness excursions. Instead of exploring African nature we learned a lot about the history and society of Soweto, Johannesburg, and South Africa. It was also unique as we traveled with a new Canadian friend named Kristen who is also volunteering at SSI.

We stayed at Lebo’s Backpacker’s right in Soweto where there were several outdoor and indoor common areas. We enjoyed hot breakfasts (eggs, cheese, tomato, bacon and toast) and traditional dinners (beef or chicken, pap, chakalaka, salad, and veggies).

Saturday afternoon we visted the Hector Peterson Museum. On June 16, 1976 this young boy of 13 years was shot be police during what was supposed to be a peaceful protest. Students across the township were marching in school uniform to voice their frustrations over Afrikaans being introduced as the new language of instruction. This event marked the beginning of the end of the Apartheid.

Sunday morning we went on a 4 hour bicycle tour of Soweto. We leisurely road along the left side of the streets and stopped numerous times along the way. At some stops we discussed the historical significance of a certain part of the township or a particular street. At other break points we were able to taste certain delicacies such as cow’s cheek or an ice pop. During these stops children would often approach our bicycle group to say hi, touch our bicycles, have their picture taken and give us high fives. In general, the people of all ages were happy to see us and welcomed us to their neighbourhoods. The most significant part of the tour was when we parked our bikes and got to walk through the lanes of the one of the poorest areas of Soweto, Orlando West. We were able to see first hand the difficult living conditions of many many families. Communal taps and toilets provided basic infrastructure to the thousands living in the area. Children played in their tiny yards and waved to us practising their English greeting of “hello.” What amazed us the most is that the adults, elderly and children alike all seemed happy despite their unfair living conditions. The tour also included the memorial for Hector Peterson, Nelson Mandela’s House, and a lunch stop for a “quarter” (an unhealthy burger-like meal consisting of french fries, egg, ham, and chesse, surrounded by bread) at a local restaurant.

In the late afternoon, we visited the Apartheid museum. Upon purchasing a ticket you are randomly labeled a “white” or “non-white” and there are separate adjacent entrances for each. As such, right away you get a small sense of the separation and discrimination that took place during the Apartheid. With the time we had, we were able to go through most of the areas and learned a lot about the unfair treatment of so many people and the challenging living and social conditions they faced. Although we were a bit rushed for time, we were thankful to have had the chance to visit the museum.

Monday morning, after leisurely eating our breakfast, we made our way downtown via taxi-van to Constistution Hill. Here we took a 90 minute tour of the various prisons where many political prisons were kept. The difference between the prison conditions and treatment for “whites” and “non-whites” was sickening. The personal written and audio-visual accounts from prisoners who had returned to share their stories were extremely moving.

While in Africa, we were pleased to have the chance to visit Soweto and go through various museums to learn more about the Apartheid and its significant events and personalities. It definitely helped put many things in perspective.

Pictures will be posted next week on Andy’s site.