Out of Africa

March 22, 2008

I just returned from a week away on business in South Africa.  While the visit was an adventure, I am certainly glad I came home for the Easter holiday.

I arrived in Johannesburg after a 10.5 hour flight from Zurich. I had several coworkers give me advice on what to expect in making my visit.  Most were cautionary warnings on not taking chances and keeping to the hotel and office. 

I found that the country has a number of problems and was altogether different than any place I've seen before.  It seems they have problems in a number of areas in just getting things done. 

Once I landed in the the Joberg airport, I had to wait some time as no one thought to bring a vehicle to transport the passengers to the terminal from the plane.  Passport control and luggage not any worse than some US airports.

My driver, Johannes, picked me up right away.  As we worked our way toward the hotel, the radio described the number of Americans who had been robbed and killed in the past year.  It seems they were followed from the airport and accosted once they arrived at their destinations.

The Michaelangelo Hotel where I stayed is a four star hotel.  It looked like something out of the movies of old colonial days.  Sunken living room, dark mahogany paneling, spectacular lobby, etc.   

    

On the first night, the power went off.  This is evidently a frequent problem as the infrastructure breaking down.  Power outages are scheduled for each neighborhood.

The second morning a local checked into the hotel and committed suicide by jumping off the balcony through the glass roof of a restaurant located in the Nelson Mandella square.  This square is host to a number of upscale establishments and a very expensive shopping center.   

The remainder of the trip was uneventful, save for the occasional outages.  Easter weekend is a big event there, with thousands leaving Thursday evening for the parks and celebrations.  

As strange as it sounds, I did enjoy my stay there. The people I met were all very friendly and all loved living in South Africa.  

One such person was a local shopkeeper.  We struck up a conversation while I was looking at African products made in some of the localvillages.  He urged me to return when I had more time to see his Africa.  

His Africa was outside the city proper.  Just a few short kilometers away are nature preserves and smaller towns and villages.  

His Africa is also about opportunity.  While there is  tremendous poverty and governmental corruption, there is also a great deal of natural resources and untapped potential.  

By contrast, Zurich is well organized, politically stable and is recognized as the most livable city in the world.  There is very little crime and not much poverty.  Still, I would like to come back to South Africa to see what the shopkeeper sees.

Given the schedule, I did not get any pictures of my visit.

The girl pictured with Tara is Charli, a new friend who lives close by and who attends the school that Tara will attend in the fall.  Teri met her mother on the expat site. 

The pictures of the trail and the garden sheds are those in our immediate neighborhood.  It is here that Duchess takes us for her walks. 

Like South Africa, Switzerland celebrates Easter officially.  We are lucky to have four days to recoup from my trip and to get some things put away and organized.  While it snowed Friday, Saturday turned out to be a beautiful day.   Tara will be looking for the Bunny tomorrow, like last Easter when we were in Zurich.

Here's hoping that the Bunny comes your way as well and fills your baskets with joy and happiness.