Johannesburg Sunday 21/12/2025
We got up at 5am this morning riddled with jetlag so the only thing to do was to have a big breakfast and walk.
The restaurant food is excellent here and the service delightful. I’m going to have to get used to not feeling like some capitalist invader here.
It’s a form of white guilt maybe but I’m overly conscious at the moment to not come across as condescending or in someway superior because I’m not. I’m just a pasty white guy from Australia whose been blessed with the privileges that come from living there.
Every time we tip say A$2 or A$5 to these youngsters they are so grateful. Just got to keep everything in perspective and not try and solve the unsolvable.
Lynda and I always check the kid’s name badges and address them personally. It’s a good way to start a conversation. South Africans, like so many countries around the world speak multiple languages. Australians struggle with one 🙂
Our hotel is located in Sandton, about 20 mins drive from the CBD and is situated alongside many four and five star hotels. Just up the road is Nelson Mandela Square which houses a shopping centre that looks like Chadstone on steroids.
All the big labels are there including the posh ones. It’s the first time I’ve seen a security guard with a sub-machine gun perched outside a Gucci store.
The centre is architecturally tasteful and spotless. The art work throughout the place is exquisite and of course who doesn’t love a giant Mandela whose crutch you can stand under?
I’m sure Donald would love one of these but you have to be awarded a real Nobel Peace Prize first you big taco. 🙂
We spent a few hours walking the jet lag off then walked back to the hotel. As we always do we took the wrong street and found a ‘sketchy’ road that was being utilised by some local homeless.
Ironically they were sleeping right next to two, side by side, open air gambling bars where you could bet on anything. Speaks volumes for the insidious nature of betting.
Grabbed some supplies from the South African institution Pick and Pay next door to the hotel and headed back, but not before giving our charismatic concierge Sam a tip for helping us out.
After decades of visiting supermarkets for a living, I quite like visiting them overseas and checking out different innovations and flavours.
Picked up some Potjiekos flavoured chips today. Fascinating isn’t it? Potjiekos is a traditional dish cooked on an open fire in a clay pot and consists of meat and potatoes mainly. They were very nice. One never ceases to learn.
Speaking of local food. Based on what we saw at the breakfast buffet, the South Africans are big on meat and potatoes. This won’t surprise anyone who has watched the World Champion Springboks play rugby union.
There are a few extremely large black players in their team but it’s the white guys who are massive, ruthless and have scant regard for the health and safety of the opposition.
They look like they have been spawned on Afrikaner farms the size of a small nation and have been bottle fed meat and spuds.
They are seriously scary and a wonderful and much loved national team similar to The All Blacks.
Lynda’s crashed and I’m not far off. Looking forward to dinner in a few hours.
What would you like tonight sir?
What would you suggest?
Perhaps an entrée of sausage with extra meat and a side of chips?
Fabulous
Followed by a main consisting of a 5kg rump cut straight from a cow’s arse bred in the Free State, accompanied by eight extra large potatoes smothered in garlic butter.
Sounds awesome thankyou.
