While photographs were not permitted in the museum, outside was some fantastic art.
Soweto is many things, and you don't need a visit to the apartheid museum to see the scars of it's history or it's many layers of class and society. Mmesi impressed upon me how much Soweto, once [just] a mining town, has changed and developed a tourist economy. While swinging between two cooling towers was clearly not a local hot stop, the tourist trappy economy and entrepreneurial South African spirit was on maximum display in this area near Mandela's house and the museum. As we turned up Villakazi street for lunch we may as well have been tourists disembarking a ship in the Caribbean. Dancers in faux traditional clothes holding spears and taking photos with people, singers thumping their chests belting "Welcome to Soweto" and row after row of tables selling various everything. We got lunch a
Sakhumzi restaurant, which seemed to be the spot for tour guides and tour buses to unload their passengers. The meal was neither good or bad, it was just a meal and I hadn't come to South Africa to dine so just a meal was fine by me.
I do love bracelets
After lunch and a little walk we headed back towards the airport. With a 5pm airport ETA that was not only a full day exploring the city, but left me plenty of time to shower and eat before my 9:55pm flight.
Heading home from school
Crossing traffic
I put the camera down for a little while to enjoy my ride with Mmesi, and chat about the day which had come together exactly like I envisioned it. South Africa is beautiful and I wish it was more accessible literally and figuratively. This is just not a place to hop onto public transportation from the airport, get off in the city and wonder around. This worked because my bag had been in the trunk of the car all day, and I had a wonderful guide whow as able to show me so much so quickly. On the way back to the airport we talked more about our children, talked about work and talked about the world. I bid Mmesi farewell and sincerely hope I have the opportunity to see him again. There was so much to see that if I took the same tour tomorrow I'd take 1,000 different pictures of things I missed the first time.
The main atrium of O.R Tambo international airport.
As my checked bag had stayed at the airport and in transit all day I breezed through security and customs and headed right back to the lounge for shower number 2.
Still full from my late lunch I headed out to do some fantastic plane spotting
So many great tails!
After a great walk around the terminal, and spending my remaining rand in the gift shop I headed back to the lounge for dinner. As I finished off my beer and headed out of the lounge towards my gate I had no idea that the long way home was about to turn into the long long long looooonnnnggg way home.
Next: Part 9 Are we there yet?!