Protea Hotel The Lakes Benoni

... energy that was apparent in parts of Rio when we visited all those months ago, but driving into the township the atmosphere is far from oppressive. We stopped at a 'fast food' joint, an open air butcher-cum-barbecue, where I was the only woman, let alone the only white woman. The people greeted us warmly and offered us grilled liver, which we could hardly refuse and as it turns out were very glad we didn't- delicious! Following our late lunch, we visited the Hector ...

... deliberate! The place is amazing! You are assigned a racial classification before you enter and then have to walk around the museum in such as manner as prescribed by that category. It was actually quite an emotional experience . Upon return we all headed out for beer and Pizza in Melvile which is a larnnie ( read posh) suburb of Joburg. We met up with some fellow travellers and I have now had the good fortune to meet two of the chaps I will ...

... The mine was definitely not a comfortable place to stay long. South African miners had worked in such conditions for years, with little pay. Ironically, exploitation was what made this country the richest one in Africa, and the largest gold producer in the world. Later, we headed up to the town square, where we saw dancers performing a "miners' dance". The dance was supposed to tell stories of the miners' harsh life, but the performers seemed overjoyed - This was ...

... Africa is poorer now than it was thirty years ago. Let's hope the situation here improves, but with despotic leaders, idiotic policies and ineffective aid programmes I'm not holding my breath. Next up for me is the mother of all cricket series: The Ashes in Australia. I've missed most of the hype so it's time for me to catch up with the excitement. In the meantime here's my YouTube video of the day.

... clean" clothes not "cleaning" clothes to us). They were very proud of their shebeen, as so they should be. Driving into the lower class areas incites a feeling of sadness. These one-room homes are mostly made of corrugated tin, do not have electricity or running water, and are often mere feet from their neighbour's home. Many of these people do have jobs and will receive assistance from the government. Many programs have been put in place for people to upgrade their skills and ...

Left Benoni on the Baz Bus at 9.15am. The journey was nice - it's great to be in the company of relaxed travellers for a bit. Talked, read, slept, looked out the window... ahh, the feeling of getting away from it. The bulk of the scenery was familiar -- large expanses of dry grass and fields seemingly flattened by the beating sun. It was only when we headed south that we diverged from the route I took earlier on in March to go to Kruger. As we ...

... Jabu are alternate house moms, and Mom Miriam is childcare worker. In Starlight (slightly older mites) Mom Celine rules supreme! Mom Gogo ('gogo' means grandma in Zulu) helps out. Mom Patience is on maternity leave too. In Sunshine (teenage boys) Ralph is house dad, aided by Barbara (or Bra-bra as the kids call her), and Mom Connie. I'm also getting to know the maintenance staff - Wilson is one of the guys who drives the Bakkie, and also the bus. He's a lovely jolly man.

... had left it around the corner by the sink - so we had a scary 5 minutes trying to get it off him without getting stabbed. Yikes! Then all the kids play together til 12.15, when we go outside for lunch. Most are good, but it only takes one (usually Salim or Christine) and then it's a chain-reaction of bad behaviour. Still not able to tell Christine and Sabrina apart, especially when they are wearing identical clothes. I'm sure the parents do it for kicks... Terri had to stick a ...

... There is a whole wall of files in a rack: each child has a file and it's updated when the social workers write a report. Glenda informed us both that we were expected to sing along to 'You Are My Sunshine' and then announced to the world in general that I was "a cheeky one". This caught me by surprise, as I felt rather bewildered and not at all 'cheeky'. Terri, giving me an indulgent look that had me biting down on a giggle, asked Glenda ...

... and sleep. On the way to Benoni we stopped at Pick and Pay (a supermarket) for paper and washing powder, and also the post office for stamps. That was an experience - the security measures are extreme, with a double layer of strong glass at the front, which only allows one person through at a time using a green/red light system. The green light only shows when the outer door is shut, letting you through the inner door into the PO. The person outside only gets the ...