Brilliant Night View of #JoburgCity

Posted by 2summers on May 17, 2013
Posted in: Arts, Culture and Sports, Johannesburg, Johannesburg City Centre, Museums, Monuments and Buildings, South Africa. Tagged: , , , , . 3 comments

Last night I attended an art exhibition called the Postcard Revival on the top floor of the Barbican Building, one of the most iconic buildings in downtown Joburg. I have no time to tell you anything about the exhibition, or the glorious building in which it took place.  But I’m making time to show you one photo that I took from the Barbican’s 10th-floor balcony.

Gauteng legislature sm

Ah, Joburg City. I heart you. (This is the Gauteng Legislature building.) 

I’m off to the Joburg City Tourism Association’s weekend in the city. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Twitter. We’ve created a special hashtag for the weekend, #JoburgCity, which you can follow on Twitter and Instagram. Maybe I’ll even squeeze in a blog post at some point over the weekend. (Although likely not because the schedule is jam-packed.)

I’m very excited, and also very late. Bye.

Did I Mention Jozi is Pretty?

Posted by 2summers on May 14, 2013
Posted in: Instagram, Johannesburg, Johannesburg City Centre, Museums, Monuments and Buildings, South Africa. Tagged: , , , , , , . 12 comments

You already know that Jozi is pretty from the rooftops. You know Jozi is pretty from the ground. I am now here to tell you that Jozi is pretty from highway overpasses, too.

photo

View of Market Street from the Joe Slovo Drive overpass, just east of the city centre. Continue Reading

Pretty Pictures of Joburg Places

Posted by 2summers on May 9, 2013
Posted in: Johannesburg, Johannesburg City Centre, Museums, Monuments and Buildings, South Africa, Walking Tours. Tagged: , , , , , , . 11 comments

As I said in my previous post (and many other posts, for that matter), Joburg is pretty from above. But just to clarify, Joburg is pretty from ground level, too.

On Sunday I participated in another walking tour with Gerald Garner from JoburgPlaces. (Read about my previous JoburgPlaces tour here.) Sunday’s tour took us from Newtown to Maboneng and back, mostly on foot with a bit of driving mixed in.

walking Newtown

Walking through Mary Fitzgerald Square in Newtown. Continue Reading

Roof-Hopping Through a Beautiful City

Posted by 2summers on May 6, 2013
Posted in: Instagram, Johannesburg, Johannesburg City Centre, South Africa, Walking Tours. Tagged: , , , , , . 29 comments

I try not to get upset when people refer to Johannesburg as “dangerous”, or “dirty”, or “ugly”. Such attitudes do Joburg a huge disservice, but they usually come from a place of ignorance rather than malice. Most of the people who say these things probably haven’t been into downtown Jozi for years, if ever. And they don’t realize what they’re missing.

I suppose one could argue — in certain specific instances — that Joburg can be dangerous. One could even argue that some parts of Joburg are dirty. (Although most of the city is actually quite clean.)

But…ugly? Nope. Not ever.

reflection

Downtown Jozi reflected in a remarkably clear puddle of water. Continue Reading

A Birds-Eye View of South Africa

Posted by 2summers on May 3, 2013
Posted in: Limpopo Province, Parks and Nature Reserves, Pretoria, South Africa. Tagged: , , , , . 20 comments

As I mentioned in my previous post, I am really f-ing lucky.

A couple of weeks ago I spent the weekend at Leobo Private Reserve, one of the most amazing lodges in South Africa (in my opinion at least). I traveled to Leobo in my colleague Theresa’s brand-new Landrover, which was pretty luxurious. But as if I weren’t already lucky enough, I got to travel home from Leobo in a helicopter.

girls in copter

My new mates — Gaye, Kirsten and Lin — and me, ready to take off in the chopper.  Continue Reading

Luxury Weekend in the Waterberg (or, I Am So F-ing Lucky)

Posted by 2summers on April 29, 2013
Posted in: Limpopo Province, Parks and Nature Reserves, South Africa. Tagged: , , , , . 24 comments

I am so f-ing lucky. I am so f-ing lucky. I am so f-ing lucky.

This mantra drifted through my head (with a few letters added), over and over, during the two days I spent at Leobo Private Reserve.

I occasionally get offered free trips because of my blog. When I was asked to visit Leobo, which is in the Waterberg district of Limpopo Province, I nearly said no. It was last-minute and I had some things planned for the weekend. Thank god I came to my senses.

I’ve been to some pretty amazing places during my time in South Africa. But never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined staying in a place like this. Continue Reading

The Rand Club: It’s Old.

Posted by 2summers on April 25, 2013
Posted in: Arts, Culture and Sports, Johannesburg, Johannesburg City Centre, Museums, Monuments and Buildings, South Africa. Tagged: , , , , . 8 comments

Johannesburg is a relatively new city, founded in a big hurry when gold was discovered here in 1886. Jozi has reinvented itself several times during its 130-year history and there isn’t much in the city that can be considered “old”, at least by European or Asian standards.

The Rand Club, Joburg’s first gentlemen’s club, is a notable exception. The Rand Club is old, and proud of it.

rand club outside

The Rand Club, in the center of Joburg at 33 Loveday Street. Continue Reading