Joburg Airports: O.R. Tambo vs. Lanseria
Travelstart asked me to write a blog post about the cheap domestic flights it offers in South Africa. Of course I agreed -- blogging assignments are easy when the thing you're asked to blog about is [...]
Four Tips on Car Hire in South Africa
When I moved from America to South Africa, cars were the most difficult adjustment. Everything about cars and driving is different here: Cars drive on the opposite side of the road, car parts have [...]
(Re)discovering Joburg
This weekend I participated in a city immersion adventure in Joburg, tentatively named "Jozi, the Amazing Place". Eight people spent 48 hours in downtown Joburg, traveling around on public transport and accomplishing various "missions" assigned by our [...]
Johannesburg’s Amazing Race
I have a confession to make: I know a lot about Joburg, but I know nothing about Joburg’s public transportation system. Give me a car and a set of directions, and I’m off. I’ll [...]
An Authentic Joburg Afternoon
I recently had a Twitter argument with a guy who said he thinks Joburg “lacks authenticity”. I never got to the root of what he meant (Twitter isn’t the place for complex debate), but [...]
Insider Tips for the Joburg City Festival
I love downtown Joburg. Everyone knows this. I am constantly singing the inner city’s praises and defending it against detractors. I visit the inner city as often as possible and I love discovering fun [...]
Santarama Miniland: WTF?
I recently wrote about my ride on the new Joburg City Sightseeing bus, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The bus ride was great both for my dad, who had just arrived in Joburg and wanted [...]
Riding the Joburg Red Bus (and not getting hijacked)
My dad is visiting Joburg for a couple of weeks. It’s his first time here (first time in Africa, in fact) and he wanted to get the lay of the land. So two days [...]
What I Didn’t Know About Joburg
“You know more about Joburg than most South Africans.” People say this to me all the time. I hear it so often that I started to believe it. Even though I’ve lived in Joburg [...]
Three-wheeling Through Jozi
I love living in Melville because it’s a walkable neighborhood. However, “walkable” is a relative term. I can walk up to 7th Street to meet a friend for dinner, but walking home alone at [...]
A Major Shift
If you read 2Summers regularly, you know I have transport issues. I've been living in car-centric Joburg for two years and have never owned a car. I get around by walking, cycling, begging rides, and [...]
The Car Spa: What Every Jozi Car Needs
Life is hard for a Jozi car. Parking spaces are small here. Street lanes are narrow and sometimes unpaved. Potholes are ubiquitous. Road rage rules. Cars share the road with minibus taxis – mighty [...]